Egypt Protests: Who is Mohamed ElBaradei?

The relentless Egypt Protests have created a very real possibility of the Hosni Mubarak’s 29-year-old regimes’ departure and possibility of Nobel Peace Prize winner Mohamed ElBaradei. But can this former nuclear inspector be anything more than a very efficient bureaucrat?

As the Egypt Protests have shown absolutely no sign of waning off, Mubarak’s presidency has been shaken to its core. With Egyptian Military sitting on the fence, choosing not to go outright to Mubarak’s defence, the regime’s fate has more or less been sealed (as pointed out by this blog when the whole drama began). Enter Mohamed ElBaradei. Over the last few days ElBaradei has emerged as the symbol of hope and democracy in the country and is likely candidate to succeed Mubarak. However, doubts to his leadership qualities remain.

Israel-Palestine resolution is the key to Al Qaeda and Iran: King of Jordan

A couple of days ago the King of Jordan, Abdullah II came on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show and talked about the Israel-Palestine issue. Coming from a world region full of extremist and/or crazy dictators and monarchs, the king was surprisingly moderate, rational and convincing in putting forth his ideas. He talked about how the Israel-Palestine issue, which affects every Muslim nation in the world, has allowed Iran and Al Qaeda to gain an international platform using such agenda. With the issue gone, these extremists will become a localized threat and can be accordingly dealt with.

Now Wikipedia tells me that the king is not only sensible but also an effective ruler. His reign has seen the first FTA (Free Trade Agreement) that the US has signed with any Arab country and his social welfare policy is not bad at all. To top it all off, the king is a fan of Star Trek and has played role as an extra in an episode in Star Trek: Voyager. How cool is that?

Image: King Abdullah II as an extra on Star Trek: Voyager 1996
Image credit: Wikimedia