US President Barack Obama said on Friday the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak reflected the will of the Egyptian people and called on the country's powerful military to ensure a transition to "genuine democracy." Obama spoke after Mubarak handed over to the Egyptian military after an 18-day popular uprising, with Washington now facing deep uncertainty and huge challenges in dealing with a potentially volatile power shift.
"The people of Egypt have spoken," Obama told reporters. "Egyptians have made it clear that nothing less than genuine democracy will carry the day." He acknowledged that this was not the end, but just the beginning of Egypt's transition to democracy, saying, "There will be many difficult days ahead and many questions remain unanswered."
Though the US role in Mubarak's resignation remained unclear, Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, head of the military council that took control on Friday, spoke with US Defence Secretary Robert Gates by phone five times during the 18-day popular uprising, including as late as Thursday evening. Washington walked a fine line since the mass demonstrations erupted, endorsing the democratic aspirations of the protesters but trying not to openly abandon a long-time ally or encourage upheaval that could spill over into other parts of the oil-rich region.
Obama, who has repeatedly pressed for an orderly transition, now confronts the challenge of helping to ensure broad political reform in the Arab world's most populous country while keeping Islamists from ending up with enough power to undermine US interests in the region. He will face the test of keeping the power shift in Cairo from unnerving Middle East allies like Saudi Arabia and Israel or emboldening foes like Iran and al Qaeda.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.