Arab countries are undertaking diplomatic initiatives that clearly contradict U.S. policy, because they no longer trust the U.S. capacity to contend with escalating regional crises.

President Bush concludes his Middle East trip with a visit to Egypt, who is an important anchor for the moderate coalition resisting the growing influence of Iran in the region. Despite its strong relationship with the U.S., Egypt has experienced unprecedented civil unrest in recent months as democratization efforts have effectively hit rock bottom in the nation.

In view of the wave of social unrest and economic uncertainty debilitating Egyptian society today - as demonstrated by the latest rounds of violence between workers and security forces in the industrial city of Mehallah - the continued suppression of the Muslim Brotherhood is certain to aggravate conditions and lead to further instability in Egypt.

The Egyptian government’s crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood in advance of the April 8 local elections was motivated by its determination to exclude the Brotherhood from the 2011 presidential election and is likely to persist until the matter of presidential succession is settled. The Brotherhood bowed under pressure and boycotted the elections, a lesson the regime is not likely to forget.