The LuLac Edition #1453, Jan. 29th, 2011

PHOTO INDEX: OUR "INTERVIEW" LOGO.

INTERVIEW

This week’s events in Egypt were a topic of discussion with a few friends of mine. Here are parts of that conversation.
Q: Were you surprised at the events?
A: I was more surprised at the speed in which it ramped up. I didn’t think there were issues.
Q: You were in Egypt a few years ago, what was that like?
A: I don’t know if it was American policy or Egyptian but we had an escort everywhere we went.
Q: Was it the police or the Army?
A: I think it was the police, private police, guys in suits, why do you ask?
Q: Because on the news it was said that the people are down on the police but respect the Army. So much so that they allowed the Army to form a barricade around the museums with the precious artifacts.
A: We had a guy who was a policeman. He dressed in a suit, was armed, took us everywhere and then waited until we got back.
Q: Did you ever venture out on your own?
A: Oh yeah, we wanted to see the subway system and check things out ourselves. There were people who had white transport vans. I literally saw people jumping on them into the side door as they were moving.
Q: How were you treated by the natives?
A: Okay, we were never scared but when we were on the van, the driver was talking to his buddies and people were pointing at us. He most likely charged us more but I never felt unsafe. Once this woman was passing out literature of some kind and when she got to us, she didn’t give us what she was passing out. I don’t know the reason for that, maybe it was the language thing.
Q: What reactions do you have about the rioting?
A: It is pretty intense, I’m sure it is going to affect oil prices. The President is going to be between a rock and a hard place because Egypt is our great ally in the middle east.
Q: Right, they are number 3 or 4 in terms of the amount of foreign aid we give as a government.
A: Right and Mubarak is now 83.
Q: Mubarak is the successor to the late Anwar Sadat and has been in office since Sadat’s Assassination in 1981.
A: Right. And the gist of this unrest is that Mubarak has hinted that he wants his son to succeed him, kind of turn it into a dynasty.
Q: Where the heck does Mubarak think he is, Luzerne County?
A: Good one Yonk.
Q: Thank you.