CAIRO, (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday voiced support for Egypt’s transition to democracy but made few specific pledges of aid and steered clear of a debate over the pace of forthcoming elections.
In her first visit to Cairo since long-time ally Hosni Mubarak was toppled by a mass uprising, Clinton signaled the United States would try to preserve the strong alliance with Egypt that has been a cornerstone of U.S. Middle East policy.
“You broke barriers and overcame obstacles to pursue the dream of democracy and the United States and President Obama and I will stand with you as you make this journey,” she told a news conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Elaraby.
“This moment in history belongs to you. This is your achievement,” she said.
Despite lavishing praise on Egyptians for the uprising that ended Mubarak’s 30-year rule, she encountered criticism of the United States’ long support for him and of what is widely seen as Washington’s initial ambivalence about the protests.
“We offered a serious critique of U.S. foreign policy towards Egypt and the Middle East,” said Ahmed Naguib, a pro-democracy activist who joined about two dozen others to meet privately with Clinton, told Reuters.
“We need to see a foreign policy that is receptive and in line with the reform movements sweeping across the region.”
U.S. President Barack Obama’s praise for the protesters when Mubarak stepped down on Feb. 11 was too little too late for the Egyptian activists, who felt the White House gave Mubarak too much support during the uprising.
One coalition of pro-democracy activists said it had turned down an invitation to meet Clinton in protest at U.S. policy toward Egypt and the U.S. position on the anti-Mubarak revolt.
The January 25 coalition, made up of six youth groups, said in a statement that Clinton was not welcome “because the U.S. administration long supported Mubarak’s corrupt, dictatorial regime financially, politically and morally.”
They also called for a more balanced relationship between Cairo and Washington, whose influence they blame for shaping Egyptian policies including their country’s role in enforcing the blockade of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.
Clinton made a pitch for Washington to retain its close ties to Cairo, saying: “Egypt and the United States have many strategic interests in common and a democratic Egypt will continue to have strategic interests with the United States.”
