Edward S. Walker Jr. '62, former U.S. Ambassador to Egypt, Israel and the United Arab Emirates and the Christian A. Johnson Distinguished Professor of Global Political Theory, has spent many hours in the last few days with the national and international media sharing his insights on the continuing protests in Egypt.
Beginning with an interview on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition on Jan. 28, Walker has spoken with print, radio and TV reporters on the situation. On the same day he appeared on CBS’ Evening News. During that interview, Walker commented about Mubarak. "He has had a blank check and somebody has to wake him up. We don't need Mubarak. We need Egypt. Egypt is important to us, but Mubarak is not Egypt."
On CNN’s State of the Union with former U.N. Ambassador John Negroponte, Walker predicted President Hosni Mubarak’s political demise. He also appeared on CNN’s International News channel in a separate interview. An article in today’s New York Times referenced his CNN comments.
In an interview with ABC News, Walker described Egypt as “the core and the throbbing heart of the Arab world.” He continued with this warning, “What happens in Egypt could easily be replicated somewhere else. That is why you want them to be your friend.” In another interview on the Wall Street Journal’s Big Interview, Walker said that Egypt cannot depend on using the “same play book” by attempting to quell the protests with force.
The Los Angeles Times also interviewed and quoted Walker in an article that appeared in that paper on Jan. 29 as well as in the Chicago Tribune and many other newspapers across the country. Canada’s Globe and Mail spoke quoted Walker about Omar Suleiman, the newly appointed vice president of Egypt. England’s Channel 4 Newshour spoke with the ambassador. In offering his perspective on what President Obama should do, he said, “I would advise [Obama] to put further distance between the United States and Mubarak. We don't need Mubarak, we need Egypt.”
Among the many other news outlets with which Walker spoke in the last few days are Bloomberg News, Fox News (with Greta Von Susteren), USA Today, BBC Radio and TV, the Associated Press, the National Journal, Al Jazerra English, MSNBC, WTOP - CBS Radio (Washington, D.C.) and The Washington Post.
