Foreign governments, which supported Mr Abdallahi's government as a bulwark of stability against the perceived threat of Islamist extremists in the Sahel, the swathe of Africa just to the south of the Sahara desert, reacted angrily.
The Mubarak regime may risk its own domestic stability it if is perceived as supporting Israel since the overwhelming majority of Egyptians are hateful toward Israel and Jews.
As elsewhere, the subordination of respect for human rights, self-determination and democracy to the perceived need to "preserve the territorial integrity" of Iraq has not enhanced the prospects for long-term stability.