Obama White House Responds to Growing Egyptian Chaos
- Posted on January 28, 2011 at 2:57pm by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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Editor’s note: This post has been updated following a live video event. The live stream of a White House press briefing on the crisis in Egypt has been replaced with an Associated Press story recapping the administration’s response.
WASHINGTON (AP/The Blaze) — The Obama administration threatened on Friday to reduce a $1.5 billion program of foreign aid to Egypt based on President Hosni Mubarak’s response to swelling street protests in Cairo and other cities.
“Violence is not the response” to the demands for greater freedoms, said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, adding that the Egyptian government needs to “turn the Internet and social networking sites back on.”
Gibbs said President Barack Obama had been briefed extensively about the fast-unfolding events but had not tried to speak with Mubarak by phone.
The White House spokesman’s repeated calls for the government of Egypt to abandon violence was the latest response along those lines by the administration, struggling to keep abreast of a growing crisis inside a nation that has long been an ally in Middle East peace-making efforts, yet also has long denied basic rights to its own people.
Earlier, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the government in Egypt should restore access to the Internet and social media sites.
“We are deeply concerned about the use of violence by Egyptian police and security forces against protesters, and we call on the Egyptian government to do everything in its power to restrain the security forces,” Clinton told reporters at the State Department.
Asked about aid to Egypt, currently running at about $1.5 billion a year, Gibbs said the review would include both military help and other assistance.
While the White House spokesman was emphatic in his calls for Mubarak and his government to abandon violence, he was less forceful on other issues.
Asked about Mohamed ElBaradei, a leading opposition figure who has been placed under house arrest, he said, “This is an individual who is a Nobel laureate” and has worked with Obama. “These are the type of actions that the government has a responsibility to change.”
Asked whether the U.S would prefer a different, more tolerant government in Egypt, he said, “I don’t want to project into the future. I don’t think that would be a wise use of my time. The government of Egypt is an issue for the people of Egypt.”
He suggested contingency plans had been made for the evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, should that become necessary.
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Comments (73)
Hill Country Patriot
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 4:31pmIsrael must be watching this close. Egypt has kept the radical Muslims (especially the Palestinians)somewhat in-check for a long time. If the Muslim Brotherhood gets in there and ousts Mubarak, Israel will have to act.
Report Post »ILoveGlenn
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 4:25pmThe context of the WH briefing was pretty much “empty”
Report Post »dizzyinthedark
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 4:18pmWhen the Brathahood starts saying “First comes Saturday; then comes Sunday!” we need to watch out! This is an Islamic saying meaning “First we kill the Jews; then we kill the Christians.”!
P. David Gaubatz has begun to ring the bell here educating Washington about terror cells within our country waiting to rise up. He wrote a book Muslim Mafia about how he infiltrated their organization and the Brathahood is not peaceful! We need to open our eyes here, wake up a little to what’s happening over there and educate, prepare and pray for the best.
Report Post »Hisemiester
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 4:01pmMy thought, the Sphinx is going to get up and run off. He has has enough .
Report Post »run42k
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:51pmJust out of curiosity, when it’s prayer time, does everyone stop and kneel? At what point in social unrest do Muslims dump their rituals and pick up sticks and stones?
Report Post »Gobstobber
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 6:31pmThat’s a good point. I bet the prayers are the first to go. If they do stop, somebody needs to put a boot in their ass when it’s in the air.
Report Post »harvey78
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:48pm“The Press Secretary is responsible for collecting information about actions and events within the president’s administration and around the world, and interacting with the media, generally in a daily press briefing. The information includes items such as a summary of the President’s schedule for the day, whom the president has seen, or had communication and the official position of the administration on the news of the day.” WIKipedia. ok , so far I have heard little more than HIS opinion. This should have lasted no more than 10 minutes
Report Post »RightUnite
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:47pmBring out that teleprompter… Maybe that will help “ROBERT”… NOT!
Report Post »run42k
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:47pm“We continue to monitor the situation.” Hahahahahhahahah. Really?
Report Post »beckNcall
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 7:51pmOh PLEEZ. Monitor?
Doe this seem like Cloward and Piven in real time or am I imagining things?
USA: Coming to a town near you!
Report Post »Kevin
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:43pmbut uhhh t t to discuss uhhh uhh the issues ummm uhh what was your um question again?
Report Post »harvey78
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:42pmWho is this buttwipe spokesmouth? does he speak FOR the President or is this his summation based on a sudden revelation. Why are they even listening to him?
Report Post »Wildaca
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:38pmIt would be nice to know where Mr. Obama is? shouldn’t HE be standing where this idiot is NOW?
Report Post »Wornout
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:37pmI just have to laugh at the position the Obama admin is taking. Will they promise us, that if protests start in the US, that they won’t shut down the internet, or twitter, or call in the military? I don’t think so…they are pushing for an internet kill switch, they outlawed over the airwaves television, so they can shut down or control what is released on satellite or cable…and the military has been training for civil unrest here in the states.
Report Post »Bunch of hypocrites.
icediva
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:37pmCAN ya say wishiwasher?? Thats what an IVY league education gets ya!!!
Report Post »santramir
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:36pmbla bla bla
Report Post »icediva
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:33pmObama is no Reagan!!!! Reagan would of been out in front with a firm hand to everyone involved. Who is talking violence treats are nice but they will wait until brotherhood gets a firm hold in the country.
Report Post »DeadFred
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:26pmGibbs….”Well, we’ll answer your questions”……NO NOT REALLY
Report Post »DeadFred
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:25pmGibbs…..can’t wait for his departure.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 4:22pmAdd Obama to the short list.
Report Post »Ronko
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:24pmThis Administration is so stupid. They have no idea how bad this situation is. Gibbs is bad, it should be Obama that’s answering those questions. I hope Glenn‘s live today and it’s not one of his specials.
Report Post »beckwill
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:30pmExactly…should be Obama answering questions. He’s probably too busy looking through vacation brochures.
icediva
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:23pmObama an‘t respond cause he can’t without teleprompter!!!
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 4:21pmWhen he married Michelle, I wonder if he had a teleprompter to help him say, “I do,” which was probably a lie then, too.
Report Post »icediva
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 5:41pmshowtime: Very funny HAHAHA thanks needed a laugh
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:21pmI think I’ll check out The Daily Mail across the pond to see what they have to say about this. I’m weary of Progressive propaganda.
Report Post »Hefsmaster
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:18pmHeed your own advice robby.
Report Post »icediva
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:15pmDidn’t they learn anything from the episodes from Iran last year??
Report Post »GONESURFING
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:26pmProbably not, unfortunately. Obama did nothing in support for the democracy movement in Iran. At least Bush gave them a chance in Iraq. Messy business, this democracy, especially in an Islamic culture..
Report Post »icediva
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:11pmWhitehouse is clueless. Hope for goodness sake they do not say we’ll send a couple billion more. Obama could always just throw more of China’s money at it.
Report Post »Jovan2
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 4:15pmNo, don‘t thru China’s money at them, let them go to China directly for it…That way we save some $$$……….And, Gosh……………….where did we get the $1.5 billion to send there in the first place?? Oh that’s right…..the presses overheated that day!!!!!
Report Post »CatB
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 5:13pmI wish there were some “ADULTS” in the White House .. from everything I have seen in the last 2 years … Sadly I am not surprised by our “response”.
Report Post »GONESURFING
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:03pmIs there a leader in the White House ?
Report Post »streetconcepts
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:07pmNot that I know of, unless thats what the obamanation is supposed to be.
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:12pmBe careful before clicking on the linky of the live stream, its linked to Whitehouse.gov
Report Post »Your computer might need to shower with lysol …
Lantern
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:51pmLeader? No, follower. Of Alinsky, and we all know who he followed. He even dedicated his book to him.
Report Post »AmeriWoman
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 4:03pmNo, we havn’t had a leader!
We have a community organizer who likes his reflection in the mirror, with a bunch of radicals driving the bus and feeding him golfing vacations, photo shoots to smile for, podiums with pre-written speeches, all the while holding onto a retracting leash, like a fishing pole. If it get’s to far out there, they reel it back in. It grins from ear to ear and waves at you.
I think we all ( an I mean from the top Military officials, our thinkers, shakers and do’ers in America, to our allies across the seas, to even the enemies around us all) realize this shamefull sad fact.
AW
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 4:12pmNo leader in the White House, just another radical and progressive with dreams of destroying the US and destruction of Israel. He will support the rebellion going on in Egypt just to put new puppets who will aid his quest to finish Israel off.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 4:50pmI don’t know … where is SOROS?
Report Post »Tony
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 4:54pmYes indeed, there is a leader in the white house and he gave a very determined statement of direction to sort all this unreast out…..“Present”
Report Post »1TrueOne55
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 5:00pmIf you consider that he is doing exactly what he did as a State of Illinois Senator voted PRESENT. He is a political Eunuch unwilling to stick his neck out for a position. But we know what side he is on in this one and it is not with the Egyptian Leadership. He as been a friend to Radicals his whole adult life.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 5:05pm@CatB
Iran is most likely behind this mess being made; Soros is most likely preparing or initiating moves to take advantage of the chaos created. Such events as this are to his advantage, follow the money trail and there you will find the next move he is getting ready to play.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 5:12pmSnow >….I agree .. none of this is by “accident”.
Report Post »OnfireNY
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 8:14pmDon’t you know it takes a lot of time to set up the tele-prompters and the research that needs to be on what to say.
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:03pmWill anyone mention Neda ?
Report Post »hkyfan36
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:31pmUm er aaah ummm I don’t um er know ahhh ummm errrr what ummmm ahhh he is errr ummm talking ummmm errre ahhhh about
Report Post »libertybella58
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:41pmI um er aah umm ahhh agree. When is this jerk leaving the White House? His press briefings are uninformed and useless.
Report Post »AmeriWoman
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:47pmHe wont say anything. He looks and sounds like Col Klink from Hogans Heroes, “I KNOW NUFFUNG!!”
Why would this Lame Duck in Chief commit to Freedom or Stand up for real democracy, he’s a socialist, he wants what their sitting leader has had. He cant pi$$ anyone off, especially radical muslims.
AW
Report Post »Lana40
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 3:52pmAnd we send in the class clown in to explain what the Leader of the Free World is doing about this situation. God have mercy on us all. The Dems said that the ‘world hated us’ during Bush…well they LAUGH at our butts now. I think I’d rather have them hating us.
Report Post »booger71
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 4:25pmViolence is not the response” to the demands for greater freedoms, said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, adding that the Egyptian government needs to “turn the Internet and social networking sites back on.”
This is quite stupid actually. First when you have a suppressed people that can only vote in “rigged” elections, sometimes violence is the only answer. If the internet is turned back on, the Muslim Brotherhood will have their main tool to organize the riots. I do hate to see this in Egypt, one because it is the only Muslim country where all forms of religion can pretty well worship in the open, and they do have fairly decent relations with Israel.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 4:27pmI got an idea, is there any way Obama will go over to Egypt and once again apologize for the US having interfered with their uprisings by not interfering with their uprisings and they may keep him once and for all as some kind of new saviour or god-complex driven madman.
Report Post »MAULEMALL
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 4:31pmWhy the EFF are they getting 1.5 BILLION for in the first place??
Report Post »1TrueOne55
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 4:45pmWhen we see her we will let you know. But the way this President is reacting is shouting out really loud in the Middle East. Israel is not safe with our current President in power. Just read his book Audacity of Hope he tells of his love for all things Palestinian Radical, this Egypt riot thing is just what he lived for but being US President he can’t be there like his heart tells him to be, so he does what he did in the State Legislature. PRESENT. We have voted in the weakest leader since King Henry VIII was defeated by 13 colonies in a distant land renamed United States of America.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 4:50pmWhere is Obama .. why is he sending out this loser. Isn’t this important enough to get him off a golf course or campaign stop?
And I agree … why the 1.5 Billion .. we don’t have.
Report Post »Class2000Generation
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 4:56pm@MauleMall
Report Post »That‘s exactly what I couldn’t get over! Why are we “investing” in Egypt?
home_of_the_brave
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 5:01pmSome one get him some valtrex.
Report Post »Rogue
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 5:07pmWhat an embrassment, yet again. We get the press sec to come out and address the world, while the POTUS doesn’t want to touch this issue with a 10 foot pole. Besides that, Gibbs dances around the issue and takes no real stance on behalf of the US, other than to scold Egypt for policies that we have been silent on for three decades. Either pick someone to stand with, or say you have no comment.
Report Post »gramma b
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 5:20pmWhy are they being hardnosed with Egypt, which is at least secular and fairly friendly to the US, while ignoring Iran’s pro-democracy movement against a theocracy that openly wants to destroy us?
Report Post »Sergio Q
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 5:22pmnow will they tell that tidd-bit of insight to The Black Panther’s , UNIONS & the loony leftys in general?????
Report Post »EP46
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 5:53pmWHY did barry not get the Americans out immediately ??? We cannot have another hostage situation like with Jimmy Carter. Let the Muslims take control and it will be extremely dangerous for all the Americans and their families serving in the Embassy.
Report Post »davecoolworld
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 6:34pmBlaze monitors have been very busy. They are so sensitive these days the they are removing posts that DO NOT violate their terms and conditions.
I am not a Pulitzer Prize winning author, however I did take the time to voice my thoughts and OPINIONS that do not violate their terms and conditions, yet the post was deleted.
There is censorship and then there is free speech violations. Et tu, Brute?
Report Post »davecoolworld
Posted on January 28, 2011 at 6:52pmWW III is coming on like a freight train. These are the same conditions that led to WW II. Obama and company WANT and NEED this to happen.
Bring all troops home.
Do NOT give one more dollar to ANY country.
Immediately leave the UN and cease the roughly 50% of all operating costs paid for with American tax dollars.
Slam the door closed on our North and Southern borders, TODAY.
Full embargo on all goods from China.
Deport all who are not LEGALLY allowed to be here.
Open all possible drilling operations on American soil.
Report Post »