Crisis in Cairo?

As we all know from the news stories coming out of Cairo and Egypt, the government of Murarak is on the verge of collapse as protesters have taken to the streets in mass. It is too soon to tell what will happen and not if but when the military decides that enough is enough and steps in to put a stop to the violence. I wonder what the outcome of Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Clinton's influence's will be on whether or not the United States can calm down a rapidly deteriorating situation.