Transcript: Former Mossad head Danny Yatom slams President Obama for
Abandoning Mubarak

Dr. Aaron Lerner IMRA January 31, 2011

[For sound recording
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSMW1LKLgIQ ]
English translation of excerpt of live interview broadcast on Israel Radio’s
noon news magazine on 31 January 2011:

Anchor: We are continuing our conversation with former head of the Mossad,
Danny Yatom [AL: and former Labor MK], on Obama’s abandonment [AL: of
Egyptian President Mubarak]. How do you see it?

Yatom: I think that the Americans are making a mistake. if I may point this
out to the Americans.

Anchor: Another mistake?

Yatom: Yes. They made a different mistake when they didn’t support the
demonstrators from the opposition in Iran. They should have supported them
with much broader support. Much more massive support. Because the
relationship between Iran and the United States is like the relationship
between two enemies. Certainly not two lovers.

There is an important strategic relationship between Egypt and the United
States. Egypt holds an important role in American policy. And the way that
President Obama and Hillary Clinton both abandoned Mubarak is very very
problematic and hints, in my opinion, with regard to other allies. For
example Israel. Those such things could take place under harsh conditions
also for us and also for others.

They erred. Because they should have talked about a transition process.
They should have demanded reforms from Mubarak. They should have demanded
from Mubarak a change of the government but they didn’t need to say
“Mubarak – you are finished. And now hand over, in an organized way, the
regime to those who come after you.”

They should have supported Mubarak but demanded from him a much sharper
demand and I think that he would have responded and carried out all the
reforms he needed to carry out.