The tone rose Wednesday between Washington and Cairo, the White House saying that the changes incurred by the Egyptian government remained inadequate, while the Egyptian foreign minister accused the Americans of wanting to "impose" their will on his country.
In the sixteenth day of unprecedented revolt against the regime of Hosni Mubarak's ally, Washington has had to defend itself from any interference in the affairs of Egypt, but again claiming the reforms that meet the protestors in Tahrir Square.
"Clearly, what the government has put on the table so far has not completed the minimum threshold of what is required by the Egyptians," he observed to the press spokesman of the White House Robert Gibbs.
Mr.Gibbs attacked particularly the Vice-President of Egypt Omar Suleiman, appointed by Mr. Mubarak to negotiate a political transition with the opposition.
"The transition process does not seem to expect the Egyptians," added the spokesperson for Barack Obama, warning against a new outbreak of protest in Egypt if the power does not give enough ground.
A senior State Department, Jake Sullivan, for his part stressed that "the United States has never said that Vice-President Suleiman was the appropriate person (to lead the transition) or delivered for trial who should be in control. "
"We are not interested persons (...) but concrete results," he said during a media teleconference.
The Egyptian regime has previously hinted his temper against pressure from Washington.
"When you talk about quick and immediate change to a great country like Egypt, with which you have always maintained the best relationships, you impose your will", denounced the Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit, in a Service in the U.S. television network PBS.
"We are already changing," shouted Mr. Gheit, referring to discussions with the protesters.
Mr.Gheit also warned that "the army would intervene in case of chaos to take things in hand," according to comments reported by the official MENA news agency.
Asked about the statements, the spokesman for the State Department, Philip Crowley, urged the Egyptian army to "continue to exercise the same moderation that in recent days."
On Tuesday, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden called Mr. Suleiman for him to claim an immediate end to the state of emergency in force for nearly 30 years.
On PBS, Mr. Gheit said he was "truly astonished" by this request: "As we speak, there are 17,000 prisoners loose in the streets because the prisons were destroyed.How can you ask me to abolish the state of emergency while I'm in trouble? "
Mr. Gheit told he had been "often angry, angry" face to the American response in the initial events in Cairo, although the relationship has since subsided.
Asked about the Egyptian minister, Mr. Crowley has assured that Washington was not seeking "to dictate anything." He defended the call to immediately lift the state of emergency is an "interference" and stressed that the solution to the crisis should be found by the Egyptians themselves.
