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Dictator, a benevolent dictator? a pretty good guy who was managing a very difficult situation? how do you think history will judge him? >> i think he'll probably be seen as a care taker. he looked after the shop pretty well, maintained security, maintained stability. in the last few years, he did something very industry, hardly pushed by the imf, because he needed loans. he started opening up the economy. tokeville once said the worst moment for a regime is when it starts to reform. when you start doing that, you open up eyes, you open up expectations, we talk about how facebook and twister w...

>> no, but he's respected in the arab world, respected in the u.s. and clearly respected in the egyptian military. if we're looking for a caretaker that can keep thing in order, i think suleiman is the person. whether or not he would win in the elections, that's a different thing. he would be a good person in the interim. >> tell me this. should we carry on paying the aid to egypt? what is your position on that? also in relation to israel, what is your view of how we protect israel. >> well, that's two separate questions. the answer to the first one is

Passport, if you're a foreigner there, you do have a certain element of protection. by and large, when we were detained, we were not being tortured. egyptians were, nonstop. those egyptians who helped me in and out of tahrir square, they were taking far greater risks. >> look at the google executive. this is a guy who disappeared for nine days, i think. how often does that happen? even in a dictatorship. this is a guy who literally disappeared, nobody knew where he was. you talk to westerners who would say, we don't know where he is. every egyptian knew exactly what had happened. the security ...

Be the catalyst. >> in terms of the way that this revolution is unfurling, both in tunisia and now in egypt, what do you think in terms of regime change going forward, senator? are we now seeing a newer, better way of revolution driven from the bottom up through the people than perhaps, you know, a revolution driven by the americans taking military into these countries? >> from north africa all the across the world of islam, it's a new day. it's not 30 years ago when mubarak took over, when sadat was assassinated. the people with all of the instant community -- communication are going to deman...

Egypt can be a model of a peaceful transition, i think. >> do you believe that any peaceful transition in a country can actually happen in reality if you turf out leaders after 30 years. he's been in many people's eyes pretty good to the west and pretty good allies. is that a sensible way to proceed, or do you think the sensible way is the way president obama seems to prefer, a gradual transition, where mu bake is allowed to stay for a while, everything calls down and leaves with some dignity and honor, which a lot of people in america thinks he's earned, even though he -- >> i personally thin...