Why Obama has to get Egypt right  —  Revolutions usually start with enthusiasm and end in tears.  In the case of the Middle East, the tears could be avoided if President Obama stands firmly by the values that got him elected.  Although American power and influence in the world have declined …

Gangs Hunt Journalists and Rights Workers  —  CAIRO — Security forces and gangs chanting in favor of the Egyptian government hunted down journalists at their offices and in the hotels where many had taken refuge on Thursday in a widespread and overt campaign of intimidation aimed at suppressing reports from the capital.

Mubarak Defies a Humiliated America, Emulating Netanyahu  —  It should be remembered that Egypt's elite of multi-millionaires has benefited enormously from its set of corrupt bargains with the US and Israel and from the maintenance of a martial law regime that deflects labor demands and pesky human rights critiques.

Street Battle Over the Arab Future  —  CAIRO — The future of the Arab world, perched between revolt and the contempt of a crumbling order, was fought for in the streets of downtown Cairo on Wednesday.  —  Tens of thousands of protesters who have reimagined the very notion of citizenship …

(UPDATE: Arrested, then Released) Cairo Exclusive: Interview with ‘Sandmonkey’  —  (UPDATE: The Guardian is reporting that Sandmonkey has been arrested, a contact reports that he was subsequently released.  His blog is currently down.  Look for updates at The Tatler.)

Palin skipping CPAC  —  Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) won't speak at a prominent gathering of conservative activists next weekend in Washington  —  Palin will skip the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) for the third straight year since the 2008.