See Mideast situation for what it is

I read Shams Ghoneim's March 4 piece, “U.S.-Egyptian alliance vital to region,” and, unfortunately, I think a rather rosy image has been painted that does not quite fit with the reality.

Muslim Brotherhood won. It is cozy with Gaza-based terrorist group Hamas, an Iranian anti-Israel proxy army. Muslim Brotherhood also inspired the formation of al-Qaida. This is an Islamist group that wants to instill Shariah Law and destroy Israel. The second runner-up was the Nour Party that wants to impose strict Saudi-style Islamic law, further restricting women's rights. Since the fall of Mubarak, tens of thousands of Coptic Christians have fled and hundreds more have been killed along with churches being destroyed.

A recent poll has stated that more than 80 percent of Egyptians want to end the 30-year treaty with Israel and “March to Jerusalem” and they don't mean a “peace march.”

I see history repeating itself. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter refused to back the Shah of Iran, who was friendly to the West and allowed his government to fall and become one of the biggest terror states today. Yet President Barack Obama said nothing when the people of Iran were trying to protest against the current regime that believes they can usher in their messiah by destroying Israel and the United States.

It's time to take off the rose-colored glasses and get a dose of reality.

Andrew Bunce

Cedar Rapids