Deeper Tensions Behind Egyptian-Saudi Spat

The arrest and sentencing of an Egyptian human rights lawyer by a Saudi court for allegedly smuggling prescription drugs has escalated into a diplomatic spat between Cairo and Riyadh. On April 27, Egyptian activists protested the sentencing of the attorney, chanting insults directed at Saudi King Abdullah outside the Saudi Embassy in Cairo and consulates in Alexandria and Suez. The Saudi government recalled its ambassador in response April 28, and Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has since made a concerted effort to calm tensions with Saudi Arabia and encourage the Saudi ambassador's return to Cairo. Though financial concerns are driving Egypt to quickly heal this rift, the diplomatic dispute exposes much deeper political tensions in the region over the role of Islamism in politics and how the threat it poses to existing regimes should be managed.