Utenriksminister Hillary Clinton kom fredag med en uttalelse som klart viser at USA står på folkets side, mer enn Mubaraks, selv om USA fortsatt prøver å balansere.

Clinton minnet om at egyperne, som alle andre folk, ønsker å ha innflytelse på sine liv. Samtidig ba hun innstendig myndighetene om ikke å bruke vold.

Disse to statements viser at USA tar parti for folket, og mot et regime som ikke har forstått at det satt på en vulkan og at et utbrudd var nær forestående.

“People in the Middle East, like people everywhere, are seeking a chance to contribute and have a role in decisions that will shape their lives,” Mrs. Clinton said at the State Department after meeting with the foreign minister of Colombia. “Leaders need to respond.”

The Obama administration is struggling to stay ahead of events rocking the Middle East, where top officials, from President Barack Obama down, have been emphasizing democracy promotion while maintaining support for regimes like that of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s. White House officials made clear Mrs. Clinton was speaking for the president when she said she was “deeply concerned about the use of violence against protested” in Cairo and other Egyptian cities.

She said grievances throughout the Middle East over political and economic stagnation are legitimate.

“The Egyptian government needs to understand that violence will not make these grievances go away,” Mrs. Clinton said.

Clinton Says Egypt Must Listen to People