The trend, which has many causes, opens the door for the Obama administration to counter its waning leverage in the region by backing politicians and parties closer to U.S. interests, said U.S. and Arab officials. …
Egypt has been viewed here as the test case for Islamist rule since political rebellions broke out across the Arab world in 2011 and toppled long-serving strongmen in Cairo, Tunis and Yemen. …
More important, said U.S. officials and Mideast analysts, his government has proved itself incapable of addressing Egypt’s mounting financial woes. A hallmark of Mr. Morsi’s rule, they said, has been an unwillingness to work with Egyptian parties and politicians not linked to the Brotherhood, a factor driving this week’s mass protests.
“The idea that the Brotherhood could be a force for progressive change has been discredited in Egypt,” said Steven Cook, a Mideast expert at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member