Obama Administration Won't Endorse Calls For Immediate Resignation Of President Mubabrak

[tekisui]

Source: Huffington Post

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is urging Egyptian leaders to include more people in a national dialogue on reform but won't endorse demands from protesters for the immediate resignation of embattled President Hosni Mubarak.

As the U.S. anxiously awaits political developments in its staunchest Arab ally, administration officials warned Monday that a precipitous exit by Mubarak could set back the country's democratic transition.

After several days of mixed messages, the administration coalesced around a position that cautiously welcomes nascent reform efforts begun by newly appointed Vice President Omar Suleiman that may or may not result in Mubarak's resignation before September, when elections are to be held. Mubarak has said he will not run. Under Egypt's constitution, Mubarak's resignation would trigger an election in 60 days, well before September, and U.S. officials said that's not enough time to prepare.

"A question that that would pose is . whether Egypt today is prepared to have a competitive, open election," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said. "Given the recent past, where, quite honestly, elections were less than free and fair, there's a lot of work that has to be done to get to a point where you can have free and fair elections."

President Barack Obama said Egypt is making progress toward a solution to the political crisis enveloping the country and preparing for free elections to replace Mubarak.

more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/08/obama-egypt-mubarak_n_820103.html

[tekisui]

1. U.S. eases off call for swift Egypt reform

Source: LA Times

Reporting from Washington —
The Obama administration has reconciled itself to gradual political reform in Egypt, an approach that reflects its goal of maintaining stability in the Middle East but is at odds with demands of the protest movement in Cairo that President Hosni Mubarak relinquish power immediately.

A week after the Obama administration demanded a swift transition to a post-Mubarak era, it has dampened the sense of urgency and aligned itself with power-brokers such as new Vice President Omar Suleiman, who are urging a more stable, if much slower, move to real democracy.

But U.S. officials privately acknowledged that there is no guarantee that Suleiman, a former intelligence chief closely aligned with the military, is committed to substantial reforms.

They have said that countries in the Middle East must be allowed to progress politically at their own speed. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the U.S. supports democratic reforms across the region but acknowledges that "some countries will move at different paces."

more: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-fg-us-egypt-20110208,0,3417025.story

[BeFree]

2. Good

The US needs to stay on the sidelines here. The sentiment of the Americas, sans the rightwing whackos, is well known.

The last thing Obama needs to do is stick his nose into their shit. Some may argue he has the right to stick his nose in their shit and they have a case, but in the long run it is the people of Egypt that have to get the shit cleaned out on their own.

[tekisui]

3. We aren't on the sidelines, though.

Our noses are already in. Obama has put his support behind Suleiman. The WH is supporting the slow transition. The US is still sending money and weapons.

You would have a point, if we were actually on the sidelines. But, we aren't. Positions have been taken, and the position is not on the side of the people on the streets.

[BeFree]

4. Well

It is up to the people of Egypt and methinks if you asked the pro-democracy people, they would tell you that the last thing they want is Obama stealing the show.

Remember that our last president claimed that he invaded Iraq so that the Iraqis could have democracy. The people there do NOT want the US taking over and making decisions.

Just trust that they will overcome in Egypt. It looks pretty good.

Meanwhile, back home, we've our own set of problems that will require us to take to the streets very soon. EH?

[OHdem10]

5. Influence of other countries in the region?????????

[Jefferson23]

6. K&R

[ProSense]

7. "U.S. officials said that's not enough time to prepare" First of all,

Mohamed ElBaradei said the same thing on CNN

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ELBARADEI: Yes. I - I think - I think what I'm - I'm calling for, Fareed, is a presidential council of three people, with Suleiman or somebody from the army would be one member. The other should be civilian. A year of transition of a government of national unity, of a - of a - of caretaker government that's prepared properly for a free and fair election.

I think any election in the next coming of months before the right people to establish parties and engage, and it will be, again, a fake - a fake democracy. So we need - we need a year of transition. We need a government - a transitional government. We need a presidential council. We need to abolish the - the present constitution. We need to dissolve the current parliament.

These are all instruments of the dictatorship regime, and we should not be - I don't think we will go to democracy through that - the dictatorial constitution. I mean, my - my expert on constitutional law said the easiest way, Fareed, is to start a new era, with an interim constitution, set aside the present parliament, which is rigged, set aside the present constitution, which has nothing to do with democracy, and give our self a year for a peaceful and safe transition.

And then we will get a proper president, a proper parliament and - and then work again a full fledged democratic constitution. That's the way I see it, Fareed.

<...>

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Secondly, the HuffPo piece is based on a WaPo editorial:

THE OBAMA administration's latest flip on Egypt - it now publicly backs "the transition process announced by the Egyptian government" - is driven by fear of the dangers that could come with a victory by the pro-democracy movement headquartered in Cairo's Tahrir Square. "There are forces at work in any society . . . that will try to derail or overtake the process to pursue their own specific agenda," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said on Saturday. Most likely she was referring to the Muslim Brotherhood, a fundamentalist movement that many in Washington worry could hijack an uprising currently led by secular liberals.

<...>

The motivation there seems to be concern about the Muslim Brotherhood.

It's not up to the U.S. to decide the players.