from Center for Preventive Action

Political Instability in Egypt

Contingency Planning Memorandum No. 4

August 1, 2009

Contingency Planning Memorandum
Contingency Planning Memoranda identify plausible scenarios that could have serious consequences for U.S. interests and propose measures to both prevent and mitigate them.

More on:

Egypt

Political Transitions

Conflict Prevention

Overview

Egypt is now entering a period of political transition with the expectation that President Hosni Mubarak's almost twenty-eight-year tenure will shortly come to an end. The transition will further weaken the capacity of the Egyptian government to manage economic, social, and foreign policy challenges, thus sharpening the potential for political instability. This Center for Preventive Action Contingency Planning Memorandum by Steven A. Cook assesses the possibility of a troubled leadership succession or an Islamist push for political power, the implications for the United States, and policy steps the U.S. government might take depending on what it determines as its broader policy objectives in Egypt.

More on:

Egypt

Political Transitions

Conflict Prevention

Top Stories on CFR

RealEcon

Policymakers face complex cost-benefit considerations when intervening in the market to mitigate perceived risks, from climate change to competition with China.

Ukraine

Nine charts illustrate the extraordinary level of support the United States has provided Ukraine in its war against Russian invaders.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

An impending Israeli ground invasion of Rafah could threaten more than a million civilians seeking refuge in the city and further restrict humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.