"Egyptian society, with five thousand years as the cradle of civilization, is now a center for promising great change in the Arab world," said the new U.S. Ambassador to Egypt, Anne Patterson. This statement by Patterson was made before the Committee of Foreign Relations in the U.S. Senate to testify her new assignment in Egypt and respond to questions from members of the Committee relating to her post next year. "People everywhere were affected positively by the events in Tahrir Square in Cairo and the Egyptian's desire for freedom and democracy. But we must remember the transition towards democracy is long and difficult because there will be pitfalls and surprises. But the Egyptians will find a way," Patterson said. She continued on about the strategy developed by the U.S. administration, which will be applied if the Congress approves the appointment. "Our first priorities will be to encourage and support the Egyptian's demand for free and fair elections,” she said. "The U.S. expects the Egyptian government will call for international observers to monitor and watch this historic occasion. As we do in hundreds of other countries, the U.S. will support NGOs and civil society organizations that wish to strengthen their organizational skills and play a prominent role. These groups constitute the core of any successful political system," Patterson remarked. "Strengthening and supporting the democratic process should lead to greater respect for human rights in Egypt, because citizens now have the power will demand it. We welcome the commitment of the temporary government to repeal the Emergency Law, which was in effect for years to justify the abuse of human rights on a large scale. We are concerned about arbitrary arrests and trials and some of the more disturbing attacks on women who participated in the demonstrations. We demand the capable authorities to prosecute those who committed such crimes." She looks forward to working in Egypt and has no doubts in her ability to fulfill her duties as ambassador.
