The Worst Massacre since 1995's Rwanda

Egyptian President Mubarak ordered its military to slaughter all the 400,000 pigs in the country immediately to quell any panic. (al Jazeera)

It is a curious order not only because there is no confirmed or suspected H1N1 case in Egypt or Middle East and anywhere near Egypt, but pigs can't spread this virus to human. Is it just simply a golden now-or-never opportunity for the government to oppress the potential "pig revolution" as George Orwell described in his book Animal Farm.

As a matter of fact, this order is far more than ridiculous. We all know Muslims don't eat pork, which makes the case of killing pigs even less understandable. Pigs are miserable creatures in that they are born for human consumption. Their living space is tiny and filthy, and what they eat is not what they actually like, but what we hope can make them grow faster. According to scientific reports, contrary to public belief, pigs are actually intelligent, even as good as dogs. But different from dogs, their deaths won't be mourned by many, even for most animal right activists.

Why on earth did Mubarak go on his massacre operation despite UN called it "a mistake"?Mr. Mubarak, known for his iron-fist rule in this country in the past three decades, doesn't care a lot about what others say when he has made us his mind. This order could be resulted from a misunderstanding in the first place, but for this type of dictators, rescinding an order to save animals would be too much for them to take.  They believe it would shake their authorities.

Moreover, is it just a result of misunderstanding? This is also very unlikely. Mubarak understands his dictatorship should rely on the public support, so he would love to gain public support whenever possible. Noticing the anxiety in Egypt about a potential outbreak, he wants to ensure the people he is ready to do whatever it takes to protect them. This probably works, as his other policies in the past three decades did. But just consider what the military did to the pigs. They might well be what they will do to the people if necessary to show his determination and keep his throne.