White House Wobbles on Egyptian Tightrope

Washington needs a friendly regime in Cairo more than it needs a democratic government

by Simon Tisdall

"in the final analysis, the US needs a friendly government in Cairo more than it needs a democratic one. Whether the issue is Israel-Palestine, Hamas and Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, security for Gulf oil supplies, Sudan, or the spread of Islamist fundamentalist ideas, Washington wants Egypt, the Arab world's most populous and influential country, in its corner. That's the political and geostrategic bottom line. In this sense, Egypt's demonstrators are not just fighting the regime. They are fighting Washington, too."

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/01/29-2