Shortly after American President Obama addressed his nation and the world regarding Mubarak’s resignation, there was a press conference at the White House. By coincidence, it was Press Secretary Gibbs’s last press conference, as he is stepping down. Here are some notes taken from the questions and Gibbs’s answers.
Regarding instability factors in Egypt, Gibbs said that it is “important that the next government of Egypt respect the accords that have been signed with Israel.”
When asked whether the White House thought that it would spread, Gibbs responded by telling those assembled to watch to see how Iran deals with this. “They are arresting people in Iran. They are blocking foreign news outlets, turning off the internet.” He said that Iran publicly supports Egypt’s revolution, but is trying to stop the images from coming in. The head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said, “Seditionists are no more than a corpse… We will crush [them]…”
Gibbs also said that American Vice-President Joseph Biden played a large role in American diplomacy over the past two weeks. Apparently, he had a close working relationship with Egyptian Vice-President Suleiman since his appointment two weeks ago. Gibbs said that Biden was in near constant phone contact with him, reiterating America’s message of the need for a peaceful transition and reminded Suleiman of key steps that needed to be taken to address the demonstrators in Tahrir Square. Also, Biden’s foreign policy experience was crucial in shaping US policy during these few weeks.
Finally, Wael Ghonim, the Google Executive who became a hero to the demonstrators spoke to CNN. Regarding Facebook, Wael said, “Those guys are the real heroes. The real heroes are the people on the street. There is no leader. If someone tells you that he was one of the leaders, then he is a liar. This is the people’s movement.”
He also praised CNN, saying, “You guys did a great job telling our story. You deserve a commission by all of the Egyptian people.”
I for one agree with his assessment of CNN’s devotion to the events in Egyptian, having been constantly watching the channel since two Friday’s past. It is thanks in part to CNN, and also the BBC and other sources, that I have been able to create this blog.
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