A fundamental difference remains between what Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and even Vice President Suleiman have been offering and what the demonstrators are looking for.
The United States has attempted to maintain a careful balance between pressuring the Mubarak regime to accede to the demonstrators' demands and working to provide stability in Egypt.
Regardless of who takes over after Egyptian President Mubarak's resignation, the United States should do what it can to support a transition to genuine democracy and free and fair elections.
President Mubarak’s speech on February 10 disappointed Egyptian protesters and was out of touch with the situation facing Egypt.
The protesters in Egypt must look beyond the issue of whether and when President Mubarak will step down and begin to consider what it will take to engage in an orderly transition to democracy in Egypt.
The long-standing U.S. relationship with Egypt makes it problematic for the Obama administration to remain silent on violence committed by the regime as the protests continue.
The Egyptian constitution does not give citizens the means to challenge the state and thus could help the Mubarak regime maintain the status quo in Egypt.
The Obama administration should commit to a true transition to democracy in Egypt and the creation of an open political system that protects civil rights and liberties.
Egypt’s transition toward democracy could still be undermined by the Mubarak regime, which is empowered by a constitution that grants overwhelming power to the executive.
It is important for the United States to support a real and sustained transition to democracy without appearing to interfere in Egypt’s domestic affairs or being sidetracked by the current regime’s piecemeal reform efforts.