Jan. 30 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said there needs to be a dialogue to create a plan to meet the “legitimate grievances” of Egyptians.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak yesterday appointed Omar Suleiman, the head of the country’s intelligence services, as vice president after violent protests demanding the leader’s ouster. The anti-government demonstrators say they are inspired by an uprising that ousted Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on Jan. 14.
“What happens is truly up to the Egyptian people,” Clinton said, drawing a distinction between peaceful protestors and those using the unrest as an opportunity for looting. “There are many steps that can be taking by reaching out to those who have advocated a peaceful orderly transition.”
Clinton said changes in Egypt will take time as the country moves to democratic and economic reform.
She spoke in a television interview today on CNN’s ‘’State of the Union.”
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