VP Biden Calls Egyptian President Mubarak an “Ally” – and Would Not Call Him a Dictator
EmailABC News’ Karen Travers reports:
In an interview with the Newshour’s Jim Lehrer today, Vice President Biden said he would not refer to Egyptian President Mubarak as a dictator and instead called him an “ally” on a number of key foreign policy issues.
When asked if it was time for Mubarak to stand aside, Biden said no.
“I think the time has come for President Mubarak to begin to move in the direction that – to be more responsive to some of the – some – some of the needs of the people out there,” Biden said.
Biden said the people protesting are “middle-class folks” who are looking for more opportunity.
“Violence isn’t appropriate and people have a right to protest,” he said, adding that he hopes Mubarak will “respond to some of the legitimate concerns that are being raised.”
“Mubarak has been an ally of ours in a number of things. And he’s been very responsible on, relative to geopolitical interest in the region, the Middle East peace efforts; the actions Egypt has taken relative to normalizing relationship with Israel,” the vice president said. “And I think that it would be – I would not refer to him as a dictator."
Biden stressed repeatedly that when it comes to Egypt and Tunisia, the United States urges all parties to resolve concerns and differences through peaceful and amicable discussions, not violence.
The vice president said that the Obama administration is urging the protestors in both Egypt and Tunisia that “as they assemble, do it peacefully” and encouraging the governments there to “act responsibly and to try to engage in a discussions as to what the legitimate claims are being made.”
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“Biden stressed repeatedly that when it comes to Egypt and Tunisia, the United States urges all parties to resolve concerns and differences through peaceful and amicable discussions, not violence.” – Joey “Naive” Biden
Sometimes violence is necessary to move “forward on reform”.
I think we used it in Afghanistan and Iraq.
I think it was required to gain our freedom from Great Britain.
I’ve heard violence was needed to make the changes we wanted in Europe in the early 40s. Something called WW2.
Israel used violence to secure their freedoms in 1967.
Posted by: Noz | January 27, 2011, 10:59 pm 10:59 pm
The sad partership of the United States and undemocratically elected leaders continues. The great bastion of democracy has sided with dictators numerous times. Weak principles.
Posted by: Charlene | January 27, 2011, 11:06 pm 11:06 pm
The people protesting are the April 6th Youth Movement, and they are anything but “middle class”, having formed in opposition to the breaking of a textile strike, and having already attempted a general strike. I suppose Biden thinks that calling it middle class confers some type of legitimacy on it. Joe – stop being ashamed of your class origins!
In Tunisia, the uniformed police pulled out of the urban areas, and sent plainclothes in to light cars on fire and other pretexts for violent reprisals against the protesters, but the Tunisian military put a stop to it.
It looks like Egypt is having the police pull the same preparations for a violent crackdown tomorrow, we’ll see if there is a force in Egypt that can prevent it – I don’t have any great hopes for the military there.
Posted by: Flash Override | January 27, 2011, 11:21 pm 11:21 pm
There Biden goes again, talking out both sides of his mouth. Even the villiage idiot knows Mubarak is a dictator. This is why 85% of Americans don’t trust our political leaders–they lie to us.
Posted by: John | January 28, 2011, 12:28 am 12:28 am
Yes I agree with that
Posted by: jane | January 28, 2011, 12:46 am 12:46 am
I think many are beginning to suspect that neither Obama nor Biden knows what US policy toward Egypt and Mubarak actually is, and that Hillary is making up her own as events proceed.
The Middle East is aflame, and the presdient has said nothing about it. It is all too sadly reminiscent of his failure to speak during the suppression of the Iranian democracy movement.
But he’s a great community organizer.
Posted by: Fascist Hyena | January 28, 2011, 1:04 am 1:04 am
Israel demands Mubarak use anti-terrorism force.
Posted by: nader paul kucinich gravel mckinney | January 28, 2011, 7:01 am 7:01 am
The problem is that US policy toward Egypt is neoliberalism, and the uprising there is part of the worldwide response to neoliberalism. Their reaction to the protests therefore, is to make it about Mubarak personally and not the policy that he represents.
Posted by: Flash Override | January 28, 2011, 8:26 am 8:26 am
2009 US Foreign Aid to Egypt = $1.6 Billion.
When you have to bribe someone to do what’s right it’s a relationship not worth having.
I don’t see anything wrong with the people of Egypt experiencing their own special Mussolini Moment.
Go for it.
As to our response, Hillary we are watching you.
No one here thinks that NoBo is running the Foreign policy of the USA.
What are you going to do?
Stick with the old guard?
Encourage the Egyptian People?
End the Money stream to Egypt?
Posted by: Noz | January 28, 2011, 8:52 am 8:52 am
Obviously the people are protesting for a reason. Why is violence always associated with protesting? Protests ALWAYS start out peaceful. The media plays a large role in portraying this situation in such a way that the people protesting are seen as the bad guys. Granted there are a FEW good apples in the governmental bunch, but the government in (what it seems like many countries) cannot be trusted. The police (as well as media) provoke violence. I’ve been to SEVERAL protests and the latter ALWAYS happens. The people march, and chant. The police move closer, begin an argument with someone and voila! the violent protest.
Biden is downplaying the protesting because that’s his job. He can’t be an advocate for protesting or the dumbasses of our beloved US would tear him a new one. He’d instantly be labelled a terrorist or anti-American.
Posted by: Angela | January 28, 2011, 9:06 am 9:06 am
The US is making the same mistake with Egypt that they in Iran 1979: backing the secular leader that was bound to fall and subsequently earning the hate of the people who brought him down.
Posted by: Anonymous | January 28, 2011, 9:37 am 9:37 am
Dictatorship in the middle east, is pretty much de facto, overall.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | January 28, 2011, 10:19 am 10:19 am
The US is making the same mistake that they made in 1953 in Iran.
Posted by: Flash Override | January 28, 2011, 12:53 pm 12:53 pm
Yea, Mubarak is a dictator, but he’s our friend, so we cut him some slacks (wink wink), on the other hand, Saddam is a bad dictator and off with his head.
Posted by: Joe the plummer | January 28, 2011, 1:13 pm 1:13 pm
Reopen 911. Mubarak work for us the USA. He is good pRESIDENT.
Posted by: Otto Stutz | January 28, 2011, 3:03 pm 3:03 pm
America is falling empire and all of the dictators that it has installed around the world are being dethroned.
Tunisia, Egypt, … just the matter of time before other brutal American dictatorial puppets go away.
What then? Will CIA fun more terrorism and create “revolutions” of their own?
Posted by: David Crone | January 28, 2011, 3:13 pm 3:13 pm
What can a public statement by the US do?
The protests are happening. The Egyptian government is going down. They will put a new regime into power.
I don’t see how anyone can find fault with Obama for years of bipartisan mid-east policy.
Let them form a new government. They can and should do it themselves.
Posted by: blip | January 28, 2011, 4:13 pm 4:13 pm
If Palin had denied that Mubarak was a dictator she would have been skewered. And you progressives know it.
I guess 30-year presidential terms, then, are normal, not to be indicative of any dictatorial regime.
Posted by: Firing Pin | January 28, 2011, 5:35 pm 5:35 pm
Of course, hindsight… Mubarak made the Obama Day 1 list: an ideal, original “shovel-ready” project, right? Apparently Axelrod, Biden and Gibbs needed to get in the same room once in a while. Missing Rahm yet?
Posted by: seeitreadit | January 28, 2011, 6:41 pm 6:41 pm
U.S. should establish a new Egyptian government for proseperity in the middle east.President Mubarak must retire before Monday or else the whole world’s economy would collapse.
Posted by: SAM | January 29, 2011, 1:03 am 1:03 am
People, not even the V.P. could go around calling the Egyptian Presidnt a “DICTATOR”…when OUR Taxes GOES there to a TUNE of over 1 Bil yearly.
Maybe the QUESTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN
Posted by: raven | January 29, 2011, 11:21 am 11:21 am
Why are WE, the taxpayers Paying for the Oil in these countries UPFRONT and at the PUMPS?
Why are WE so FAR behind these countries that we HAVE to DEPEND on THEM?
Why Can’t be DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE energy and not be called a Socialist for doing it?
Why are Americans continually arguing about RACE, Nazis, Socialist, Birthers, and all the DUMB things we DeFocuses on instead of Moving our Country Forward?
Are we headed in the Direction of an EGYPT…where only the top 2% live a decent life.?
Was Biden naive or just playing the game the Way it has been Set up for DECADES? For Oil!!!!
Posted by: raven | January 29, 2011, 11:31 am 11:31 am
I’m sorry, how did Sarah Palin get in this conversation. I doubt if Palin knows where Egypt is located on the Map. And if she knew anything about the POLICY, RELATING TO EGYPT…she would play the game too. It was Designed under a republican President for the SAKE of OIL!
Posted by: raven | January 29, 2011, 11:35 am 11:35 am
Biden boasts there’s no daylight between Israel and US interests. That’s because Egypt gets squeezed between em to fill in the cracks.
Posted by: Joe Nytro | February 2, 2011, 11:30 am 11:30 am
US stance: “Now is the time for all good Egyptians to come to the aid of … Israel.”
Posted by: Joe Nytro | February 2, 2011, 11:34 am 11:34 am