"A president of the United States cannot say something crosses a red line and then go on conducting business as usual," writes Richard N. Haass.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon released two statements on August 21, 2013, after reports of chemical weapons being used in Syria. Ambassador Maria Cristina Perceval of Argentina, UN Security Council President for August, spoke at the same press conference.

Max Boot argues that suspending military assistance would likely have little effect on the Egyptian generals' actions, but it would give the U.S. more credibility on the subject of human rights.

"World-weary exhaustion in Washington seems to be taking even energetic diplomatic engagement off the table," reports Gayle Tzemach-Lemmon.

"Cutting off aid is the only serious way to tell the Egyptian military that its current conduct is beyond the pale," writes Elliott Abrams.

Growing splits between Islamists and secularists in Egypt augur a sustained period of confrontation and unrest, says expert Jon B. Alterman.

Al Jazeera America arrives on the U.S. cable TV scene in a bid to win goodwill and market share through an increasingly rare news-heavy format, says expert William Youmans.

Since the 1953 death of Saudi Arabia's eponymous founder, King Abdul-Aziz bin Saud, the country has been ruled by his sons. There will eventually be a shift in power to the next generation, but despite—or perhaps because of—the turmoil spreading across the region, that shift does not appear imminent.

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"It seems now that [Egypt's] main relevance in regional and global affairs is as a potential source of trouble. Its combination of instability, corruption and ineptitude makes Egypt fertile soil for radicalism and Islamist militancy. And Washington should treat it as such. It should stop pretending Egypt is an important player in Arab affairs, and pay more attention to countries that are."

Washington should temper its push for democracy in Egypt and the wider Mideast, focusing more on helping transitional states govern responsibly and peaceably, says CFR's Charles Kupchan.

Les Gelb writes, "the Obama team, on a private basis, has to help the military and the moderates frame a viable plan and process for establishing democracy in Egypt, and start implementing it as soon as possible."

"The Islamic Republic may not be the radical actor it was in the 1980s, but neither is it a state ruled by modest men who happen to drape themselves in clerical garb," writes Ray Takeyh

The promise of a democratic Egypt faces its starkest challenge yet as a military crackdown on Islamist protestors threatens to unhinge the transition process. This Issue Guide provides background and analysis.

Ed Husain calls for ousted Egyptian president Morsi's resignation.

President Barack Obama gave this statement on August 15, 2013, regarding the violent clashes in Egypt between protestors that support Mohammed Morsi and the security forces that replaced him.

If "democracy" is achieved when governments rule by consent through free and fair elections, then some of the world's largest Muslim nations are democratic: Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Turkey. In the Arab world, experiments to achieve democratic governance are underway in Iraq, Lebanon, and Tunisia, and are beginning in earnest in Egypt. Arguably, Pakistan has just witnessed its first democratic transition of power.

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"The Obama administration must now make the long overdue move to suspend American assistance until Egypt's government demonstrates a return to a political process," writes Isobel Coleman.

Ed Husain answers the question "is this the end of the Arab Spring?"

Steven Cook presents a revisionist account of Egypt's uprising and argues that a robust regime change has actually never taken place, as solidified by the recent repression of Muslim Brotherhood opposition forces.

Beyond its borders, Qatar has championed revolution, public protest and demands for democracy around the region.