The United States should not allow apprehensions about a democratic Egypt’s potential foreign policy to hinder its support for free and fair elections.
Even if President Mubarak were to step down, provisions in the Egyptian constitution could undermine the ultimate goal of a regime change and a transition toward full democracy.
As protests in Egypt escalate into a full-fledged uprising that threatens to unravel Egypt's existing political order, President Mubarak's announcement that he will not run for president again in September does not seem to be enough to appease the protesters and end the protests.
The status quo in the Arab world is unsustainable. Arab regimes have a choice: They can either lead a reform process from above or watch it take place in the streets below.
The United States should encourage a quick and peaceful end to the current crisis in Egypt and do what it can to support the establishment of a new democracy in the country.
As unrest in Egypt continues, no formal leader has emerged who can represent the variety of protesters who have taken to the street, leaving it unclear who will negotiate with the regime on the protesters’ behalf.
The current protests in Tunisia and Egypt and the subsequent unrest in the region provide an incentive for Arab states to address political reform and the Arab-Israeli peace process in tandem.
The unrest in Egypt is growing increasingly violent and the longer the protests continue, the more difficult it will be for the Mubarak regime and the protesters to reach an agreement.
Other Arab regimes are right to worry about the possibility of an uprising in their own nations; the same combination of economic hardship, political corruption, and repression that inspired protests in Tunisia and Egypt exist in all Arab countries outside the Gulf.
A change in Egyptian leadership would bring to end nearly three decades of uninterrupted rule and have significant implications for the region’s balance of power.