All Policy Analysis by Eric Trager

Egypt's strongman is cracking down ahead of the revolution's fifth anniversary, but the real threat he faces isn't from protests.

Although the group's vision for establishing an Islamist state in Egypt won't evaporate, the rigid internal discipline that defined its decisionmaking and mobilization is now a thing of the past.

Given the latest redistricting efforts and the absence of major Islamist opposition, the upcoming vote is set to produce a throwback parliament that is largely beholden to the president's camp.

Nearly 48 hours later, Mets fans are still reeling. Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley's filthy, far-to-the-right-of-the-bag slide into Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada during Saturday night's playoff game ended Tejada's postseason and could end his career, while the umpires' boobish mishandling of the ruling on the field cost the Mets the

The Obama administration should dispel the current uncertainty over the MFO's future by conferring with Egypt and Israel about how best to secure the peacekeepers, and by improving counterterrorism coordination in the Sinai.

As the Obama administration searches for ways to maintain deterrence in the Persian Gulf, this biannual military exercise represents a high-reward, low-risk option.

Cairo and Washington both see the upcoming dialogue as a means of signaling that political disagreements will not torpedo the core relationship anytime soon.

Despite the risk of instability posed by ongoing violence, the government's anti-Brotherhood focus is still a political winner and will likely remain so for some time.

Washington should avoid engaging an organization that calls for "jihad" and "martyrdom" in fighting a strategic ally.

The movement's young leaders are turning to explicitly violent 'revolutionary' tactics in order to stay relevant, but they are escalating a fight they are unlikely to win.

Although the Obama administration is right to be concerned about Egypt's domestic political trajectory, conditioning the bilateral strategic relationship on Cairo's progress toward democracy will only make matters worse under the current circumstances.

By canceling a weapons financing system that had long served as a signal of Egypt's privileged relationship with Washington, the president might have closed the book on any chance for closer ties during his term.

Cairo's entry into the conflict represents an important opportunity to clarify U.S. policy toward Egypt, improve tense bilateral relations, and bolster Gulf security interests.