Egypt - NYTimes.com and Washingtonpost.com

John Kerry's op-ed in the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/opinion/01kerry.html?_r=1&hpG

Excerpt:

"President Hosni Mubarak must accept that the stability of his country hinges on his willingness to step aside gracefully to make way for a new political structure. {...}  At other historic turning points, we have not always chosen wisely. We built an important alliance with a free Philippines by supporting the people when they showed Ferdinand Marcos the door in 1986. But we continue to pay a horrible price for clinging to Iran’s shah. How we behave in this moment of challenge in Cairo is critical. It is vital that we stand with the people {...} who seek the universal goals of freedom, prosperity and peace.

For three decades, the United States pursued a Mubarak policy. Now we must look beyond the Mubarak era and devise an Egyptian policy. "

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/31/AR2011013106280.html?hpid=topnews

Excerpt:

In private, officials across the administration continued calling contacts in the Egyptian government, military and opposition to urge movement toward a transitional process leading to free elections. The State Department sent retired diplomat Frank Wisner, a former ambassador to Egypt, to Cairo on Monday to deliver the message personally. [...]   Amid reports of increased looting and violence, and the return to the streets of police who attacked demonstrators last week, the administration "recognizes that time is not our friend," said one of nearly two dozen outside experts invited to an off-the-record meeting with White House officials Monday. "They are trying to find ways to speed it up."

 "It's not so much about sending a message to Mubarak - they don't think he will listen anyway," the expert said. "The message," he said, is one of urgency to those who would push [Mubarak] out. "If you want to see a new Egypt,{...} here's your chance." {...} Administration officials were palpably relieved when the Egyptian army announced that it would respect demonstrators' rights and would not interfere - provided they remained peaceful - but denied reports that they had requested that the military issue the statement.

The message delivered by Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a conversation Sunday with his Egyptian counterpart, Lt. Gen. Sami Enan, was more subtle, a military official said. Mullen "thanked them for their professionalism" up to now {...} "There was no finger-wagging, no asking them to put out a statement," the official said.
 

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/sc-dc-0203-us-egypt-web-20110201,0,981825.story
 

Excerpt:

Frank Wisner, a former ambassador to Egypt who has good relations with the Mubarak regime, traveled to Cairo at President Obama's behest to talk to the Egyptian leader about the country's future.

Wisner delivered a direct message that Mubarak should not be part of the "transition" that the U.S. had called for, according to Middle East experts who spoke on condition of anonymity.  {...} One expert on the region said that in his regular conversations with the Obama administration about the unrest in Egypt, he learned that Wisner's message to Mubarak was that "he was not going to be president in the future. And this message was plainly rebuffed."
 

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gGiADb4YzqsC_nlgj5gkFPvXl7RA?docId=3944f4eda7c64f4c9449a7c017d6e281

Excerpt:

One man pleaded with people outside the museum's gates on Tahrir Square not to loot the building, shouting at the crowd: "We are not like Baghdad." After the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, thieves carted off thousands of artifacts from the National Museum in Baghdad — only a fraction of which have been recovered.

Suddenly other young men — some armed with truncheons taken from the police — formed a human chain outside the main entrance in an attempt to protect the collection inside.

"I'm standing here to defend and to protect our national treasure," said one of the men, Farid Saad, a 40-year-old engineer.

Another man, 26-year-old Ahmed Ibrahim, said it was important to guard the museum because it "has 5,000 years of our history. If they steal it, we'll never find it again."

Finally, four armored vehicles took up posts outside the massive coral-colored building in downtown Cairo. Soldiers surrounded the building and moved inside to protect mummies, monumental stone statues, ornate royal jewelry and other pharaonic artifacts.

Egypt - NYTimes.com and Washingtonpost.com

John Kerry's op-ed in the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/opinion/01kerry.html?_r=1&hpG

Excerpt:

"President Hosni Mubarak must accept that the stability of his country hinges on his willingness to step aside gracefully to make way for a new political structure. {...}  At other historic turning points, we have not always chosen wisely. We built an important alliance with a free Philippines by supporting the people when they showed Ferdinand Marcos the door in 1986. But we continue to pay a horrible price for clinging to Iran’s shah. How we behave in this moment of challenge in Cairo is critical. It is vital that we stand with the people {...} who seek the universal goals of freedom, prosperity and peace.

For three decades, the United States pursued a Mubarak policy. Now we must look beyond the Mubarak era and devise an Egyptian policy. "

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/31/AR2011013106280.html?hpid=topnews

Excerpt:

In private, officials across the administration continued calling contacts in the Egyptian government, military and opposition to urge movement toward a transitional process leading to free elections. The State Department sent retired diplomat Frank Wisner, a former ambassador to Egypt, to Cairo on Monday to deliver the message personally. [...]   Amid reports of increased looting and violence, and the return to the streets of police who attacked demonstrators last week, the administration "recognizes that time is not our friend," said one of nearly two dozen outside experts invited to an off-the-record meeting with White House officials Monday. "They are trying to find ways to speed it up."

 "It's not so much about sending a message to Mubarak - they don't think he will listen anyway," the expert said. "The message," he said, is one of urgency to those who would push [Mubarak] out. "If you want to see a new Egypt,{...} here's your chance." {...} Administration officials were palpably relieved when the Egyptian army announced that it would respect demonstrators' rights and would not interfere - provided they remained peaceful - but denied reports that they had requested that the military issue the statement.

The message delivered by Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a conversation Sunday with his Egyptian counterpart, Lt. Gen. Sami Enan, was more subtle, a military official said. Mullen "thanked them for their professionalism" up to now {...} "There was no finger-wagging, no asking them to put out a statement," the official said.
 

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/sc-dc-0203-us-egypt-web-20110201,0,981825.story
 

Excerpt:

Frank Wisner, a former ambassador to Egypt who has good relations with the Mubarak regime, traveled to Cairo at President Obama's behest to talk to the Egyptian leader about the country's future.

Wisner delivered a direct message that Mubarak should not be part of the "transition" that the U.S. had called for, according to Middle East experts who spoke on condition of anonymity.  {...} One expert on the region said that in his regular conversations with the Obama administration about the unrest in Egypt, he learned that Wisner's message to Mubarak was that "he was not going to be president in the future. And this message was plainly rebuffed."
 

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gGiADb4YzqsC_nlgj5gkFPvXl7RA?docId=3944f4eda7c64f4c9449a7c017d6e281

Excerpt:

One man pleaded with people outside the museum's gates on Tahrir Square not to loot the building, shouting at the crowd: "We are not like Baghdad." After the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, thieves carted off thousands of artifacts from the National Museum in Baghdad — only a fraction of which have been recovered.

Suddenly other young men — some armed with truncheons taken from the police — formed a human chain outside the main entrance in an attempt to protect the collection inside.

"I'm standing here to defend and to protect our national treasure," said one of the men, Farid Saad, a 40-year-old engineer.

Another man, 26-year-old Ahmed Ibrahim, said it was important to guard the museum because it "has 5,000 years of our history. If they steal it, we'll never find it again."

Finally, four armored vehicles took up posts outside the massive coral-colored building in downtown Cairo. Soldiers surrounded the building and moved inside to protect mummies, monumental stone statues, ornate royal jewelry and other pharaonic artifacts.

Egypt - NYTimes.com and Washingtonpost.com

John Kerry's op-ed in the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/opinion/01kerry.html?_r=1&hpG

Excerpt:

"President Hosni Mubarak must accept that the stability of his country hinges on his willingness to step aside gracefully to make way for a new political structure. {...}  At other historic turning points, we have not always chosen wisely. We built an important alliance with a free Philippines by supporting the people when they showed Ferdinand Marcos the door in 1986. But we continue to pay a horrible price for clinging to Iran’s shah. How we behave in this moment of challenge in Cairo is critical. It is vital that we stand with the people {...} who seek the universal goals of freedom, prosperity and peace.

For three decades, the United States pursued a Mubarak policy. Now we must look beyond the Mubarak era and devise an Egyptian policy. "

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/31/AR2011013106280.html?hpid=topnews

Excerpt:

In private, officials across the administration continued calling contacts in the Egyptian government, military and opposition to urge movement toward a transitional process leading to free elections. The State Department sent retired diplomat Frank Wisner, a former ambassador to Egypt, to Cairo on Monday to deliver the message personally. [...]   Amid reports of increased looting and violence, and the return to the streets of police who attacked demonstrators last week, the administration "recognizes that time is not our friend," said one of nearly two dozen outside experts invited to an off-the-record meeting with White House officials Monday. "They are trying to find ways to speed it up."

 "It's not so much about sending a message to Mubarak - they don't think he will listen anyway," the expert said. "The message," he said, is one of urgency to those who would push [Mubarak] out. "If you want to see a new Egypt,{...} here's your chance." {...} Administration officials were palpably relieved when the Egyptian army announced that it would respect demonstrators' rights and would not interfere - provided they remained peaceful - but denied reports that they had requested that the military issue the statement.

The message delivered by Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a conversation Sunday with his Egyptian counterpart, Lt. Gen. Sami Enan, was more subtle, a military official said. Mullen "thanked them for their professionalism" up to now {...} "There was no finger-wagging, no asking them to put out a statement," the official said.
 

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/sc-dc-0203-us-egypt-web-20110201,0,981825.story
 

Excerpt:

Frank Wisner, a former ambassador to Egypt who has good relations with the Mubarak regime, traveled to Cairo at President Obama's behest to talk to the Egyptian leader about the country's future.

Wisner delivered a direct message that Mubarak should not be part of the "transition" that the U.S. had called for, according to Middle East experts who spoke on condition of anonymity.  {...} One expert on the region said that in his regular conversations with the Obama administration about the unrest in Egypt, he learned that Wisner's message to Mubarak was that "he was not going to be president in the future. And this message was plainly rebuffed."
 

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gGiADb4YzqsC_nlgj5gkFPvXl7RA?docId=3944f4eda7c64f4c9449a7c017d6e281

Excerpt:

One man pleaded with people outside the museum's gates on Tahrir Square not to loot the building, shouting at the crowd: "We are not like Baghdad." After the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, thieves carted off thousands of artifacts from the National Museum in Baghdad — only a fraction of which have been recovered.

Suddenly other young men — some armed with truncheons taken from the police — formed a human chain outside the main entrance in an attempt to protect the collection inside.

"I'm standing here to defend and to protect our national treasure," said one of the men, Farid Saad, a 40-year-old engineer.

Another man, 26-year-old Ahmed Ibrahim, said it was important to guard the museum because it "has 5,000 years of our history. If they steal it, we'll never find it again."

Finally, four armored vehicles took up posts outside the massive coral-colored building in downtown Cairo. Soldiers surrounded the building and moved inside to protect mummies, monumental stone statues, ornate royal jewelry and other pharaonic artifacts.