“I was astonished to hear the demonstrators from my office window calling for change and a better future,” said US Ambassador Margaret Scobey, adding that her country did not play a role in the 25 January revolution.
Scobey, who has completed her term in Cairo and is preparing to leave, also told Foreign Minister Mohamed al-Orabi that the US did not finance any political party or presidential candidate.
“The US does not take sides,” she said. “We only provide technical assistance to establish democracy,” adding that it would be up to Egyptians to choose the most suitable form of democracy.
“We have trained certain Egyptians and familiarized them with the principles of democracy,” she added. “And we have encouraged them to attain their freedom.”
On directly financing NGOs, Scobey explained that it was Barack Obama’s clear decision from day one to help the transition period in Egypt. “It is political and economic support to empower human resources and train them,” she said.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
