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.
The recent escalation of violence in Egypt due to government-organized thugs acting against peaceful demonstrators indicates that President Mubarak cannot be entrusted with overseeing the country's orderly transition to democracy.
A committee of pro-democracy activists involved in negotiating with the Egyptian authorities suggest a way to move from the present confrontation to a peaceful transition.
The U.N.-backed international tribunal's investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri could either help end Lebanon's political violence or shatter the country's fragile stability after decades of civil war.
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.
While recent events in Tunisia and in Egypt demonstrate that Arabs are not a cultural exception to the broad desire for freedom around the world, building democracy will require the creation of organized political parties.
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 recent upheaval in Egypt, led by a newly assertive mix of idealistic young protesters, civic groups, and political opposition parties, bears a resemblance to Indonesia’s democratic transition ten years ago.
Egypt’s current government has the chance to oversee a smooth transition toward democratic governance by delegating the army to handle security, dissolving the parliament, amending the constitution to secure political and civil liberties, and initiating domestic reform policies.
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.