Egypt a strong ally, but is Hosni Mubarak aligned with freedom?

 “Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak (Arabic: محمد حسني مبارك‎ Muḥammad Ḥusnī Sayyid Mubārak; commonly known as Hosni Mubarak; Arabic: حسني مبارك‎; transliterated: Ḥusnī Mubārak); (born 4 May 1928) is the fourth and current President of the Arab Republic of Egypt. He was appointed Vice President in 1975, and assumed the Presidency on 14 October 1981, following theassassination of President Anwar El-Sadat. He is the longest-serving Egyptian ruler since Muhammad Ali Pasha. Prior to entering politics, Mubarak was a career officer in the Egyptian Air Force, serving as its commander from 1972 to 1975.”

“Mubarak has come under criticism for extending Egypt's Emergency Law (the country has been under a state of emergency since Sadat's assassination in 1981). Under that "state of emergency", the government has the right to imprison individuals for any period of time, and for virtually no reason, thus keeping them in prisons without trials for any period. The government continues the claim that opposition groups like the Muslim Brotherhood could come into power in Egypt if the current government did not forgo parliamentary elections, confiscate the group's main financiers' possessions, and detain group figureheads, actions which are virtually impossible without emergency law and judicial-system independence prevention. However, critics argue that this goes against the principles of democracy, which include a citizen's right to a fair trial and their right to vote for whichever candidate and/or party they deem fit to run their country.”

“As Arabs protest, Obama administration offers assertive support

By Scott Wilson and Joby Warrick

Washington Post Staff Writers 
Thursday, January 27, 2011; 3:44 AM

The Obama administration is openly supporting the anti-government demonstrations shaking the Arab Middle East, a stance that is far less tempered than the one the president has taken during past unrest in the region.

As demonstrations in Tunis, Cairoand Beirut have unfolded in recent days, President Obama and his senior envoys to the region have thrown U.S. support clearly behind the protesters, speaking daily in favor of free speech and assembly even when the protests target longtime U.S. allies such as Egypt.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday that "the Egyptian government has an important opportunity . . . to respond to the legitimate needs and interests of the Egyptian people." She urged "the Egyptian authorities not to prevent peaceful protests or block communications, including on social media sites."”