Washington: "Contacts with Israeli officials were described to us as being both "urgent" and "worrying" with a strong emphasis by the White House toward counseling restraint

"...Senior Administration officials tell us that this is how they view developments in Egypt. US policy is caught in an awkward dilemma between its long-standing, if low-key rhetorical advocacy of political reform in Egypt – reinforced by Obama – and its concern that the Egyptian authorities may lose control of the process, with resulting chaos that might engulf both Egypt and, potentially, Saudi Arabia in 1979 Iranian-style revolutions. Against this background, US officials are actively engaged with their Egyptian counterparts with the objective of keeping the reform movement on track while avoiding a heavy-handed response that might open the door to mass bloodshed and extreme elements, notably the Muslim Brotherhood. A State Department official commented to us: “This will be a hard circle to square. The Egyptians are instinctively suspicious of pro-democracy activists and all too ready to prefer a show of force.” Contacts with Israeli officials were described to us as being both "urgent" and "worrying" with a strong emphasis by the White House toward counseling restraint. A similar approach is in place for Yemen. The Egyptian episode does, however, provide a template for how US foreign policy will evolve up to 2012. With Democrats and Republicans locking horns over government spending, attention to external issues will be opportunistic and politically expedient. Those looking for a US grand strategy will be disappointed.