Clinton’s Egypt Visit: Walking on Eggshells in Cairo

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton not only paid a visit to the Islamic president and the junta chairperson – it was virtually a sightseeing tour of the rubble of America’s Middle East policy. The Americans have never had so little influence in the region and had to jump through hoops to at least preserve the rest.

The U.S. demands, in part quite harsh on the Egyptian military, for the former partner of the U.S. to surrender power completely to civilians in the past weeks were ignored. They know well that the U.S. is basically happy if Egypt’s foreign and security policy is not left completely to the Muslim Brotherhood, even if that might contradict Clinton’s often quoted “will of the people.”

Clinton was mild in Cairo: No more talk of tying U.S. financial aid to any democratic requirements. Mohamed Morsi was, however, treated as the personification of the people’s will (although he was not even patted – there was no official handshake photo, approaching nearly Iranian circumstances). U.S. pragmatism, summarized by Clinton as, “We will cooperate with any Egyptian government,”* is interpreted differently by conspiracy theorists. Anti-U.S. demonstrators asserted this time that the U.S. had brought the Islamists to power.

*Editor’s Note: This quote, while accurately translated, was unable to be verified.