Rice laments Egypt's human rights record

WASHINGTON-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice took aim at close ally Egypt on Wednesday over its human rights record and lamented "setbacks" there despite what she said were her personal efforts to press for reforms.Rice has been lambasted by some activists for not pushing Cairo hard enough on human rights for fear of upsetting a close U.S. ally, criticism the top diplomat said was "very painful.""It has been very hard in Egypt," said Rice when asked to reflect about the Bush administration's "freedom agenda" that involves promoting human rights and democracy worldwide."The progress has not been everything in Egypt that we would have hoped for. We have had setbacks there, we have had disappointments there," Rice told an advisory committee to the State Department on promoting democracy."It is very hard when I have to sit in front of young democracy advocates and have them say 'Why have you not been advocating more on our behalf'. We have been," she added,"We are not going to fail to have relations with the Egyptian government but we do advocate on their behalf."Rice said she frequently pushed "friendly" governments like Egypt to do more on human rights but such requests were resented. "But we do it. Even with our friends that are not free."The Bush administration's so-called democracy and freedom agenda has come under attack in many parts of the Middle East, where it is seen as patronizing and an attempt by the United States to impose its own values on others. http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE497ABZ20081008
As in the days of Noah...