Rice visits Egypt; U.S. intentions in the region unclear

While previously, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice criticized the Egyptian government and populace for its lack of respect for the law, Rice’s recent visit occurred under very different terms, the New York Times reported today. In fact, Rice praised Egypt for their support of U.S. efforts in the Middle East.

While it is now unclear how the U.S. intends to benefit from its close relationship with Egypt, it is clear that this relationship could serve to weaken the already-faltering international support for United States. Although the U.S. has made a strong vocal commitment to democracy, various advocates have agreed that priorities in the region have shifted from democracy promotion to maintenance of stability.

The United States has done very little in the way of speaking out against the various human rights atrocities that have occurred in Egypt over the past several years. The Egyptian government has tampered with elections and actively repressed opposition parties –as evidenced by the imprisonment of former presidential candidate Ayman Nour. These are only some of the lengthy number of human rights abuses that continue to be overlooked.

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