Egypt had to take the democracy path - Amir Taheri, Gulf News

The impression that Egypt was not ready to ditch the one-party system was further reinforced when the state-owned media in Cairo presented a negative account of the Iraqi election and claimed that such elections in the Arab world would lead to civil war.

Pressure from US

So, what happened that changed Mubarak's mind in so dramatic a manner?
Critics of the Egyptian government claim that the volte-face came under heavy pressure from Washington.

Last January President George W. Bush publicly called on Egypt to move towards democracy. And last month US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice cancelled a trip to Cairo as a protest against the imprisonment of Ayman Nour, a leading dissident.

For over 60 years the United States policy in the Middle East was designed to perpetuate the status quo.

Is it clear Washington made a convincing and credible threat to cut off the money that Mabarek uses to create his political base (and fuels resentment of the US among his opponents)? Rice cancelling one trip is by itself not be sufficient. What did happen? Was it those words in Bush's State of the Union Address? The contagion of minds switching to thinking democracy can happen here? Are words, and symbols, and of a change in spirit enough?