On May 16, an Egyptian court sentenced ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi to death over his part in a mass prison break that took place during the 2011 uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak. (Ahmed Omar, The Associated Press)
Re: “Ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi sentenced to death,” May 17 news story.
The democratically elected president of a major U.S. ally — former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi — has been sentenced to death on charges that are clearly inflated and politically motivated. And thousands of his supporters are in jail for no other reason than their political affiliations. At the same time, Egypt continues to be a recipient of significant American foreign aid.
The hypocrisy and incoherence of the Obama administration’s foreign policy could not be more clear. We actively support the incompetent and kleptocratic governments of Afghanistan and Iraq. We were instrumental in the overthrow of the dictatorship in Libya. But when a legitimately elected president is imprisoned and sentenced to death — we do nothing.
Americans deserve an explanation from our elected representatives about what our policy is regarding support of military dictatorships. And the residents of countries around the world should take note — when the Americans come and say they want to support democracy in your country, don’t believe it.
Steve Laudeman, Denver
This letter was published in the May 25 edition.
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