It is now time for Mr. Mubarak, 82, to go, and President Barack Obama should say so clearly. In order to preserve an American reputation for not being just a fair-weather friend and to maintain relations with other such leaders, the United States should offer Mr. Mubarak refuge, making it clear that it is a means of helping Egyptians find a felicitous, non-violent solution.
The Egyptian army can then preserve order, as it has traditionally, until early, free and democratic elections can be held to choose Mr. Mubarak’s successor.
This is exactly the template the US took under Jimmy Carter concerning the Shah of Iran. By abandoning Mubarek and giving him refuge we both create a power vacuum and then command instant hostility by whoever takes Mubarek’s place. I sincerely hope we have learned something from the Iran debacle.