Has U.S. Diplomacy Failed In Egypt?

A Massacre In Cairo And A Failure Of US Diplomacy In Egypt -- Dan Murphy, Christian Science Monitor

The US strained mightily to avoid calling Morsi's ouster a coup and to continue military aid. Egypt's military answered back today.

Since the military coup that ousted the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi from the Egyptian presidency on July 3, the Obama administration has bent over backwards not to call it a "coup."

The reasoning behind this decision was that Egypt's military is the most powerful force in the country and that alienating and punishing them for their action would both undercut US influence and create the conditions for a broad military crackdown. And, besides, the massive protests against Mr. Morsi leading up to him being deposed and arrested showed he couldn't lead or stabilize the country any more himself.

So while principled talk about "democracy" and getting militaries out of politics is one thing, the world of realpolitik is something else. While emissaries from Obama danced around the "coup" question, the US government refused to announce a cut off in the Egyptian military's $1.3 billion annual subsidy, and continually urged restraint and reconciliation.

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My Comment: US diplomacy never had a chance in Egypt .... this is a fight among Egyptians, and it is best if we just stay out of it.