“MEPI’s demise is indicative of a broader backing off from supporting civil society and falling back into the old pattern of not antagonizing old allies.”
There has always been an uneasy balance between democracy promotion and geo-politics in the US’s Middle East policy. When Mubarak fell from power, the US sided with the opposition, giving him a firm push. Now with geo-politics and the war on terror back on the agenda, they have no problem with Sisi, who is little more than Mubarak-light.
http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/10/united-states-middle-east-democracy-program.html
IR Theory & Practice 