If you haven't been paying attention to the spreading issue in the Middle East, here is your primer
President Barack Obama warned the Egyptian government against using violence against anti- government protesters and urged President Hosni Mubarak to move forward on political and economic reforms.
“The government has to be careful about not resorting to violence,” Obama said, extending the same warning to “the people on the street” who are calling for Mubarak’s ouster.
In a town hall event conducted over Google Inc.’s YouTube, Obama said he has repeatedly told the Egyptian leader that he needs to be “moving forward on reform -- political reform, economic reform.”
While Egypt is “an ally of ours on a lot of critical issues,” Obama said, the country needs “mechanisms for people to express legitimate grievances.”
Clashes between protesters and security forces continued for a third day today in cities including Suez and Ismailia, both east of Cairo, sending Egypt’s benchmark EGX30 index tumbling by the most in more than two years. While the capital remained quiet, riot police have been deployed downtown since demonstrations on Jan. 25 in which four people were killed.
Adding to the challenge to Mubarak, opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei returned to Cairo and said he will join demonstrators in the capital tomorrow. ElBaradei, former head of the United Nations nuclear agency, has urged Mubarak to step down.
Warning Against Violence
Obama reinforced his administration’s message warning both the government and the protesters not to escalate their confrontation, saying “violence is not the answer.”
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs earlier today urged Mubarak to seize the street demonstrations as an opportunity to enact political reforms. He stressed that the U.S. isn’t choosing sides in Egypt’s internal conflict.
“This isn’t a choice between the government and the people of Egypt,” Gibbs said at a White House briefing. “This represents an opportunity for President Mubarak and the government to demonstrate its willingness to listen to its own people.”
The White House is prepared to step up its criticism of Mubarak, a key Middle East ally, if his government intensifies its crackdown on protesters, an administration official said yesterday. Obama privately pressed Mubarak in a telephone call last week to embrace democratic changes, the official on condition of anonymity.
Stocks Plunge
The EGX30 plunged 11 percent, the most since October 2008, to 5,646.50 at the 2:30 p.m. close in Cairo. That brought the two-day drop to 16 percent. The cost to insure against the country’s debt soared 38 basis points to 383, the highest since May 2009, according to CMA prices.
Obama chose Cairo University as the backdrop to a speech he gave the Muslim world June 4, 2009, where he pledged to “seek a new beginning” for the U.S. and the Muslim world. He cited the spread of democracy as one of the five friction points between the two cultures.
When Obama began discussing democracy, the younger members of the audience clapped and cheered.
“I do have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice; government that is transparent and doesn’t steal from the people; the freedom to live as you choose,” Obama said. “Those are not just American ideas, they are human rights, and that is why we will support them everywhere.”
Earlier this month, protests in Tunisia toppled the government and Obama issued a statement that the U.S. “stands with the people of Tunisia.” The success of demonstrators there appears to have sparked a wave of anti-government protests, including demonstrations in Yemen.
13 comments:
I can see the sense in Obama choosing to be neutral in this situation. Siding against the government could result in Egypt breaking ties with America, and at this point we cannot afford to lose the allies we do have in the Middle East. Siding with the government could result in the people becoming resentful of us and thus more resentful towards their own government, worsening the situation. The best course is to simply urge a peaceful resolution and hope for the best. Unless the situation turns more to the worse then maybe we could go in and simply stop one aggressor from swinging at the other, continuing to remain neutral. Of course, one cannot help but question President Mubarak's position. If the people truly despise him that much then perhaps he should step down. But it is important to note that he cannot he forced out, that would only make it worse. But I must agree that the US needs to support oppressed peoples under authoritarian leadership, such as Tunisia.
I think it is good the United States is supporting the anti-government protests in Egypt. The President of Egypt has been in power for nearly 30 years. I think if someone is in power for that long of a time they have become more of a president and almost a democratically elected dictator. The Egyptian people are right to reform the government as the people of any nation are. As the Tunisian incident inspired these events, maybe more events such as this will begin to happen around the world in nations where the people's voice is wanting to be heard.
I think that the government of Egypt should be open to change, in order to please and calm the people. People dying during a protest is uncalled for and should be stopped as soon as possible by a compromise of some sort. The government involving the people's ideas and positions on issues, as Obama said, "..are not just American ideas, they are human rights."
I think what Obama is doing for Egypt is great! Although he should spend some time on domestic affairs happening in the USA, Egypt needs our support. They should have the freedom of expressing their grievances! Egypt is very important to the United States and we need to support our relation with them.
This is why we have a pretty alright government system. At least our nation actually listens to what the people want. They don't always do what we had in mind, but they consider it. We're lucky for that. Our constitution has done us some good.
The government has to listen to the people. When they do not, this is what happens, the people start to protest and it all turns into violence. I think it's a good thing that Obama is telling the Egyptian leader "that he needs to be moving forward on reform--political reform, economic reform". If the Egyptian leader would listen to Obama, it may put a stop to the protesting in Egypt.
All the protesters are really asking for is reform or for him to step down. This has been brewing for a while now, and the president hasn't done anything about it. What's he waiting for? Mubarak has to give the people what they want, or the problems will continue to escalate, and there's no way around that. The situtations in Tunisia and Yemen are perfect examples of that. He needs to step it up, or step down.
Egypt is going through political chaos at the moment. I have a feeling that other countries will be soon to follow. The things that link the people of Egypt and the people of Tunisia, is that theyre tired of their corrupt Government. Also using such drastic force to "shut up" the people cannot be seen as good in any kind of run, long or short. The US should realize that we have no say in egyptian politics, and it would be a mistake to interfere in any way.
Im with Obama on this one. Egypt is an ally, and Obama is only trying to help. I think Mubarak should stop being so stubborn and listen. Robert Gibbs idea of using this protest to show Mubarak's willingness to listen to his people sounds like a good idea.
I agree with Obama violence will not achive anything.If the Egypt government wants to keep the peace and stop the riots then they will need to listen and avoid violence.
I agree with Obama violence will not achive anything.If the Egypt government wants to keep the peace and stop the riots then they will need to listen and avoid violence. They need to look into reform as a option.
Obama should just leave this whole thing with Egypt to the Egyptian people. I seem to recall the last time America tried to help a country with its freedom we ended up staying in that country for awhile.... I know that Egypt has been a very helpful ally in the Middle East, but if the people of Egypt want to have more freedom then it should be up to them.
President Hosni Mubarak is not considering what the people want. Obviously whenever someones is in the position of authority they want to stay there, but in his case nobody wants him there. I support Obama when he says the freedom of speech should be a human right. If the people want o protest let them. What's the violence going to do but make them more angry?
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