".. Arab rulers believe Mubarak is the 'last dike holding back the flood' of change .."

"... There are three “nails” holding the Egyptian President in place for the time being. The first is Mubarak’s personal motives; as a man who has enjoyed power for decades...
The second nail is Mubarak’s circle of friends, individuals who have managed to acquire many assets by virtue of being close to him....
The third nail is the sum of interventions, admissible or otherwise, intended to keep Mubarak in office. Presidents and monarchs of various Arab states see in the fall of Mubarak’s regime a catalyst of their own demise. Perhaps the huge number of phone calls Mubarak has received from Arab leaders urging him to stand firm is evidence that these rulers believe Mubarak is the last dike holding back the flood of popular power. Should Mubarak succumb, the Arab leaders realise that such a flood will not stop at Egypt’s borders but will inundate many an Arab state whose rulers have resorted to all forms and means of governance except for democratic ones...."