>>>>>If not he has certainly signaled his willingness to do so.
>>>>>
>>>>>http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/29/world/middleeast/29diplo.html?hp
>>>>>
>>>>>IMO this is the way an American President should act in a crisis. Egypt is an ally, or as close as we have to one in the Arab world, but Obama is saying there are some things we will not turn a blind eye to. Good for him. I know there are some who will never give him a break, but I don't think Teddy Roosevelt could have done this any better. And we don't even know what private talks went on before it reached this point.
>>>>
>>>>Sure we do:
>>>>Message #1497755
>>>>
>>>>You are waaaayyyyyy behind. Get your head out of the NYTimes for a few minutes and you'd be amazed at what goes on in the world and right in your own backyard... :o)
>>>>
>>>>The same thing is happening in other countries and has been all week (Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia where it all started, Albania, small restrictions and protests in Syria, etc although on a much smaller scale than Egypt). I'm waiting for Saudi Arabia to blow up..
>>>
>>>Egypt is the end of the line.
>>>
>>>There is no chance of this happening in Syria or Saudi. You are being amusing however.
>>
>>Syria took steps immediately: It limited media of Tunisia riots, blocked online chat access, and increased heating oil subsidies to pacify the populace.
>>
>>Saudi: You may be right there since the population benefits from the oil rich spoils.
>>
>>Jordan: Protesting has already occurred, and then there was a multi-million-pound food and fuel subsidy package followed by the King making more promises of reform. He even met with the Muslim Brotherhood but that group still called for additional demonstrations.
>>
>>Yemen: Thousands demonstrated last week but not much wide-spread media attention after Eqypt exploded.
>>
>>Algeria: Thousands protested there as well but we'll have to wait and see how that develops.
>>
>>Lebanon: Still in a state of flux.
>>
>>Albania: Thousands protested, but after the 3 deaths earlier in the week in protests, on Friday the demonstrations were mostly violence-free.
>>
>>I am surprised that you find all of this amusing. It may not amount to much change in the end, but it is certainly not amusing...
>
>Lets discuss this in say 4 weeks.

Things may be different in 4 weeks, or no change at all. I still don't think it will all have been amusing.... Interesting maybe, but amusing, no. 17 people were shot in Cairo today.... Maybe you didn't mean amusing....