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And the following from another website:

Mubarak has been a strong ally to the west for about 30-yrs—something quite extraordinary in that region.

You are right, the US should have handled better, like perhaps quietly approaching Mubarak and twisting his arm, so to speak, “asking” him to step down and work to ensure the Egyptian population and opposition know he was leaving and because of his compassion, working a transition plan to ensure a peaceful transfer of power.

The US should also have helped with his decision to leave by finding him a safe and secure home where he could enjoy his retirement years, protected from the pesky UK lefty-academics chasing after him, clutched in their hands annoying World Court warrants.

Funny thing, we wish all these despots and dictators to leave but yet, when they do they are pursued relentlessly. Kind of like what was done to Pinochet. If anything, pursuing Pinochet gave strong justification for despots and dictators around the world (Castro, Mugabe, for example) to remain in power indefinitely because if they gave-up power, they would then no longer enjoy the immunity protections offered heads of state. . .but I digress.

Mubarak is needed to ensure we have a relatively peaceful transition in Egypt. If he were to just abandon Egypt, walk away today, then the vacuum created would embroil Egypt for years (decades?) in a struggle between the various factions vying for power and influence, with the Muslim brotherhood holding the upper hand. The MB would hold the upper hand not for reasons of popularity but for reasons of fear. The MB is not known to hold-back when it comes to murdering the opposition, and while most Egyptians embrace the “western” value of capitalism, they also like to be alive to enjoy the benefits of it. While they may be unbridled capitalists in their street-vendor rug merchant ways, they are also pragmatic when it comes to decisions that may affect their personal survival.

The US could have brokered his departure in a less public (less embarrassing) way. A aggressive behind the scenes engagement would have worked, IMHO, as Mubarak is tired and was grooming Gamal. . .he just needed a firm but gentle push to the door. (Wikileaks, call your office for an important message on why private diplomatic communications should remain, well, private).

The US could have then called in the walking cadaver, Jimmuh Carter, to chair international over-sight of the elections.

Of course, the Egyptian military would be in place to protect the population as they went to the polls.

Imagine the visual of the Egyptian military protecting the population as it peacefully voted for a new government. That would be extraordinary to behold. A military in the middle-east acting as the honest-broker, protecting the people as they exercise their right to vote, ensuring a peaceful transition in an Islamic country. . . wow.

Not that anyone would give credit to the US for such an event, or give credit today to the US for the restraint of the Egyptian military. Truthfully, I am tired of the uninformed prattle of the media and other pundits when it comes to aid granted by the US to the Egyptians. The uninformed gnash their collective teeth, cry about the US supporting an oppressive regime while at the same time these same pundits willfully ignore the success those billions produced when it comes to the most stable influence in Egypt today—the military. Not only did FMF contribute greatly to the peace process in the middle-east, it gave us an Egyptian military with a strong westernized approach to domestic pol-mil relations.

At one time I was involved for many years in helping administer billions of FMF for the Egyptians, as well as (post USG service) an independent consultant and speechwriter for senior Egyptian military personnel. I know them, as nothing puts you in their mind better than trying to put words in their mouth. So it is with (I think) informed conviction that I say the Egyptian military is truly the stabilizing factor in Egypt because of US involvement these past 30-yrs. Of equal importance was Mubarak’s support for the US. We may have bought his support but there is no denying Mubarak’s support of the US (and FMF funds) presented an opportunity to shape and grow the most stabilizing influence today in Cairo—the Egyptian military.

Absent US involvement and Mubarak’s support, the events in Egypt would be far more bloody and less certain. Imagine the response if for the last 30-yrs the Soviets/Russians held sway over the military’s education and training.