U.S. Demands Immediate Transition in Egypt Teaser: The United States demanded Feb.

2 that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak take immediate steps to ard a transition o! po er in "airo. #na$ysis: The United States on Feb. 2 demanded that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak immediate$y mo%e to ard a transition o! po er. &hite House spokesman 'obert (ibbs said that )the time !or a transition has *ome+ and that time is no +) and added+ ),o is not September) - hen Egypt.s ne/t e$e*tions are s*hedu$ed to be he$d0. (ibbs *a$$ed !or an immediate and order$y trans!er o! po er to a ne go%ernment that in*$udes opposition !or*es. This statement *omes a day a!ter U.S. President 1ara*k 2bama said he indi*ated to Mubarak that )an order$y transition must be meaning!u$+ it must be pea*e!u$+ and it must begin no .) &ashington ear$ier had hoped !or a gradua$ transition. Ho e%er+ the gro ing unrest in Egypt has !or*ed the 2bama administration to in*rease the pressure. 2bama does not ant to !a*e a situation simi$ar that hi*h U.S. President 3immy "arter !a*ed in 4565+ hen Iran.s Shah !e$$+ the Is$ami* repub$i* as estab$ished in Tehran and U.S.7Iranian re$ations p$ummeted be*ause the "arter administration *ontinued supporting the Shah 77 a situation hi*h has resu$ted in hosti$ity bet een the *ountries e%er sin*e. There!ore+ 2bama has been trying to manage the Egypt situation through &ashington.s ties ith the mi$itary as part o! an e!!ort to ensure that Egypt does not des*end into anar*hy or be*ome sub8e*t to a radi*a$ Is$amist takeo%er. The United States a$so rea$i9es that the *a$$ !or re!orms+ e$e*tions and demo*ra*y *ou$d empo er Egypt.s main Is$amist mo%ement+ the Mus$im 1rotherhood. 1ut gi%en a *hoi*e bet een a$$o ing the situation to take on a $i!e o! its o n or nurturing a transition to demo*ra*y+ the $atter is the best !or the United States. &ashington hopes the Mus$im 1rotherhood i$$ !a*e enough arrestors 77 $ike the mi$itary and the *reation o! a broad7based *oa$ition 77 that the Is$amist mo%ement i$$ not steer "airo.s !oreign po$i*y on an undesirab$e *ourse. There is another *ost that *omes ith abandoning a $ongtime a$$y: It sends the rong message to others in the region ho i$$ begin to :uestion the re$iabi$ity o! the United States. From the point o! %ie o! *ountries $ike Saudi #rabia+ 3ordan+ ;emen+ and e%en Israe$+ i! &ashington *an abandon the Egyptian regime then they *ou$d e/perien*e simi$ar !ates 77 espe*ia$$y i! the going got tough. 2bama administration o!!i*ia$s are thus %ery $ike$y trying to take a$$ U.S. a$$ies in the region into *on!iden*e+ but those assuran*es may not be enough. 'egard$ess+ as !ar as &ashington is *on*erned+ Mubarak.s *hapter is *$osed and a ne go%ernment must take o%er in "airo immediate$y.