Quick Wrap: A Sad Day for Journalism

Yesterday in a Cairo court, Al Jazeera journalists Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and producer Baher Mohammed were given 7-10 year sentences for what can only be described as responsible journalism. The Egyptian government, with Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has made its intentions clear from the outset, to eliminate all traces of the formerly ruling Muslim Brotherhood party from public life. They have already given a death sentence to 182 of the group’s followers, and Mohamed Morsi, the party’s leader, is currently on trial for murder, inciting deadly violence and espionage. What, in effect, el-Sisi is trying to do in ridding Egypt of the ruling party and its followers, is to do to the Muslim Brotherhood what the United States under George W. Bush did to the Ba’ath party in Iraq during the war from 2003, through imprisoning and killing members, including Saddam Hussein himself. This, in Iraq’s case just led to more sectarian violence and a situation now, where Barack Obama has to face a similar situation as President of the U.S as Bush did back then. All I’ll say is, for the sake of the Middle East, I hope history doesn’t repeat.