Sunday morning political rewind

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (LIN) - While the crisis in Egypt appears to be heightening, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared on all Sunday programs to reassure the United States' position on the tumultuous events.

The latest news coming out of Egypt reports that President Hosni Mubarek is still president, albeit barely.

Throughout the week, thousands of protestors have taken to the streets demanding Mubarek step down from his 30-year post. Angered over government oppression, protestors have destroyed buildings, looted shops and attacked police. As Egypt remains a close ally to the United States, the potential toppling of a Mubarek regime, could cause a ripple effect in the ever volatile region of the Middle East.

Recent news indicates that Mubarek has authorized F-16 fighter jets to do flyovers over protestors to display a unified show of force. Elizabeth Palmer, CBS news correspondent, said the flybys “enflame the crowd” . Reporters also say that the police presence is no more as entire police stations are empty and law enforcement officials may have taken to looting themselves. Residents and neighbors have assembled “vigilante militias”, groups of people designated to protect shops and homes from looters. Though the president called for more troops, clashes between the Egyptian army and protesters have been largely benign. Some attribute this to the fact that the soldiers sympathize with the protestors as they are mandated by law to serve a couple of years in the armed forces. To top it off, it appears 1,000 prisoners escaped from a Cairo prison ..

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared on Sunday’s talk shows urging President Mubarek to “show military restraint” while encouraging him to seriously heed the “legitimate concerns” of the Egyptian people. She was asked a multitude of times about what a perfect scenario would be but always responded with, “a country with economic and democratic reform.” In truth, Clinton said, the U.S. “encourages a change from an autocratic regime to a democratic regime that includes free and fair elections.” She stressed that the United States has been waiting for Mubarek to change his ways for decades. Though she referred to Mubarek as “an important partner”, Clinton professed that the last 6 presidential administrations have urged Egypt to reform to a more freer society .

With regards to Americans abroad, Clinton said “there are no reports of Americans killed or injured” and she has authorized voluntary departure. Clinton also recommends that Americans avoid traveling to Egypt.

After Anwar Sadat was assassinated in 1981, Mubarek rose to power and became the center point of Egypt-Israeli relations in the Middle East. He helped broker a peace between Egypt and Israel and has remained a staunch ally to the United States. Yet, while his ability and influence remains strong, the United States has always been critical of his human rights record . As recent as 2009, President Obama made a speech in Cairo publicly expressing disapproval of a government that oppresses its citizens. Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., on “State of the Union”, says, “we need to be on the right side of history.”

Here’s where the conundrum lies:
The United States may be privately rooting for a regime change, but it may come with a cost. Waiting in the wings could be an anti-U.S. group or Islamic jihadists. Should Egypt become a terrorist state, or one with warring factions, it could be devastating to relations with a number of countries in the area. For example, Egypt helps the United States improve relations in Yemen, Libya and Sudan. What happens when there is no connection? What happens to Israel?
On “ Meet the Press “, former Clinton Ambassador to Israel, Martin Indyk, echoed the same sentiment. “Egypt is the epicenter of the Middle East…We have to walk a fine line…Egypt has a great influence on the surrounding area.”

Moreover, Egypt is home to 1 in 4 Arabs in the Middle East. Yearly, Egypt receives $1.3 billion dollars of U.S. foreign aid; second behind Israel. 

Things will get bloody…
The opposition leader, Dr. Mohammed ElBuradei, described the protests “in the making” and called Mubarek “to leave the country in 3 days.” And should Mubarek decide to stay, ElBuradei says he fears “things will get bloody.” On “ Face the Nation ” this Sunday, ElBuradei outlined a plan for a peaceful transition to a national/ coalition government while offering to become interim president.
ElBuradei, former International Atomic Energy Director, seems to view the U.S. as an interferer. . David Sanger, of the New York Times calls him “certainly not pro-American.“ 

In other news...

Budget concerns
New Chief of Staff William Daley appeared on “Face the Nation“ to discuss his new job but played secondhand to the Egyptian news. Daley appeared eager to assume his new responsibilities and was excited to be onboard the Obama administration. His appointment, viewed largely as a concession to the big business industry, should