Obama needs to take a clear stand on Egypt. Now!

[PhillySane]

After today's events in Cairo, it is clear that Mubarak has no desire to calmly step aside. He has employed covert, strong-armed tactics once again on his own people.
President Obama needs to outright dismiss this as anti-democratic, and not what the US supports in any way, shape or form. He should call for Mubarak's immediate resignation and the start of truly democratic elections as soon as possible.

We can no longer be wishy-washy on governments, dictators and kings that repress their people. Certainly not to the extent we witnessed today. If we are to be taken seriously as a world leader, as a country that practices what it preaches, we must call for Mubarak's immediate removal. If Obama wants to be taken seriously, not just by the world, but his own nation, he must come out strongly against Mubarak now.

This is not a game of wait-and-see. This is a moment of truth. Where do we stand?

[tabasco]

1. Last time I checked,

the country still belonged to the Egyptians.

[thewiseguy]

9. Last time I checked we were giving them a billion and half dollars every year

[PBS Poll-435]

19. Tax-Free!

:P

[TheWraith]

32. So that entitles us to own their government?

The US government is doing everything they reasonably can to bring the situation to a positive conclusion, without overstepping any lines or creating a diplomatic incident.

[JuniperLea]

44. Last time I checked, Obama pulled the plug on this...

Late last night or early this morning... poof... funding ended.

[tabasco]

46. Last time I checked,

that wasn't a down payment on the country.

[Buzz Clik]

57. And, that is all that matters. Let Egypt solve their own problems.

[Demeter]

2. Strong stand?

Obama is in the middle of the road, between the two solid yellow lines, next to the dead armadillo.

[PufPuf23]

33. I have to laugh here. lolol

POTUS Obama finds himself on a tight-rope not of his own making nor priority.

My laugh is for your metaphor not POTUS Obama (nor SOS Clinton).

[Citizen Worker]

55. Jim Hightower will be right out to scrape up what remains from the pavement.

[Uzybone]

3. foolishness

The US has taken a clear stand, now its up to the Egyptians to control their country and destiny.

They don't need any more speeches telling Mubarak to leave now.

[golddigger]

4. When ever has he taking a strong stand?

And why should he start now?

[kenny blankenship]

28. He's not afraid to take a strong stand against pot!

And he's been crystal clear about maintaining the war on poor minorities- the War on Drugs, I mean.

[Skittles]

5. lol

good luck with that

[itsrobert]

6. Thanks for your concern

But there is a reason why it's call international diplomacy. Key word 'diplomacy'. Look it up.

[PhillySane]

11. Bullshit.

Sorry, but if the French hadn't come to our aid 235 years ago, we'd probably still be a British colony. I'm asking him to stand for what is right. Not meddle. Take a stand. Be on the right side of history for a change.

[itsrobert]

13. Are you saying America has never been on the right side of history?

? Or even Obama for that matter?

[PhillySane]

It's a little too early for him to be historical just yet.

We'll see. But as far as the middle-east is concerned, name one time we have been right?

[PBS Poll-435]

14. Is Egypt asking for more aid from the US?

I hadn't heard that.

[PhillySane]

15. Yea

as a matter of fact the opposition is.

[PBS Poll-435]

17. What exactly are they expecting?

Shock and Awe on the Egyptian Gov't?

[PhillySane]

21. It's simple.

Just say you support their cause, and Mubarak has to go, now.

[PBS Poll-435]

23. What difference would it make if the President said that?

Hell, why not go for the gusto and have the President declare that he would like to see Mubarak replaced by King Tut?

[PhillySane]

29. Here's the difference

We stop being perceived as hypocrites in the middle-east. We actually mean what we say. We don't just care about the oil, we want the people to prosper, to be free. How's that?

[PBS Poll-435]

31. Um, Ok

If you think it would make a difference...

[Uben]

40. If it were that easy, he would.....

...but, he also knows that Saudi Arabia and all the other arab states are watching and what he does is going to have a major impact on negotiations with those countries in the future. It's east to just blurt out "Take a stand!", but you don't see the big picture. Thank god we have a president that does!

[JuniperLea]

49. Poof! Got what you wanted...

Clearly you missed it, but aid was pulled and Mubarak was told now is the time... and that an interim leadership must take over, now, and they will hold the elections.

[PufPuf23]

39. "Soft" Shock and Awe" on Mubarak may be a good idea.

There is little doubt that a portion of the Egypt military is aligned with the USA,

Why?

Our $ support for 30 years and relations with military command.

The Egyptian strong moderation of the ME tension over Israel for decades.

I have no problem with the USA advising Mubarak to leave ASAP to stop the destruction and polarization.

I love Egypt and the Egyptians I have met have been common good people. A disappointment in my life will have not been to visit.

The past status quo is broken and needs to be reset, regardless of past 30 years of relative stability. Sadat was a better man than Mubarak IMO.

I hope the Egyptian military turns out to be rational and shows Mubarak the door for a new start at secular democracy with better social justice.

[RegieRocker]

7. K & R

Not physically but verbally. Agreed.

[ananda]

8. Yes he does and I'll tell you why.

The protesters have asked him to.

[Bragi]

10. Quite so

Obama needs to explicitly support the demand for Mubarak to leave now. He also has to be clear that he sees role no in any "transition" for this thug. He's triggered and used violence, he's done.

To those saying the U.S should be "neutral" and "diplomatic" I ask why now? For 30 years the U.S has had no qualms about propping up this thug, but now that there's a popular uprising against him, we suddenly need to not get all neutrally.

Right.

[Baclava]

12. I don't think so

I think he's wise to stand back a bit....Cairo is a powder keg. Let it settle down, let them work it out.

You especially don't want to come down on the wrong side of a revolution. It's chaos right now.

[PhillySane]

20. Mubarak is the right side?

[Baclava]

24. We don't even know all the sides yet.

Nothing is black and white in the M.E.

[PhillySane]

34. I'll say it again

Mubarak is the right side?

[Baclava]

37. That's not my decision - it's the Egyptian peoples choice

Why should we butt in? How good is our intelligence agencies reports out of Cairo?

Why is it always our job to stick our noses in where we don't belong?

I have questions

[theold fossil]

30. Agreed

Feeling sad for the Egyptians today. I'm thinking that what they desire and what they are going to wind up
with is not what they imagined. Any old libs here remember how we celebrated the fall of the Shah?

[PhillySane]

35. Yea

Welcomed him to our country.

[JoePhilly]

16. Obama need to increase the BLUSTER and the SABER RATTLING!!!

And we should send some troops too!!!

That always works in the middle east!!!!

:sarcasm:

[PhillySane]

22. No, just speak out.

Just say something.

[babylonsister]

26. Just because you're not paying attention doesn't mean

the President hasn't responded appropriately so far. Look around, read, it does a body good. :hi:

[PhillySane]

36. He already said

he supported Mubarak's willingness to leave in September. But he doesn't get it. The protesters have had 30 years of this shit. They want Mubarak out now!

[babylonsister]

41. So what do you think he/we should do, go over there and yank

Mubarek out of office physically? I don't think so. And do you really want us to be policemen to the world? Haven't you had enough of that 'diplomacy'?

[Skink]

18. I'm sure the CIA is up to something right about now.

[Raksha]

27. That statement makes me more nervous than anything I've heard yet.

The CIA can almost be guaranteed to turn a bad situation catastrophic. I've never heard of an instance where they DIDN'T support an anti-democratic dictator.

[justiceischeap]

25. THE HILL: White House on time for Egyptian transition: 'Now means now'

With Mubarak giving no indication he would leave office before a fall presidential election and demonstrators demanding his immediate removal from office, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs on Wednesday took a firmer stance than President Obama did in remarks Tuesday night calling for a "transition" of power.

Although Gibbs continued to be vague about what that should look like, he said Obama was clear in telling Mubarak that "the time for change had come.”

" don't want to see appointments. They don't want to hear speeches," Gibbs said. "They want to see concrete action by their government, and I think that's what the world waits for.

"Now means now," he said.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/141783-white-house-on-time-for-eyptian-transition-now-means-now

emphasis mine

[PhillySane]

38. That's still not Obama

It makes a world of difference.

[Uzybone]

45. but Obama said "now" yesterday

are you not paying attention?

[justiceischeap]

47. Anyone who has been listening to Obama, knows he's been fairly clear about this.

People who want Obama to scream like a thug at a thug, just aren't going to have that happen. There's this thing people used to praise Obama for and that was his tact, his diplomacy. Now that he's using tact and diplomacy, people are complaining that he isn't being more like Bush.

Bush would have bumbled and stumbled his way through what's going on, using absolutely no nuance. I guess some folks just don't get nuance. When Robert Gibb's says, "Now is now," Obama is saying "Now is now." When Hillary says Mubarak has to go now, Obama is saying he has to go now.

The people tweeting inside Cairo get it, why don't some folks here get it?

[babylonsister]

53. From yesterday: Obama: Transition in Egypt "Must Begin Now"

Obama: Transition in Egypt "Must Begin Now"

President Obama said late Tuesday afternoon that an "orderly transition" in Egypt "must begin now" in the wake of widespread protests that have thrown the country into turmoil.

The comments came on the same day Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced that he would not seek re-election in September - a stance that fell short of the demands of protesters, who want their longtime leader to step down immediately.

Mr. Obama said he spoke to the 82-year-old Mubarak following the Egyptian leader's announcement, a conversation that the White House said lasted approximately 30 minutes. A special U.S. envoy had reportedly informed Mubarak earlier that the Obama administration saw Mubarak's presidency -- which has lasted nearly three decades -- as essentially over.

<..> He continued: "Now, it is not the role of any other country to determine Egypt's leaders. Only the Egyptian people can do that. What is clear, and what I indicated tonight to President Mubarak, is my belief that an orderly transition must be meaningful. It must be peaceful, and it must begin now."

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20030312-503544.html

[justiceischeap]

56. But, but, but...I didn't hear him say it, so he couldn't have said it!

:crazy:

[PhillySane]

58. No

Fuck transition. Mubarak needs to go now.

[justiceischeap]

59. And what happens if Mubarak goes right now?

Who takes over? What happens to Egypt with no leadership. See, that's where that transition thing comes in. You can't just kick out the entire government right fucking now and then have nothing to put in its place.

That's where the diplomacy and nuance comes in. I am quite sure that we are working with folks behind the scenes to make sure the country isn't left rudderless when Mubarak goes and I do believe he will be taken out in some form or another.

[provis99]

42. so how would Obama back up tough talk, then?

Bomb Egypt if Mubarak is still in charge? Foreign affairs are more complex than you make them out to be.

[Blue-Jay]

43. Obama should fly over there and smack Mubarak with a baseball bat.

NOW!

:eyes:

[JanBrady]

48. If Bush were still president, everybody here would be agreeing with you.

Bush would be reviled for not taking a stand, and for being such a hypocrite. But I have come to see that while Obama is President, what Bush would have been reviled for doing or not doing, merely results in many excuses and shrugs and straw men when Obama does or doesn't do it.

[Blue-Jay]

50. 2/10

[JuniperLea]

51. Right

We railed against shock and awe, against cowboy saber rattling, and rightfully so. Now many of the same people are calling for Obama to go all BushCo on their asses.

Makes me dizzy... and a little more than ill...

[babylonsister]

54. lol! See post #53. READ! It's good for ya! nt

[Baclava]

52. I noticed the Egyptian military replaced their old Russian T-55's tanks with our M-1 Abrams tanks

Just to ....you know.... settle things down on the street.

We sold them 1000. Their generals must be happy with our F-16's flying overhead too.

It is what it is. Whose side are the generals taking?

A military coup is not out of the question either. It's a scary time right now. I feel for the Egyptian people but President Obama is dancing on dangerous waters all the same. I feel for him too.