Independent and opposition newspapers in Egypt refused to publish editions on Tuesday, as protests in response to Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s recent power grab and to the subsequent rushed constitutional draft approved by Egypt’s Islamist-dominated constitutional assembly. The crisis in political legitimacy – which began when Morsi issued a decree granting himself widespread powers and insulating himself from judicial review – has battered Egypt’s already-teetering economic and civil institutions. The chaos raises questions about the degree to which a Muslim Brotherhood-dominated Egypt can achieve sufficient stability to serve as a reliable American ally.

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