Source: BBC's Today
The United States remains hesitant in its public efforts to pressure Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has intimated that the United States would prefer if Mubarak remained in office during any transition period. “Personally, I'm not sure this is a realistic scenario at this point,” notes Carnegie’s Michele Dunne, speaking on BBC’s Today. She argued that one way the United States could indicate that it was ready for Mubarak to leave office would be to suspend aid. However, she conceded that this is unlikely to happen.
The United States has not persistently pressed for democratic reforms or a redress of human rights grievances in Egypt, Dunne said, leading Mubarak to believe that the United States did not place a high priority on these issues. As a result, he never seriously attempted to implement reforms in Egypt. Now, “it is too late for reforms,” suggests Dunne. The Egyptian people want to see Mubarak abdicate power.