Egypt

Even with the amazing numbers that are turning out in the streets of Cairo in protest, Mubarak still refuses to step down and seems to hope that making “reforms” will be enough to calm the people. It seems to me that it is WAY too late for that.

As far as I see it, Secretary Clinton needs to tell Mubarak that he absolutely must do the following things:

Get rid of Omar Suleiman who was named the nation’s new Vice President since Mubarak dissolved Egypt’s cabinet on Friday. This hated man who headed up the Egyptian version of the CIA and helped the United States with the “extraordinary rendition” (read “torture”) program that helped launch the US invasion of Iraq was a TERRIBLE choice. Mubarak should replace Suleiman immediately and name Mohammed El Baradei to head the transition which will include free, fair, and internationally monitored elections. These elections will take place in the VERY near future (PERHAPS it can wait till the regularly scheduled election in September if the PEOPLE are willing to settle for that, which will have to remain to be seen). The United States needs to inform this dictator (whom we have been helping and supporting, much to our shame) that he needs to then STEP DOWN.

We need to tell him that if he does not do these things, the United States will immediately withdraw ALL support that we give to Egypt (the US currently provides over $1.3 Billion in aid to Egypt, second only to Israel in American aid). On the other hand, if he does do this, we will provide escort to make sure that he and his family can get out of Egypt alive (assuming they can find a country that will take them…perhaps Mubarak should start asking around?).