expressions - What does "has been loathe to fully distance itself from" mean?


The following sentence I read from Huff Post: "Why Egypt Matters: The Implications Of The Protests" gets me quite confused. I've made the key problem boldface. Hope someone can explain to me the position of the Obama administration and what the boldface part means.



The Obama administration -- from Joe Biden, who refused to call Mubarak a dictator, to Obama himself, who emphasized Egypt's role as an ally -- has been loathe to fully distance itself from Mubarak, and finds itself in a difficult position, reports theAtlantic.



The original link of the article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/29/why-egypt-matters_n_815863.html#s232358&title=Strong_US_Ally




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