Since the violent uprising by the Egyptian people two weeks ago, and continuing, the U.S. has sent conflicting signals on how it should respond to the crisis. As the crisis was unfolding, both Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joesph Biden praised the Mubarak regime in stating the Egyptian government is stable, with the Vice President commenting that Egypt was not a dictatorship.
Last week, influential Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations State/Ops Subcommittee, made reference to cutting off military assistance to Egypt, all the while the administration has been praising the Egyptian military for its restraint.
The Obama administration throughout this entire crisis, has been sending conflicting messages in its response to the situation in Egypt. The president has commented on the restraint shown by the Egyptian military, and how the only segment receiving universal respect by the population is the military. Comments by Senator Leahy have tremendous impact in Egypt and severely undermine U.S. efforts to bring resolution to the crisis.
If aid is curtailed or cut off it could splinter the Egyptian military into factions, force them to back a unsuitable replacement or maintain the status quo. The U.S. has to tread carefully as not to force a situation that will hamper U.S. regional security in the future.
This administration needs to speak with one voice and not let others speak for the U.S.
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