On Wednesday night, House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) announced that the full committee will hold two days of hearings on Egypt and Lebanon.
The announcement came one day after Ros-Lehtinen criticized Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak for insisting he would remain in office until September.
In an issued statement on Tuesday, Ros-Lehtinen said:
“Continuing with the existing timeline for elections is not going to help stabilize the situation in Egypt. It will only embolden the extremist elements and frustrate the Egyptian people, who seek peaceful, legitimate, democratic change.
“Far-off promises of change won’t cut it after decades of waiting for political and economic reforms. The Egyptian people are demanding a government that will take concrete actions to meet their legitimate aspirations for democracy, human rights, and freedom.
“I reiterate my call to Mr. Mubarak to schedule legitimate, democratic, internationally-recognized elections in the near future, not eight months from now.
“Further, opposition leaders must categorically reject the involvement of extremist elements who are trying to use this crisis to gain power, hijack Egypt’s future, and seriously damage Egypt’s relationship with the United States, Israel, and others.”
The hearings, Recent Developments in Egypt and Lebanon: Implications for U.S. Policy and Allies in the Broader Middle East, are scheduled with the following testimony (subject to change):
Day One: Wednesday, February 9, 10:30am - The committee will hear testimony from Elliott Abrams, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and Lorne Craner, president of the International Republican Institute.
Day Two: Thursday, February 10, 10:30am – The committee will hear testimony from James B. Steinberg, Deputy Secretary of State and has invited Michèle Flournoy, Under Secretary for Policy at the Department of Defense to testify as well.
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