Cairo, January 31: Washington’s double standards on Egypt developments have become more evident as the US, which has supported Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s dictatorial rule for years, is now claiming it favors a democracy in Egypt.
“America’s message has been consistent. We want to see free and fair elections and we expect that will be one of the outcomes of what is going on right now,” said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“We want to see an orderly transition so that no one fills a void, that there not be a void, that there be a well thought out plan that will bring about a democratic participatory government,” she added.
“What we’re saying is that any efforts by this government to respond to the needs of their people, to take steps that will result in a peaceful orderly transition to a democratic regime is what is in the best interests of everyone including the current government,” the top US diplomat went on to say.
This comes as Washington has, ironically enough, expressed support for the Egyptian dictator on several occasions.
“Mubarak has been an ally of ours in a number of things. And he’s been very responsible on relative to geopolitical interest in the region, the Middle East peace efforts; the actions Egypt has taken relative to normalizing relationship with Israel. …I would not refer to him as a dictator,” US Vice President Joe Biden said on Thursday.
Political analysts believe the US call on Egyptian authorities to heed demands for reforms is a charade because the White House continues to throw its weight behind embattled Mubarak.
——–Agencies