Egypt is burning (literally and physically) no body has an idea of what will happen if this continues….will Mubarak survive? Will the violence continue? Who will step up and make the right decision?
The first day that Egypt went into the streets of Cairo, I said that if it was sustained then next would be Jourdan and possibly Syria….I was right! (patting myself on the back…kudos all around)………now after 10 days and counting….the unknown factor in all this upheaval is….the Egyptian army…….the player to watch!
Why? Easy! They hold the ultimate power…….
Mubarak, the VP and the PM all have come from the military….but right now NO military commander has stepped up to insert himself into the fray……they are like the Brotherhood…they are waiting and watching…and eventually action will be taken……but in favor of whom? Now there is the $64 question……
In my opinion…it will most likely be a junior officer……the Army needs the US and its cash….and any decision to intervene will be made from that point……..democracy is Not the only concern here…..
The West needs to keep in mind……No-one with any knowledge of Egypt can forget that it was a coalition of such officers that came together in the post-war Free Officers Movement that overthrew King Farouq and led to the toppling of a succession of pro-British regimes.
Mubarak’s little speech on Tuesday was nothing more than a delaying tactic….eventually these people who are poor will have to return to their lives before the protests and then he (Mubarak) will have won his reprieve…..for now……but the Army can change the tone and complexion of the protests……..but only if there is a chance of success….no one is stupid!
All eyes turn to Cairo…and they wait…and they wait…and they wait……..
Yes, it’s something of a puzzle – what IS the army about? Which way will they jump in the end? Or are they solely waiting for and excuse to step in on their own or a third party’s behalf?
Or it could be that the Army has the best interests of the country at heart….we will have to wait and see….but I do not think we will wait too long……
It could be – as in Pakistan too??? I suspect that the army is ready to get behind the winner in the current struggle – unless it’s a radical group.
You are also probably right that they won’t sit on the fence indefinitely, or in fact for much longer for that matter…
There is a report that the Army has taken to protecting journalists….good call…..the big generals are in Mubarak’s butt that is why I say a junior officer……