Protests in Egypt continue to grow

It does not seem that the protests in Egypt will go away anytime soon. Of the many North African and Middle Eastern nations protesting for the removal of their dictatorial leaders, Egypt seems to be the most tense. While protesters are calling for a million people to take to the streets demanding President Mubarak's removal, thus far, it seems that little is deterring him.

Last week, as the protesters grew into large crowds onto the streets on Cairo, President Mubarak removed his entire cabinet, hoping to calm down the tone, but it did nothing. Instead members of Egypt's own police force, actually sided with the protesters and its army actually called the protests 'legitimate'. That's saying quite a bit for a country that represses freedom of expression.

Now it is very likely that Mubarak may eventually resign, as the pressure is mounting and today he did call for a new government and even shoved the Interior Minister aside, which is the head of the nation's security forces that has been battling the upheaval since it began.

But there is still some strange contradictions going on here in the United States and the response to Egypt's protest movement. Vice President Joe Biden stated that President Mubarak was not a dictator and should not step down, while Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared on ABC's Sunday morning news show This Week with Christiane Amanpour stating that there "needs to be reform". Meanwhile, President Obama called for the same reform and that "the United States is committed to working with the Egyptian government and the Egyptian people, from all quarters to achieve it, and around the world governments have an obligation to respond to their citizens..."

Oh is that right? The Federal Government gave no response to the American people when they called for an end of corruption under President Bush and now under your tenure Mr. President, but I digress...

The single most important factor that this Administration is failing to consider is that if and when President Mubarak is removed, regardless of his authoritarian rule in Egypt, this means there could be a very good possibility that the Muslim Brotherhood could take control, thus causing the Middle Eastern region to become destabilized.

Egypt as one of the United States' closest allies in that region of the world, has helped us protect Israel and against al-Qaeda terrorists. The last thing we need right now is for Egypt to collapse and bring that portion of the world one step closer to taking Israel out.

There is great admiration from the protesters in Egypt who want a freer society without an authoritarian rule, as it struggles with poverty, inflation, unemployment and shortages. However, could the Middle East be any better if Mubarak steps aside?

Regardless of the looting, destruction and death that has occurred throughout Egypt in the last week, the protesters are vowing to not stop, until Mubarak is out.