[knowtheory]

You also should understand that Egypt controls the Suez canal, which is not just a major international shipping channel carrying goods of all sorts, but is also vital to the US Navy in it's efforts not just to carry out it's missions in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but also for how it polices waters off of Somalia and the Horn of Africa in it's efforts to fight real world piracy.

[bioh42_2]

Oh no, ships will have to go all the way around Africa! You know, like the biggest ships today, too big for the Panama canal, have to go around South America.

[knowtheory]

Sarcasm is both unnecessary and unbecoming. Nor does it have any bearing on what i've said. If policy changes regarding the canal we will see an impact on both international trade and governance.

[bioh42_2]

Well you are right about the sarcasm, but otherwise the only fallout I can see is it would take longer to ship things and cost a bit more because more fuel will be used.

As I mentioned, the biggest ships today already can't use the Panama canal, and yet we keep building bigger ships because despite the extra time and cost of going 'round South America, it is still profitable.

Now would going around Africa be that much different? For huge container ships? For the US navy?

[borism]

besides Suez canal is really a non-issue for US military's current missions - it has firm positions at Diego Garcia, in Persian Gulf and Pacific which is really a stones throw.

Suez is real issue if you want to move that force into Mediterranean.