Cairo: An undercurrent of anger against the United States appears to be building here because of what many see as the Obama administration's overly cautious response to the demands of protesters for the resignation of longtime US ally President Hosni Mubarak.
And some seeking an end to Mubarak's three decades of rule are quick to cite what they see as American hypocrisy.
"They are just waiting to see which side wins and then they will claim to have backed them all along," said Ameen Iskander, an official of the Al Karama party, an opposition group.
Two years ago, President Barack Obama chose this influential Arab capital as the setting for a landmark speech, reaching out to the Muslim world and calling on Arab nations to respect the "will of the people".
In previous years, President George W. Bush made a series of calls for increased democracy in the Middle East.
Cairo resident Syed Samir, 26, was among those inspired by Obama's words. But on Monday, Samir was questioning the US president's sincerity in a situation where the public is fed up with a man it sees as an autocratic ally of America.
"If America really cares about democracy, why aren't they behind us?" asked Samir, who spent Sunday night in Tahrir Square with hundreds of other protesters.
"The United States went to Iraq and Afghanistan because they said they wanted to bring democracy, but their policies are unfair. If America keeps backing this regime and not the revolution, the people in Egypt will be very angry."
Tarek Abbas, 50, an engineer also ignoring the overnight curfew, warned that Egyptians won't forget soon how, in his opinion, the United States has not lived up to its own rhetoric about democratic values.
"America is going to pay a big price for supporting Mubarak."
Opposition leader Mohammad Al Baradei, the former UN International Atomic Energy Agency chief who in recent days appears to be gaining support, has likewise warned Obama to not be the last one calling for Mubarak's resignation.
Anger at American aid
After Friday's violent clashes with police, many protesters angrily held up tear-gas canisters that had been fired at them, pointing to the "Made in the USA" labels.
The devices are part of the more than $1 billion (Dh3.67 billion) in economic and military aid that the United States provides for Egypt.
The Obama administration is well aware of the risks to the Middle East's stability that it faces in the unfolding crisis. American diplomats say that as a result, they are struggling to strike the right balance in tone and action.
Washington is wary of simply abandoning a predictable partner like Mubarak, who has long been a key Mideast partner in fighting extremism and keeping peace with neighbour Israel. Yet to some American officials, the situation is reminiscent of Iran in 1979, when US support for the hugely unpopular shah backfired, resulting in the US Embassy hostage crisis and the rise of a fervently anti-American government that remains firmly in control.
Some protesters in the streets of Cairo do express empathy for America's predicament.
"They're just trying to be neutral to prevent things from getting out of hand," said Azza Abdul Fadl, a science professor at Benha University. "There needs to be a plan. If Mubarak just quit today, it would take us into chaos."
Yet many think the careful modulation in statements by US officials have made American policy appear "fickle and insincere", said political analyst and journalist Hesham Kassem.
"The risk is that the United States will lose a lot of its influence in the region."
