Day 254

Obama in Egypt

President Obama will give what could be one of the most important speeches of his presidency on Thursday when he addresses the relationship between the United States and Muslims.

In his speech, to the University of Cairo, he will hope to break with the hostility of recent years and set a new tone designed not only to isolate the extremists of al-Qaeda and the Taliban, but to re-establish the understanding America gained on 9/11 and lost in Iraq.

The Egyptian Moment

Cairo takes center stage in negotiations for a Gaza cease fire as a senior Israeli defense official goes to hear Hama's response to an Egyptian-mediated plan to bring peace to the troubled region.  Hamas favors a non-amended proposal by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak calling for "immediate cease-fire and acceptance of withdrawal". The smuggling of arms to Gaza through the Egyptian border has been a constant concern and is central to Israeli conditions.