Hosni Mubarak was finally thrown under the bus. A clear US message to those countries that are under the cusp of change: Washington will no longer prefer stability to democracy. The present Arab world situation has presented itself in the shape of a formidable challenge to the Obama administration, which desperately seeks to strike a delicate balance.
That delicate balance is something which no American President has ever gotten quite right in the Islamic world before, pointed out Bruce Riedel, the CIA desk director for Egypt at the time of Sadat's assassination, at Charlie Rose Show two weeks ago. According to him, Jimmy Carter didn't get it right in Iran in 1979 and George Bush didn't get it right in Pakistan in 2007-08. The Obama administration's approach to the Egypt turmoil is perhaps driven by its belief that the third time something is attempted is more likely to succeed than the previous two attempts. No doubt, the people of Egypt had entered uncharted waters.
"Nightmare over," said a jubilant Egyptian in Cairo on the overthrow of Mubarak. But Mubarak has handed over power to the military council to run the affairs of the country. It has to be seen whether the army will be able to midwife a genuine democratic process that leads to a fair and free election in the most populous country of the Arab world.
Concluded
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