U.S. disappointed by Egypt’s extension of emergency law

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Tuesday that the U.S. government was troubled by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s decision to extend the country’s emergency law for another two years, Reuters reported the same day.

Citing a promise Mubarak made in his 2005 re-election campaign, McCormack told reporters: “It’s disappointing that they did decide to extend the state of emergency.”

He advised the Egyptian parliament to pass a new counter-terrorism law that would replace the 27-year-old state of emergency.

“We would urge them… to pass a law that, while protecting the Egyptian people, which is an important function of any government, it also allows the ability of people to freely express themselves in public and in private, even if those views are contrary or inconsistent with the policies of the government,” he said.

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