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Mubarak, Hosni

US Administration Calls for Orderly Transition in Egypt, Cuts Aid Review

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The US administration led by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has called for an orderly transition in Egypt, urging President Hosni Mubarak's government to implement democratic reforms and hold free and fair elections. Clinton maintained that the US would stand ready to help with the transition, while also expressing concerns about the potential for a military coup or extremist forces to fill the power vacuum. The administration has walked a fine line, balancing its alliance with Mubarak with the desire not to be seen as supporting a dictator. Clinton's comments suggested that the administration is running out of patience with Mubarak, who has been in power for nearly three decades.

Key Takeaways:

  • Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called for an orderly transition in Egypt, emphasizing the need for democratic reforms and free and fair elections.
  • Clinton stated that the US would stand ready to help with the transition, but declined to tell Mubarak to step down.
  • The administration has walked a fine line, balancing its alliance with Mubarak with the desire not to be seen as supporting a dictator.
  • Clinton expressed concerns about the potential for a military coup or extremist forces to fill the power vacuum.
  • The US has reviewed plans to cut off nearly $1.5 billion in annual aid to Egypt, but Clinton stated that it did not intend to cut off military aid immediately.
  • President Obama made phone calls to regional leaders, including Saudi Arabia and Israel, to contain the regional reverberations.
  • The administration has refrained from calling publicly for Mubarak to step down, citing concerns about losing leverage and contributing to a power vacuum.
  • Clinton warned Egypt not to make changes that resulted in a democracy for "six months or a year, evolving into a military dictatorship".
  • The administration is working with the Egyptian military to ensure its continued professionalism and support for democratic reforms.
  • Fortune 500 analyst Aaron David Miller described the situation in Egypt as the administration's first foreign policy crisis in real time, with limited influence to shape or direct events.

Statistics:

  • The US provides nearly $1.5 billion in annual aid to Egypt.
  • Mubarak has been in power for nearly three decades.
  • The Egyptian military is linked to the 1979 peace treaty with Israel, worth nearly $1.5 billion annually.
  • The Egyptian presidential elections are scheduled for September.
  • The ongoing conflict in Egypt has resulted in an "arc of instability" in the Arab world.

Sources:

  • "Hosni Mubarak's Future Is in the Hands of the Egyptian People" by Clinton (Source: CBS's "Face the Nation")
  • "U.S. Ready to Help With Transition in Egypt" by Clinton (Source: CNN's "State of the Union")
  • "Administration's Caution in Egypt" by Kurtzer (Source: New York Times)
  • "Egypt's Unrest, and the Perils of American Aid" by Miller (Source: New York Times)

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