The idea of losing Egypt to Islamic Fundamentalist leaders much like President Jimmy Carter lost Iran is much discussed the past few days. Egypt is at a FLASHPOINT.

Egyptian air force fighter planes buzzed low over Cairo, helicopters hovered above and extra troop trucks appeared in a central square where protesters were demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak’s rule.

State television said that a curfew has been imposed in the capital and the military urged the protesters to go home.

But the thousands of protesters in Tahrir Square choosed to stay on Sunday.

The show of defiance came as Egypt entered another turbulent day following a night of deadly unrest, when looters roamed the streets in the absence of police.

Opposition groups in the country have called for national unity, and Mohamed Elbaradei, a leading opposition figure, has arrived at Tahrir Square to join the protests.

The National Coalition for Change, which groups several opposition movements including the Muslim Brotherhood, appointed ElBaradei with negotiating with Mubarak’s government.

The Obama Administration appears to be indecisive as to who to support – the protesters in the street or the 3 decades old strong man dictator, Hosni Mubarak.

The Obama administration struggled to maintain a careful balance on its response to the crisis in Egypt on Sunday, which continued to spiral out of control as armed gangs broke hundreds of militants out of Egyptian jails and the U.S. Embassy warned citizens to consider leaving the country as soon as possible.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made the rounds on all five Sunday shows, advocating that the people’s voice be heard while taking care not to call for a departure of President Hosni Mubarak.

The steps Mubarak has taken to address his people’s grievances against the government haven’t been enough, Clinton said on “Fox News Sunday.”

“I don’t think anyone is satisfied, least of all the Egyptian people,” Clinton said.

But when asked on CNN’s “State of the Union” whether the U.S. was taking the side of government or the protesters, Clinton stressed that the U.S. had been “on the side of the people” as it had been for more than 30 years of cooperation with Cairo while advocating greater democratic and civil rights.

“We’re not advocating any specific outcome,” she said.

She said that the U.S. is trying to “keep on the message we’ve been on, convey it publicly and privately, and stand ready to help.”

In other words, the State Department under Obama and Hillary Clinton does not know what to do. Looks like when the call came in at 3 AM, they both have failed to answer.

Previous:

The Day By Day Archive