Egypt's Protests and the Significance of Cairo's Stability

Protests continued in Egypt on Jan. 26, though there were fewer protesters in the streets than on the previous day. Protests alone will not bring down the Mubarak government, but they create a sense of disorder that the military or opposition groups could use to destabilize Cairo. Such destabilization — especially if it results in regime change, and especially as Cairo is preparing for a leadership change but has no set succession plan — would have implications in the Middle East and beyond.