Appearing on a slew of US news programs, Clinton pressed
Mubarak for sweeping reforms in response to unprecedented mass protests but
urged an orderly democratic transition to avoid a result like that of Iran
which she called a "faux democracy."
Clinton kept up the Obama administration's delicate
balancing act. It is trying to avoid abandoning Mubarak — a key US strategic
ally of 30 years — while supporting protesters who seek broader rights and
demand his ouster. But Washington has limited options to influence the
situation.
"We want to see free and fair elections and we suspect
that will be one of the outcomes of what is going on in Egypt right now,"
Clinton told NBC's "Meet the Press."
She also said on ABC's "This Week" that Mubarak's
appointment on Saturday of intelligence chief Omar Suleiman as vice president
marked the "bare beginning" of political reform, but insisted that
much more needed to be done.
Clinton said the Obama administration did not want to see a
"void" in power in Egypt, which she hailed as an important US partner
in Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking and other matters. "I don't think
anyone wants to see instability, chaos, increasing violence," she said.
"We want to an orderly transition to a democratic government, to economic
reform."
Clinton also held off on using the most tangible leverage
the United States has with Mubarak when she said on ABC, "There is no
discussion as of this time about cutting off aid," though she added
"we always are looking and reviewing our aid."
The United States provides $1.5 billion in aid to Egypt, the
vast majority of which is military assistance.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said
Sunday that his government is "anxiously monitoring" the political
unrest in Egypt. "Israel and Egypt have been at peace for more than three
decades and our objective is to ensure that these ties be preserved. At this
time, we must display responsibility, restraint and utmost prudence."
Egypt is only one of the two Arab countries which have
signed peace treaties with Israel. The other is Jordan.
