TEXT-Obama urges Egypt's Mubarak to enact reforms

[cal04]

http://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFWEN652320110129?sp=true

Following is the text of U.S. President Barack Obama's statement on the situation in Egypt on Friday evening.

(snip)
"My administration has been closely monitoring the situation in Egypt, and I know that we will be learning more tomorrow when day breaks. As the situation continues to unfold, our first concern is preventing injury or loss of life. So I want to be very clear in calling upon the Egyptian authorities to refrain from any violence against peaceful protesters.

"The people of Egypt have rights that are universal. That includes the right to peaceful assembly and association, the right to free speech and the ability to determine their own destiny. These are human rights and the United States will stand up for them everywhere.

"I also call upon the Egyptian government to reverse the actions that they've taken to interfere with access to the Internet, to cellphone service and to social networks that do so much to connect people in the 21st century.

[treestar]

1. Oh dear. There goes the chance to bash him for "supporting Mubarek" and

"failing to take sides." :rofl:

Now we'll have to find something else.

[jenmito]

3. Cenk "Obama's more conservative than Reagan" Uygur said...

"Classic Obama. He failed to take sides." And everyone he had on his show disagreed with him.

[treestar]

4. I'm going to inform my right wing Reagan-worshipping friends

Now I can get them to vote for Obama! :rofl:

[jenmito]

5. Good idea!

I'll do the same! :D

[Drunken Irishman]

8. Reality disagrees with Cenk...

[jaxx]

2. K&R

Thanks.

[jeanpalmer]

6. He forgot to say

the people have right to forcefully overthrow a dictatorship. Telling the Egyptian people they have a right to "pecaceful assembley" plays right into Mubarrak's hand. If the people stay peaceful, Mubarrak wins. Why didn't he recognize the obvious -- they're trying to throw off a dictator.

[JoePhilly]

9. So, Obama should have told them to be violent???

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

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[GSLevel9]

7. actually the Telegraph article

details how US-Mubarek relations have warmed over the last 2 years after chilly ties with ShrubCo. Shrub was supporting Egyptian dissidents as early as 2005, not earning any Christmas cards from the Mubarek household.