Egypt has scheduled an election for President on May 26-27 to formally replace its deposed Muslim Brotherhood President, Mohammed Morsi. Although there will be others on the ballot, there is only one real candidate, former army chief, Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. So, while Egyptians will go through the motions of electing their leader, the result has been predetermined. El-Sissi will be Egypt's next President one way or the other.
So, how fitting then that weeks after Egyptian authorities and the New York Times both suggested that the US had already agreed to ban imports of Egyptian artifacts and days after Egyptologist-Heritage Hero Monica Hanna finished promoting restrictions on American collectors at events staged in New York and Washington, D.C., the State Department's Bureau of Educational Affairs has announced that CPAC will meet to discuss a proposed MOU with Egypt.
Given this history, does anyone seriously believe the upcoming CPAC meeting will in the end be anything more than an orchestrated farce not dissimilar to what's happening in Egypt itself? Still, if one feels strongly about their continued ability to collect Egyptian artifacts, CPO believes they should comment on regulations.gov website. Why? Because silence will only be spun as acquiesce by the US and Egyptian cultural bureaucracies as well as the powerful archaeological lobby.
More later on how to comment, but the above link about the CPAC meeting should provide the basics.
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