Hillary Tiptoes Around Mubarak

With visions of the 1979 Iranian revolution dancing in her head, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for Egypt to undergo an “orderly transition” away from its current unrest—all the while avoiding any demand for the ouster of Hosni Mubarak. —JCL

Los Angeles Times:

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday called for Egypt to move toward “real democracy” but also made clear that the United States was not demanding that embattled President Hosni Mubarak step down in the face of continuing demonstrations.

In a series of television interviews, Clinton also eased slightly off the administration’s threats on Friday to yank Egypt’s billions in aid, saying such a step was not now under discussion.

Clinton spoke warmly of the Egyptian military as a “respected institution” and advised it to help move the country from its current unrest to an “orderly transition.”

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Flickr / U.S. State Department

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with President Hosni Mubarak during a visit to Egypt last September.