The Egyptian uprising presents a rare opportunity for the United States to resolve the tension between its strategic priorities in the Middle East and its desire to support democratic change in the region. Washington's past approach to aiding Egypt was based on relations with authoritarian leaders who could be counted on to advance the United States' interests. With the fall of Hosni Mubarak and Egyptian efforts to build a more open political system, a policy based on "authoritarian stability" is no longer possible, and the United States is now forced to alter the way it appropriates and distributes bilateral assistance.

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Ed Husain hosts Bernard Haykel in a discussion of the convergences and divergences in Gulf governments' policies toward the Arab Spring, both domestically and regionally.

Its economy is in terrible condition and state authority is apparently breaking down. It's time to contemplate an intervention by Egypt's military, says CFR's Steven Cook.

Absent a muscular effort by political leaders to contain the crisis, Egypt could be heading into a new season of political violence.

Meghan L. O'Sullivan says, "No single proposal is going to smooth over the acute political division in Egypt. Yet a deal over a constitutional review holds the prospect of at least breaking the impasse."

The Muslim Brotherhood has seen a rapid and fractious ascension to power in Egypt, but questions remain about whether it can maintain a post-revolutionary commitment to democracy.

Egypt today is a different country from the one encountered by previous U.S. administrations, and as a result, the Obama administration's foreign policy strategy approach has to change.

Steven A. Cook says, "This is a critical moment in Egypt's transition; Morsi and his colleagues would do well to recognize that, rescind the decrees, and commit themselves to the democratic process. At this point, it is the only way for the Brothers to burnish their revolutionary credentials."

The State Department released this statement following Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi's decrees of November 22, 2012 that grant him broad powers.

Obama acquitted himself well under terrible circumstances, but he must get to the bottom of the last week's five unresolved puzzles, from Libyan warnings to complicit guards, writes Leslie H. Gelb.

In the wake of the deadly attacks on U.S. diplomatic missions in Egypt and Libya, Bobby Ghosh writes that the newly-formed democratic governments which replaced long-standing dictatorships, as a result of the Arab Spring, has contributed to greater instability and a more chaotic and unstable Middle East.

Isobel Coleman says the actions of Egypt's president Mohammed Morsi may help shape the outcome of the crisis in the region.

Violence against U.S. diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt highlights the difficult road ahead for U.S. relations with these struggling states, says CFR's Robert Danin.

Isobel Coleman and Ed Husain discuss the details surrounding the recent attacks on U.S. diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt and how these attacks could alter U.S. diplomacy and future assistance.

Elliott Abrams says the killing of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and attack on U.S. mission in Cairo raise troubling questions about leadership of these two countries.

Two attacks on American diplomatic buildings in Cairo and Benghazi, Libya, illustrate the ugly bigotry of two sets of religious fundamentalists in different ends of the world.

President Morsi's reshuffling of top military ranks rebalances political power toward the civilian regime but may unsettle minorities who had hoped the military would check the power of the Muslim Brotherhood, says CFR's Steven Cook.

Hillary Clinton's trip highlights the diplomatic challenges ahead with Egypt as President Morsi and the military engage in a struggle for power, says expert Shadi Hamid.

Egypt's newly sworn in President Mohamed Morsi will have to tackle everything from setting a rocky economy back on course to combining reform efforts with placating a powerful military, says expert Daniel Brumberg.

In the wake of Egypt's tightly contested presidential election, this CFR Issue Guide provides expert analysis and essential background on the country's evolving political situation as the civilian leadership faces a growing power struggle with the military.