Democracy in Mubarak's Egypt

Egypt is one of America's closest allies in the Middle East. The moderate Muslim country has long been the diplomatic lynchpin of the Arab World. It's also one of the most stable democracies in region.

But when examining the Arab world, what does "stable" really mean? Last week, an Egyptian court sentenced Saad Eddin Ibrahim, an internationally known human rights activist, to seven years hard labor. The Ibrahim case reflects a larger question working its way through Egyptian society: Has the development of a functioning civil society been sacrificed at the altar of political stability?

This hour: Egypt - From Alexandria to Aswan, a delicate democratic balance.

Guests:

Yussef Ibrahim - Senior Fellow, Middle East Studies and Manager of Strategic Planning for the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations

Larry P. Goodson - Director of Middle East Studies at the US Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania