Talk about a gutsy call. As Twitchy reported yesterday, Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi seized dictatorial powers. Today, Tahrir Square is flooded by pro-democracy citizens protesting the power grab. These protesters are bravely fighting back against Morsi and the powerful, dangerous Muslim Brotherhood. With everything they’re up against, they should know that the U.S. condemns Morsi’s push toward dictatorship. But the U.S. State Department isn’t exactly pledging solidarity with the protesters.
@USEmbassyCairo What's the State Dept's reaction to Morsi's new declaration of presidential powers?
— Stephen Feagin (@feaginsp) November 23, 2012
Its response amounted to a big, fat nothingburger:
The decisions and declarations announced on November 22 raise concerns for many Egyptians and for the international community. One of the aspirations of the revolution was to ensure that power would not be overly concentrated in the hands of any one person or institution. The current constitutional vacuum in Egypt can only be resolved by the adoption of a constitution that includes checks and balances, and respects fundamental freedoms, individual rights, and the rule of law consistent with Egypt’s international commitments. We call for calm and encourage all parties to work together and call for all Egyptians to resolve their differences over these important issues peacefully and through democratic dialogue.
The statement doesn’t even mention Morsi’s name. Way to decisively stand up for freedom, Obama Administration. Twitterers are less than impressed with the State Department’s lack of a backbone:
State Dept on Morsi power grab another disappointment http://t.co/ghM1cQYa http://www.state.html
— MSquared (@BitchinLiberal) November 23, 2012
State Department did not ask #Morsi to retreat his decisions and declarations, what a shame
— Ashraf Rady (@ashrafrady) November 23, 2012
So is U.S. State Dept outraged or appalled by Obama's buddy Morsi's dictatorial power grab? No. They're "concerned". http://t.co/fI769m4f
— ChiCom Bat Virus Kano (@IloiloKano) November 23, 2012
Understatement! @adamhollandblog US State Dept: Morsi decrees "raise concerns for many Egyptians and for the international community"
— (((Barbara Mazor))) (@StopBDS_PSFC) November 23, 2012
https://twitter.com/GOPandME/status/272067130202132482
https://twitter.com/SciencePyramid/status/272049135073521664
President Obama and the State Department need to quit pussyfooting around and condemn Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood. It’s long past time this administration take a stand against tyranny.
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