Egypt's Revolution

WORLD

In U.S. Signals to Egypt, Obama Straddled a Rift

By HELENE COOPER, MARK LANDLER and DAVID E. SANGER

Published: February 12, 2011

President Obama had to navigate between the counsel of foreign policy traditionalists and a younger White House.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/world/middleeast/13diplomacy.html

This couldn't have worked out more perfectly for the Obama administration. If they had taken the old guard stance, they would have been seen as putting their interests first. They would have given fuel for anti american rhetoric in a future Egyptian government. Had they only shown support they would have undermined the independence and communal spirit that has led the protesters through this venture. Obama would have tainted their revolution by making it his own, inviting speculation about U.S. involvement.