Don't leave secular Egyptians in the lurch

Europe and the US are reacting with far too much restraint to events in Egypt, the daily De Standaard writes disapprovingly: "Owing to the repressive policies of [Egypt's President] Mubarak there is no organised secular opposition. This explains why the US and the three major EU states - France, Germany and the UK - are adopting such a moderate tone towards 'their dictator', the president. ... In their opinion the risk that the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood will eventually step in to the vacuum is too great. ... There are geopolitical factors which can't simply be ignored. But by not pushing harder for an interim government ... the US and the EU risk undermining the wave of democratisation ... . The secular Egyptians who have been risking their lives for days now at Tahrir Square in their bid to end the dictatorship must feel that the West has let them down."

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