U.S. State Department calls on Egypt to "handle protests peacefully"

[News_Editor]

U.S. State Department calls on Egypt to "handle protests peacefully"

2011-01-26 11:20:25 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- The U.S. State Department on Tuesday called on the Egyptian authorities to handle the ongoing protests peacefully, supporting the fundamental right of expression.

"We are monitoring the situation in Egypt closely," Assistant Secretary of State Philip Crowley said. "The United States supports the fundamental right of expression and assembly for all people. All parties should exercise restraint, and we call on the Egyptian authorities to handle these protests peacefully."

Crowley noted that, as Secretary Hillary Clinton said in Doha, people across the Middle East – like people everywhere – are seeking a chance to contribute and to have a role in the "decisions that will shape their lives."

"We want to see reform occur, in Egypt and elsewhere, to create greater political, social, and economic opportunity consistent with people's aspirations," Crowley continued, adding that the U.S. is a partner of Egypt and the Egyptian people in this process, which "we believe should unfold in a peaceful atmosphere."

"We have raised with governments in the region the need for reforms and greater openness and participation in order to respond to their people's aspirations – and we will continue to do so."

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-01-26

[ukrules]

Interesting comments by Clinton. Presumably by peacefully she means the Egyptian 'authorities' should do the same as they do back home. This means water cannons, anti riot shotgun cartridges, tear gas and tasers used against people who aren't dong precisely as told to by their masters (the police), not to mention of course a good old beating over the head with that timeless favourite, the 'night stick'.

I really hope the regime is ousted in Egypt in a nightmarish bloody coup fuelled by simmering hatred for the corruption that is Mubarak.