ham fisted publicity stunts:
HRW, in prelude to the Mubarak BBQ down at the ranch, wanted Bush to publically insist on reform. Taking a self-served lesson from the one pathetic attempt at this two years ago (a "diplomatic shock" because it had never happened before, came unannounced, and might as well have been designed to fail, what with the Iraq war) - to which the response in Egypt was a sort of mock horror - today's softball conference resulted in nothing. Hence the "heavily promoted U.S. plan to foster democracy in the Middle East is dwindling into a modest reform agenda that seems unlikely to stimulate political breakthroughs in a region dominated by authoritarian regimes". I would suggest that it's difficult to dwindle from so degenerate an origin.
your turing test:
Oil for Nothing:US Holds On Humanitarian SuppliesIraq: 1997-2001
the good book and other cultural artifacts