Blame Game Begins on Egypt Policy

Who’s to blame for flaws in our nation’s policy toward Egypt? That’s the question rising to the forefront in Washington now, Politico reports. Some criticize the intelligence agencies for not giving our government enough warning prior to last week’s uprising. Meanwhile, others complain that President Barack Obama’s efforts to force the ouster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak are impotent.

White House officials admit to Politico that mistakes were made and signals were missed. But they point out that their options and leverage would have been limited even if Obama had been warned far in advance of the street protests that suddenly emerged in Egypt.

Still, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., remains upset at intelligence agencies. “The president, the secretary of state and the Congress are making policy decisions on Egypt, and those policymakers deserve timely intelligence analysis,” she says. “I have doubts whether the intelligence community lived up to its obligations in this area.”