This in itself would be a momentousevent, marking the first time in Egypt that a reasonably free presidential election had been held, producing a head of state legitimised by the popular will, albeit in a polarised society.
But the Cheonan incident also comes at a time when influential voices in America, China and South Korea are starting to worry that none of the countries involved has a contingency plan to cope with an even more momentous event such as a sudden collapse of the regime.