Why Egypt's Courtesy Call to Iran Before US?

What news from foreign countries will we be talking about in two months? To keep readers abreast of the latest developments abroad, Brian Stewart will provide semi-regular commentary for the blog, highlighting global alerts that merit attention.

It is being reported that next month Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi will pay his first visit to the United States since taking office in June.

The post-Mubarak order in Egypt has witnessed the emergence of ominous portents, including the persecution of the Copts, the native Christians of Egypt, the censorship of media, and the harassment of the judiciary. However, the Muslim Brotherhood has not yet fleshed out its strategic interest abroad -- which is why the coming stop on the itinerary of Egypt's first Islamist president should be of such concern to American observers: the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran, which Mr. Morsi will be attending next week. It will be the first such visit by an Egyptian head of state to Iran since the 1979 revolution.