The Obama administration is taking too weak a stand on the uprising in Egypt, and is miscalculating the magnitude of events, The Washington Post says in an editorial published on its website Friday.

"On Friday, hundreds of thousands of Egyptians did something that the Obama administration, and many others in Washington, believed they would never do: They rose up against their government, demanding an end to President Hosni Mubarak's autocracy.

"They overwhelmed the security forces that Mr. Mubarak deployed in an attempt to crush them; they defied a nighttime curfew even after Army units were deployed. They burned the headquarters of the ruling party in Cairo and in several other cities. By nightfall, it seemed clear that only two events could end their revolution: a massive use of force by the Army or Mr. Mubarak's yielding of power.

"The United States should be using all of its influence, including the more than $1 billion in aid it supplies annually to the Egyptian military - to ensure the latter outcome," The Post says.

Read the entire editorial at washingtonpost.com