BLAME GAME

Egypt Vilifies U.S. Ambassador

Anne Patterson target of both sides.

The U.S. ambassador to Egypt, a 40-year veteran diplomat, has found herself stuck between two sides of a revolution. Anne W. Patterson, who has served in Cairo since 2011, is being lambasted by opponents of ousted President Mohamed Morsi for a June speech in which she doubted the dissolution of the elected Muslim Brotherhood government and was “deeply skeptical” that “street action will produce better results than elections.” But that in no way ingratiated her to the pro-Morsi Islamists, who argue that she has inappropriately interfered by meeting with the opposition. Vali Nasr, a former State Department official, noted that there was no way Patterson could have escaped criticism. “She’s being lambasted because she’s the face of America,” he said.