January 26th, 2011 by Kyle

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs urged all parties in Egypt to refrain from violence and called for the Egyptian Government to respond to protests peacefully: “We have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have a say in how you are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice; government that is transparent and free of corruption; and the freedom to live as you choose – these are human rights and we support them everywhere.” Phillip J. Crowley, US State Department spokesman, stated: “We want to see reform occur, in Egypt and elsewhere, to create greater political, social, and economic opportunity consistent with people’s aspirations.”

Although President Obama did not address Egypt directly in his State of the Union Address on Tuesday, he did support democratic freedoms generally: “We saw that same desire to be free in Tunisia, where the will of the people proved more powerful than the writ of a dictator. And tonight, let us be clear: the United States of America stands with the people of Tunisia, and supports the democratic aspirations of all people.  We must never forget that the things we’ve struggled for, and fought for, live in the hearts of people everywhere.”

Posted in Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Human Rights, Protests, Tunisia, US foreign policy, US politics |