Reading Egypt News Today

Thing well. thats essential to this equation. we have in fact, made sure that the army doesnt go for a massive crackdown. >> right. >> paul: urging that. >> absolutely. in fact, the big difference between iran in the summer of 2009 and egypt right now is the fact that iran was not in our field of influence, that and egypt is in our field of influence. and the kid gloves treatment, if you will, that restraint of the army and police of the mubarak has something to do they are under the gaze of ame...

>> welcome to the journal editorial report, im paul gigot. the uprising in egypt turned bloody this week as supporters of president mubarak clashed with protesters in cairos liberation square. in errant view mubarak blamed the outlawed muslim brotherhood for the violence and said he would like to step down right away but fears his resignation would plunge the country further into chaos. the director of the middle east studies program at the school of advanced international studies at johns hopki...

Box of this whole equation. this is the black box. this is the unknown. the role of the army. the states in egypt belongs to the army. the state belongs to the army that pulled off the great revolution in 1952, allegedly the state revolution of sadat and the heir of -- the army is a dominant infusion not only politically and militarily, the security is also huge economic infusion. >> so you are saying that no government would be able -- no transition would be possible and no successive governmen...

>> i urge the government and a broad and credible representation of egypt option civil society, and political factions to begin immediately serious negotiations on a peaceful and orderly transition. >> that was secretary of state hillary clinton on thursday calling for an orderly and speedy transition of power in egypt. were back with more on the crisis there. joining the panel this week "wall street journal" columnist and deputy editor dan hen gear. matt commence ski and mary o-grady. behind th...

Finally come around to a policy more engaged. its a stham 2009 wouldnt interfere in affairs. smoother transition. not too late now -- what you are seeing now is a new consciousness in egypt about democracy. i think this should become somewhat optimistic that they can carry this out. >> paul: dan, what do you think. >> i pretty much agree with all of this with one caveat. i agree with what secretary clinton said with a speedy transition and matt as well. what i dont agree with and i think we shou...

Military. they believe they are guardians of the nation. >> paul: what should the u.s. role here be? they seem to have been caught by surprise, frankly, that this was happening. what should they do now? >> well, i dont think barack obama is waiting on me to tell him what he should do. >> paul: no. i think he probably got better advice than he might be getting from the cia, for example. >> we know from the senate intelligence committee they are now underscoring that we didnt read this country rig...

Mubarak succeeded on war is a democrat when he was struck down in 1981 with mubarak next to him, the people of egypt gave mubarak enormous room. he healed the wounds and the controversy controversies of the is a democrat sadat. he was a modest man and kept a peaceful israel. he tried, if you will it, diffuse the tensions in egyptian society thats the on war is a democrat triggered. it would be that he would heed the lessons of mubaraks own course. >> what do you think the role the military has p...

Word. be gone. they want him to be gone. its become this classic standoff if he himself can challenge them, if he can defy their wishes. if he can defy the wishes of the people he will have won. if they forced him out the democratic possibility of egypt may not materialize. we dont know. >> paul: do you think his vice president omar suleiman, if mubarak did resign as the u.s. is urging him privately asee understand it, do you think suleiman could organize across the various sectors of the scioto...

Paternity. here is we are right now. one despot fell in 2003. we decapitated him. two despots in egypt and tunisia fell. direct connection between happened in iraq in 2003 and what is happening in the rest of the arab world. >> paul: thanks so much for being here. more on the crisis in egypt when we come back. the obama administration is backing off its initial support of hosni mubarak. but should we help push him out? our panel debate after the break.

First election is not the last election. >> paul: are you saying that anti-democratic forces should be banned from democratic elections? >> i think they have to sort of -- has to be done through a legal and orderly process. this is where the administration can play a role and bring the experience that it has from eastern europe, from east asia, to bear in egypt. we have been waiting for this to happen for the last 10 years. after 9/11 we said the arab status quo must change. now its changing. no...