Granted, former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was a despot. But Mubarak was also an important strategic ally of the United States. So how did we repay our ally? We dropped him in the grease when the Egyptians revolted in what is known as the Arab Spring. Mubarak was imprisoned in poor health and is now undergoing a trial on charges that could bring him the death penalty. When it was apparent that he was about to be overthrown, we should have whisked him away on a plane and taken him to a country that was willing to give him asylum. And if none were willing, we should have let him live in this country.
Following months of unrest, Yemen’s embattled president Ali Abdullah Saleh said he would step down at the end of this year. He escaped with his life in an assassination attempt but was seriously injured and badly burned. He spent three months in Saudi Arabia getting treated for his injuries. Saleh has relinquished his authority. Now he has entered the United States for more treatments of his burns. But the government has made it quite clear that he will not be able to stay in this country because it does not want to be seen as harboring an autocrat accused of resorting to violence to remain in power.
Saleh promised to return to Yemen after his treatment in the U.S., but our government and our allies are pressuring him not to return. And although we do not want him to return to his homeland, we will not allow him to stay here. While he was in power Saleh was a strong ally of the U.S. He collaborated with our government in combating al-Qaeda in Yemen and other jihadist forces in his country. And this is how we repay him.
Mubarak and Saleh, our allies, hung out to dry. Have we no shame?! How can any other foreign leaders that are our allies, but who are unpopular with their people, still trust the American government?
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