Here's How The US Told Hosni Mubarak He Was Done

It's always a difficult task, telling your friend that he no longer has the support of the United States government.

Harder still when your friend has been a stalwart ally across three decades and done a lot of messy "rendition" work that your country wanted done but didn't want to do.

When a task like this arises, the list of people who can handle it flawlessly is.....short.

At the top of that short list is Frank Wisner, the veteran diplomat and former Ambassador to Egypt (1986-1991), a man who has served his country with great distinction over decades.

Ambassador Wisner arrived in Cairo yesterday to begin the process of removing his old friend Hosni Mubarak from office. The State Department denied that this was the purpose of Amb. Wisner's visit, saying that he was there to "enter a dialogue," etc., etc.

But that's why he's there.