Lawmakers criticize Obama’s response to Egypt crisis

Republican and Democratic lawmakers criticized the Obama administration‘s response to the political crisis in Egypt during a congressional hearing on Wednesday.

Rep. Gary L. Ackerman, New York Democrat, accused the administration of “snatching failure from the jaws of success.”

“The Obama administration now appears to be wavering on whether America really backs the demands of the Egyptian people, or just wants a return to stability with a facade of change,” Mr. Ackerman said.

In a teleconference with reporters on Wednesday, senior Obama administration officials defended their response, saying it is not for the U.S. to “dictate outcomes” in Egypt.

“The future going forward is going to be determined by the Egyptian people,” said Ben Rhodes,“We don’t see this as a situation where we dictate outcomes, but we do stand for a set of principles and we stand for a process that can make this, as the president said, a moment of opportunity in Egypt and not just a moment of turmoil,” he said.

Hundreds of thousands of anti-government protests have amassed in Cairo's Tahrir Square and in cities around the country since Jan. 25 demanding the end of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak‘s 30-year rule. deputy national security adviser for strategic communications.Jake Sullivan, deputy chief of staff for Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and director of policy planning, said the administration  has been reiterating its message in private conversations with Egyptian leaders and its other allies that there needs to be “no violence and an end to the harassment and detention, and for the need for political change in Egypt.”

The Obama administration has called for a “process that is broadly inclusive … that includes a broad representation of the Egyptian opposition,” Mr. Rhodes said.

However, the U.S. officials said the Obama administration has had no contact with members of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt‘s largest and best-organized opposition.