Democratization 04?

I hope the violent clashes taking place in Egypt stop and quickly since violent provocations are not exactly what will convince the Egyptian change seekers to go home. Egypt needs a peaceful transition into its future as well as a sense of open endedness as it creates that future.

Meanwhile other states in the Middle East are also reworking themselves politically. Thus, President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen, who has been in office 32 years just promised to not run for reelection in 2013 when is term comes to an end and is refraining from a dynastic move as well (but he promised before and may not be believable). In Jordan, King Abdullah II dismissed the government and appointed a new Prime Minister, Maruf Bakhit, who has been instructed to introduce political reform (which may or may not work to forestall planned demonstrations for Friday). And "Days of Rage" are being organized in Algeria and Syria.