Sunday, February 6, 2011

The Egyptian crisis: another day, another two US policies


An American envoy's praise for Mubarak has raised the question once more of what Washington really thinks

By Julian Borger
The Guardian

"Frank Wisner's apparent love song to Hosni Mubarak has left confusion behind him. Speaking on a video link-up from New York to the Munich Security Conference, Barack Obama's special envoy to Egypt veered wildly off-message in seemingly fond remarks about the Egyptian autocrat.....

Telephone conversations with Suleiman in the past 48 hours have given European leaders the impression that the transition is already underway. He has impressed them with a laundry list of planned reforms and his brisk determined manner. European officials believe that power is shifting out of Mubarak's hands, but they cannot be sure.
A lot of options are being discussed. Mubarak could delegate powers while taking sick leave or writing his memoirs in Sharm el-Sheikh, to allow the constitution to be changed. In other words, he would be able to stay in office at least formally. But Wisner's comments will reinforce an impression on the streets of Cairo that Washington's heart really belongs to Mubarak, rather than the Egyptian people."

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