New York Times Editorial, "Egypt’s Assault on Civil Society": Who Writes this Hogwash?

As Gomer Pyle would say, "Surprise, surprise, surprise!"

Complaining of a December raid by Egyptian security forces on the offices of three American-financed democracy-building groups and Egypt's refusal to allow six Americans associated with these organizations to leave the country, The New York Times, in an editorial entitled "Egypt’s Assault on Civil Society" (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/28/opinion/egypts-assault-on-civil-society.html?ref=opinion), expresses its bewilderment:

"Post-Mubarak Egypt is facing profound challenges with its unfinished revolution and looming economic crisis. The last thing it needs is to pick a fight with the United States. Yet the military rulers have done just that, demonstrating contempt for civil society and an old ally.

. . . .

Egypt’s military receives $1.3 billion in annual aid from Washington. It is beyond us why the generals would keep pressing this destructive dispute, even after hearing remonstrations from President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta."

It is beyond the ken of the editorial board of The Times how Egypt's armed forces, subsidized by the US in excess of $1 billion, could behave so roguishly? Allow me to clue them in: Egypt has taken lessons from Pakistan, which receives more than $2 billion of security assistance each year from the US, and which, in June, arrested five informants who led the CIA to Osama bin Laden (see: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/06/15/pakistani-forces-arrest-cia-informants-who-led-us-to-usama-bin-laden/).

Apparently Andrew Rosenthal's doltish gang still doesn't understand that the game in this corner of the world is not played according to Marquess of Queensberry rules. Sooner or later they'll catch on.