Arthur Hulnick, a 35-year veteran of the intelligence profession, mostly with the CIA

Contact 617-353-8978, ahulnick@bu.edu

Joseph Wippl, a 30-year CIA veteran

Contact 617-353-8992, jwippl@bu.edu

August Richard Norton, International relations professor; Middle East specialist and a member of the Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group; Author of “Hezbollah: A Short History”

Contact 617-353-7808, arn@bu.edu, Twitter: @arnorton

Adil Najam, International relations professor; Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future; Expert on Pakistan and Middle East politics

Contact 617-358-4002, anajam@bu.edu, Twitter: @adilnajam

Charles Dunbar, International relations professor; Former U.S. ambassador to Yemen

Contact 617-353-5633, cfdunbar@bu.edu

Robert Zelnick, Journalism professor; Former ABC News foreign correspondent; Regular contributor to PoliticoArena

Contact 617-353-5007, bzelnick@bu.edu

Tom Whalen, associate professor of Social Sciences; an expert on modern American politics and the American presidency; regular contributor to PoliticoArena

Contact 617-353-4785, tjw64@bu.edu

Tom Fiedler, Dean of the College of Communication; a former executive editor of the Miama Herald and an expert on American politics; regular contributor to PoliticoArena

Contact 617-353-3488, tfiedler@bu.edu, Twitter: @BUCOMDEAN

Augustus Richard Norton is a Middle East specialist, author of “Hezbollah: A Short History,” an advisor to the Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study group, and director of the BU Institute for Iraqi Studies:

“This is an important development, particularly during a period when the military has been showing less tolerance for demonstrators and critics.

“Among the trio being questioned, it is the son ‘Alaa who may be the most vulnerable.  He is notorious in Egypt for inserting himself as a silent and unwanted partner in a number of businesses.

“It remains to be seen how far the public prosecutor will go with the investigation, but if the immunity of Egyptian autocrats and their families is eroded then this really would be revolutionary.”

Contact  617-353-7808, arn@bu.edu, Twitter @arnorton

Charles Dunbar, who in four decades as a diplomat, served as a U.N. Secretary-General Special Representative, head of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul during the Soviet occupation, and was U.S. ambassador to Qatar and Yemen:

“Those who threw Mr. Mubarak et filii from the sleigh may be a bit concerned as to how things will go for them on judgment day. It might have been better to leave the fate of the Mubarak family’s over-achievement to a popularly elected government.”

Contact 617-353-5633, cfdunbar@bu.edu

Augustus Richard Norton, International relations professor; Middle East specialist and a member of the Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group; Author of “Hezbollah: A Short History”

Contact 617-358-7808, arn@bu.edu, Twitter @arnorton

Charles Dunbar, International relations professor; Former U.S. ambassador to Yemen

Contact 617-353-5633, cfdunbar@bu.edu

Joseph Wippl, International relations professor; a 30-year CIA veteran

Contact 617-353-8992, jwippl@bu.edu

Michael Corgan, International relations professor; a specialist in international security with extensive government service in political and military planning (especially NATO)

Contact 617-353-3553, mcorgan@bu.edu

William Keylor, International relations professor; Author of  “A World of Nations: The International Order Since 1945″

Contact 617-358-0197, wrkeylor@bu.edu

Robert Zelnick, Journalism professor; Former ABC News foreign correspondent; Regular contributor to PoliticoArena

Contact 617-353-5007, bzelnick@bu.edu

Augustus Richard Norton, International relations professor; Middle East specialist and a member of the Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group; Author of “Hezbollah: A Short History”

Contact 617-353-7808, arn@bu.edu, Twitter: @arnorton

Adil Najam, International relations professor; Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future;  Expert on Pakistan and Middle East politics

Contact 617-358-4002, anajam@bu.edu, Twitter: @adilnajam

Charles Dunbar, International relations professor; Former U.S. ambassador to Yemen

Contact 617-353-5633, cfdunbar@bu.edu

Stephen Kinzer, International relations professor; Former award winning New York Times foreign correspondent; Author of “Reset: Iran, Turkey and America’s Future”

Contact 617-358-6240, skinzer@bu.edu

Joseph Wippl, International relations professor; a 30-year CIA veteran

Contact 617-353-8992, jwippl@bu.edu

Robert Zelnick, Journalism professor; Former ABC News foreign correspondent; Regular contributor to PoliticoArena

Contact 617-353-5007, bzelnick@bu.edu

Farouk El-Baz, Research professor & Director of the Center for Remote Sensing; Expert in Middle East current events

Contact 617-353-9709, farouk@bu.edu

“The resignation of General Ahmed Shafiq as prime minister does not come as a surprise. He was appointed in Mubarak’s last tenuous days in power, and it was quite obvious that so long as he remained in place he would be constant provocation to the mobilized opposition.

“While this necessary step is welcome, it would be far more important to see a lifting of the emergency decree that has for three decades provided a rationale for arbitrary arrests, political repression, and a license for political malfeasance and corruption cloaked in security.

“Notwithstanding the inspiring ‘revolution’ in Egypt, a revolution has not occurred. The military remains in power, as it has been for decades, and it has until now only made concessions at the margins of its power and privilege. As many Eqyptians are now coming to understand, their revolution actually remains to be realized.”

Contact Augustus Richard Norton, 617-353-7808, arn@bu.edu, Twitter: @arnorton

“I think what we’re going to see here is a fragmentation of political authority. I don’t think Gadhafi’s going to be able to hang on for the long haul and I think this could drag out for weeks and maybe even a month of two.”

Watch the full interview.

Contact Augustus Richard Norton, 617-353-7808, arn@bu.edu

“The military has taken power, but in reality the military has — ever since the 1952 coup — held the balance of power in Cairo.

“The Egyptian military has always lurked in the shadows of the Egyptian regime. The levers of influence were seldom exposed to view. Yet, when senior civilian politicos, such as Osama al-Baz, reflected on the regime and its prospects for reform, they often pointed to the powerful role of the generals and vetoes they held in their back pockets. For years, as expectations grew that Hosni Mubarak’s son Gamal would succeed his father, it was the military veto that thwarted him.

“Now the power of the generals is in the spotlight. There are some reasons to be optimistic: the army generally showed commendable discipline in its response to the last three weeks of demonstrations, and the demonstrators — whether intuitively or shrewdly — embraced the soldiers; the officer corp is highly professional, promotions are based on merit not connections, and no officer or soldier wishes to be seen as an oppressor of the nation that it is pledged to defend; a skilled group of oppositon figures is poised to negotiate a transition, and the Ikhwan have wisely forges concensus with the non-Islamist elements while also remaining in the background; and, the actions are misactions of the military will be in full international view.

“Nonetheless, the senior officers have a big stake in the existing system, not the least econmic interests. In retirement, many senior officers move to industries dominated by the military, and others move into the thriving private sector. But many others infiltrate the civilian branches of government. They will want to protect their perorgatives. The military leadership will prove cautious about dramatic changes, and they will be nervous about permitting a powerful civilian government to challenge their privileges, or hold officers accountable for their misdeeds. The deep suspicion of the Ikhwan will not be erased, so the generals will want to be assured that the Ikhwan (still an illegal entity) will gain no more than a marginal role in politics.

“When Presidential elections are held, you can be sure that the military will have satisfied itself that its interests will not be jeopardized. It is to early to determine who all the contenders for the Presidency will be, but it is now clear that Amre Mossa is a front runner. He is widely respected, and indeed, is a man of integrity. He was the popular Foreign Minister of Egypt, so popular that Mubarak that “promoted” him to become Secretary General of the Arab League in order to keep him well distant from Egyptian politics. But a lot may happen in a year of transition, and many secrets will be exposed, so keep your bets in your pocket for now.”

Contact Augustus Richard Norton, 617-353-7808, arn@bu.edu

Charles Dunbar, International relations professor; Former U.S. ambassador to Yemen.

Contact 617-353-5633, cfdunbar@bu.edu

Augustus Richard Norton, International relations professor; Middle East specialist and a member of the Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group; Author of “Hezbollah: A Short History”

Contact 617-353-7808, arn@bu.edu

Joseph Wippl, International relations professor; a 30-year CIA veteran

Contact 617-353-8992, jwippl@bu.edu 

Robert Zelnick, Journalism professor; Former ABC News foreign correspondent; Regular contributor to PoliticoArena

Contact 617-353-5007, bzelnick@bu.edu

Farouk El-Baz, Research professor & Director of the Center for Remote Sensing; Expert in Middle East current events

Contact 617-353-9709, farouk@bu.edu