Will US facilitate Mubarak’s exit repeating 1986 history?

Following Mubarak's declaration of refusal to step down or leave Egypt, US President Barack Obama issued a statement urging the Egyptian government to move swiftly and explain the changes that have been made, and to spell out in clear and unambiguous language the step by step process that will lead to democracy and the representative government that the Egyptian people seek.

Amid rumors that Mubarak will step down and relinquish his powers, thousands of protestors gathered around Tahrir Square on Thursday.

Instead, to their disbelief, Mubarak stated that he will hand over the powers to the Vice-President and will continue to adhere to the decision of shouldering the responsibility in defending the constitution and the national interest of the people until the transfer of power and the transfer of responsibility.

Dismayed by the announcement, Obama called on Egypt's leaders to ensure an immediate transition that is meaningful and sufficient.

The statement issued by the US government clearly asks the Mubarak regime to put forward a credible, concrete and unequivocal path toward genuine democracy.

Scanning the sequel of events, a pattern of trends can be observed wherein the US facilitates Mubarak's exit the same way it eased out its close ally Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines in February 1986.

Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, the 10th President of the Philippines, was known for his authoritarian corruption, despotism, political repression, and human rights violations. In his two-decade rule, his government became known for its corrupt practices.

Amidst the rising wave of lawlessness, Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972. This led to curtailed press freedom and other civil liberties, closed down Congress and media establishments, and ordered the arrest of opposition leaders and militant activists.

Even though close personal ally, U.S. President Ronald Reagan supported Marcos initially, but by 1984, he started distancing himself from the Marcos regime. The relationship between the two nations soured further when US President Jimmy Carter targeted the Philippines in his human rights campaign. The US continued to build pressure on Marcos until, finally yielding to that he called for presidential elections.

TIME magazine reports that the US is preparing a new package of assistance to Egyptian opposition groups designed to help with constitutional reform, democratic development and election organizing. The package is still being formulated, and the officials declined to say how much it would be worth or to which groups it would be directed.

However, no clear information is available as to whether any of the money will go either directly or indirectly to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Reinstating their belief in meaningful negotiations, the US government has once again urged Mubarak to address the key questions confronting Egypt's future: protecting the fundamental rights of all citizens; revising the Constitution and other laws to demonstrate irreversible change; and jointly developing a clear roadmap to elections that are free and fair.