 U.S. diplomats repeatedly raised concerns with Egyptian officials about jailed dissidents and bloggers and followed reports of torture by police, according to cables released by WikiLeaks Friday. But Obama added: "I've always said to him that making sure that they're moving forward on reform, political reform and economic reform, is absolutely critical to the long-term well-being of Egypt." In an interview broadcast live on YouTube on Thursday, Obama said that Mubarak has been "an ally of ours on a lot of critical issues." The shift in mood on the ground is 'mostly because of Mubarak and his close ties' to the United States," the cable summarized al-Thani as saying. A May 2009 cable also noted the Egyptian government's use of "heavy-handed tactics against individuals and groups" after riots over bread prices broke out in 2008, in the first major public disorder for 31 years, The New York Times reported. And it said the growing influence of the Muslim Brotherhood had prompted the government to resort to “heavy-handed tactics against individuals and groups.”
– Newly released WikiLeaks cables illustrate the complex relationship between Washington and longtime ally President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, the New York Times reports. The diplomatic cables reveal that the US has privately pressured Egypt on imprisoned dissidents and other issues, though the two governments’ public relationship has improved under President Obama. The cables detail the first year of Obama’s presidency and show the two countries working together, with Mubarak a key supporter of the US against Iran; a mediator between Israel and Palestine; and a backer of Iraq’s new government. But they also detail US concerns: one from the American ambassador to Egypt points to “heavy-handed tactics against individuals and groups” during 2008’s bread riots, MSNBC notes.