".. The US & the Regime working together to prevent an immediate thrust of the 'opposition' into power.."

"... "This makes changing the regime much more difficult," said Issandr Al-Amrani, political analyst and Arab blogger. "The challenge for those in the opposition, whether it's the Muslim Brotherhood or ElBaradei, is to convince the people without the benefit of state TV or any media" that a quick regime change would be better for the country than the prolonged transition that Mr. Mubarak seemed to outline.....
While the swelling protests have raised the pressure on Mr. Mubarak, U.S. officials have played an increasingly prominent role in his deliberations over the past two days. The U.S. is Egypt's most important ally, providing the country more than $1 billion in foreign aid last year.... With the prospect of Mr. Mubarak remaining in office until the fall, the U.S. and Egyptian regime appeared to be working together to try to ensure a transition that wouldn't immediately thrust opposition groups into positions of power...."