Update On Hosni's Line of Death

Given the surprising events of yesterday, it is now becoming clear that one of Barack Obama's critical mistakes, among many, in handling the Egypt crisis was to make an aggressive call for Mubarak's resignation. The mistake doesn't emanate from the political choice between a known stable allied regime and an unknown potentially risky new order in Egypt. The mistake emanates from a failure to understand cultural and political nuances at play in the Arab world. Mubarak's speech made no bones about him not taking any marching orders from any outsiders. Gee, who could he mean? So, at least one factor in his defiance, clearly, was the desire not to be seen as a US puppet. His Arab bravado was in full flower and Obama's failure to understand that he would trigger this bravado by calling on Mubarak to leave the stage ultimately stiffened Mubarak's intransigence. Murbarak may ultimately go, but at least he's laid down his marker for the all the world, mostly the Arab world, to see - he will not take any guff that punk Obama. This episode only adds to the body of contrary evidence building up in against that "smart as a whip" thing.

UPDATE: Maybe the Saudis had a point about not humiliating Mubarak. Then there is this from Israel: "Former Israeli Defense Minister and Labor Party member Benjamin Ben-Eliezer said Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak realizes “this is the end of the road,” but is looking to leave in an honorable fashion, AP reported Feb. 11, citing Ben-Eliezer’s interview with Army Radio. Ben-Eliezer, who has known Mubarak a long time, spoke with the embattled president hours before his speech late Feb. 10. Another former Israeli defense minister and current opposition lawmaker, Shaul Mofaz, agreed Mubarak wants “to end it on his feet and not on his knees.” For all his putative smarts and education, you would have thought Obama understood the concept of letting Mubarak "save face." If that elemental understanding of human nature, and the extent to which it matters to different cultures, is over Obama's head, even I (I of the 2008 "pig in a poke" call) am shocked into a mild depression at the inept boobishness of the man our nation placed into the highest office in the land.

btw, the Robin William's gag still applies.