Page 6 - Visiting Egypt News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

>> egypt is the biggest country in the region in terms of the population, geographical location. it is the state of institutions governed by the institutions and the rul of law. and we should be cautious and aware of the many examples around us, which drove people to chaos and mayhem where they gained no dplemocracy or stability. joining us now is congressman meeks. he's on the phone, and there's robin wright right there.

Will support them, too. be nonviolent, but be vocal. >> i think we hear the president -- i think the president is being very transparent. it's an extraordinary situation, robin wright, having covered diplomacy over the years, to have the president of egypt say something he didn't really like. he thinks it's the old defense arguments of nonchanging, getting on the phone to him, talking to him for half an hour, perhaps pleading with him, perhaps warning him, and then going right on national television, worldwide television and saying what he just said to mubarak. this is extraordinarily transpar...

>> given the extent of what has actually happened in egypt, i don't think that's going to be the other leaders' top concern in the region. i'll tell you why. when president obama told the egyptian government a few weeks ago when they were having elections let us have international observers, and mubarak said what? over my dead body. well, what has happened in egypt actually gives the obama administration added ammunition. >> a hammer. >> right. look, the united states -- >> do you think that people in the streets watching will settle for an election at this point, a real election with honest o...

U.s. is losing so much influence. >> you're the best. >> -- in the middle east, the opportunity is that they have seen that the middle east is in a period of transition. it's not too late for the u.s. government to actually get on the right side of these movements happening right across the middle east. that will in the long term, in my view, restore credibility to the united states. >> i thought al jazeera had a beat on this guy. were you fantastic. thank you, sir. you are a great colleague to have on. much more on the crackdown in the streets of egypt coming up. do we have any leverage ove...

Jailed by hosni mubarak. it also depends on what other presidential candidates emerge. remember, any call for new presidential elections here is also fraught with all sorts of danger, because the instability of the streets is being fuelled by money, chris. not only from iran, but also from islamic extremists who view this as a momentous status quo in egypt. >> how did you get that report? how do you know about the role of money and what we're watching in iran? >> because information that the israelis had taken over in 2008 when they invaded gaza, hamas had been able to in effect obtain a great...