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Egyptians approved a referendum on constitutional changes over the weekend and ushered in a new era in the country, which will begin with parliamentary and presidential elections. The old ruling party and the Muslim Brotherhood seem to have the advantage heading into elections, but that could all change in an instant.

The will of the people of Egypt prevailed with the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak on Friday. In the wake of his departure the Egyptian military is taking control of the government, with elections to be held in six months. The military dissolved parliament and suspended the constitution. As much as Mubarak's departure is a welcome sight for protesters, there is a growing concern about the military's role in the transition. At the same time, there are longstanding problems that the interim government will have to solve, including ongoing labor strikes, poverty and a tradition of corruption.

A massive crowd has filled the streets of Cairo on day 18 of Egypt's uprising. Thursday night, President Hosni Mubarak announced that he has no intentions of leaving office sparking rage among the crowds of demonstrators. For an analysis of what happens now is Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University, author of “Sowing Crisis: The Cold War and American Dominance in the Middle East” and “Palestinian Identity.”

This is the eighth edition of Wave of Change, a special podcast from The Takeaway, covering the mass protests in Egypt and the consequences for the wider Arab world, hosted by John Hockenberry with Celeste Headlee.

This episode was recorded shortly before President Hosni Mubarak announced that he was transferring some of his power to Vice President Omar Suleiman, but refused to step down. While protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square are furious now, before Mubarak spoke, the expected him to step down and were jubilant, thinking Mubarak was about to step down. We take you there with a BBC interview with one of the protesters. Also, a discussion with Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University, on how U.S. policy has affected and may continue to affect democracy in the Middle East. Plus, in an excerpt from today's Takeaway, a look at Omar Suleiman with Patrick Lang, retired Army colonel, former head of Middle East intelligence at the Defense Intelligence Agency, who has known Suleiman for 20 years.

After days of relatively peaceful demonstrations, a new voice has emerged in the Egypt as pro-Mubarak supporters took to the streets of Cairo yesterday. With Mubarak's supporters came the introduction of rocks, clubs, stones, knives and Molotov cocktails. The attacks did not come from the military, the disputes occurred between the two rivaling sides.

Clashes have broken out in Cairo's Tahrir Square between Pro-democracy and Pro-Mubarak demonstrators. The pro-Mubarak supporters that have taken to the streets are "incredibly aggressive" says New York Times columnist, Nicholas Kristof. There are questions as to whether they were organized and sent into the streets to incite violence.

History is unfolding in Egypt, as almost a week of popular protests threatens President Hosni Mubarak’s authoritarian regime. Some analysts say his regime is now in terminal decline. But Prof. Rashid Khalidi is warning that the president may still resort to violence to maintain power. 

Despite attempts to blog social media sites, pro-democracy demonstrations continue in Egypt. How is the activism spreading through Cairo and greater Egypt different from that in Tunisia in recent weeks, or Yemen in recent days? Joining us with analysis of the day's events in Egypt is Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University. 

Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University examines how U.S. policy has affected and may continue to affect democracy in the Middle East. He looks at the history of democracy in the Middle East from the invasion of Iraq, which he says, "set back the cause of democracy in the Arab world" to today's protests.

Between early spring and late fall of 1948, Arab Palestine was radically transformed. At the beginning of that year, Arabs constituted over two thirds of the population of the country, and were a majority in fifteen of the country’s sixteen sub-districts. Beyond this, Arabs owned nearly 90% of Palestine’s privately ...