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| credit: UK Guardian |
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UK Guardian reports in live blogs from the Middle East that Egypt's democracy supporters are planning another huge rally in Tahrir Square on Friday. Some see the rally as an opportunity to remember those who lost their lives in the revolution (count now 365) while others take it as a reminder to the military council of its promise to establish a sustainable democratic republic. The military has issued communiques calling for an end to civil unrest. The question becomes: will it resort to force* to reestablish order in the country, or continue the official policy of restraint and make the transition to civil rule as quickly as possible? After seeing the possible, a wave of democratic protest has spread from Tunisia and Libya to Bahrain and Yemen in a region dominated by repressive regimes. The protest in Bahrain seems the most organized, complete with a "media center" near the protest epicenter, Pearl Roundabout. Thousands gathered for the funeral of Bahrainian martyr
Fadhel Al Matrook.
[photo] Yemen's smaller protests have reportedly been broken by pro-government mobs bused in for the purpose.
*The Guardian further reports that the military was not completely non-violent during the street demonstrations. Witnesses says there were extensive beatings by the military in an organized campaign of intimidation. Families are now searching for missing relatives who have disappeared into Army custody. Another report by the UK Telegraph quoting a Wikileaks cable says the FBI trained Egyptian secret police at its facility in Quantico, Virginia. The SSIS established by Gamal Nasser has been accused of torture and unlimited detention for decades. After the homeland terror attacks, Egypt became a "destination of choice" for terror suspects in the CIA's infamous rendition program. Egypt acknowledged in 2005 the US transported 60 to 70 detainees there since 2001.
{15.02.11}Update: BBC
reports that the ruling Egyptian military council set a deadline of 10 days for completing constitutional reforms. The reform committee set up by the military is composed of legal experts, but a senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood is also on the committee. Minor strikes and demonstrations continue in the country, and they are taking a toll on the economy.
{14.02.11} As crowds continue to celebrate their victory over the dictator throughout the country, leaders of the democratic movement face a dilemma: do they accept at face value the
elderly generals' public statements to eventually return to civilian rule in a multiparty democracy, or do they continue protests on a smaller scale before the world to insure their demands are met? Saturday, on state TV, the military council asked the Mubarak government to stay on until a new one was formed. Chair of the military council, Army Chief of Staff Hussein Tantawi, is a close friend of deposed President Hosni Mubarak and described in
Wikileaks cables as
"aged and change resistant" and "supremely concerned with national unity". Mubarak left Cairo shortly after his resignation on Friday to travel to the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh where he has a residence. He is estimated to have amassed a family fortune of
$70 billion built largely during his career as an air force officer. The fortune is believed to be deposited in Swiss banks and invested in western real estate. Three of his senior officials have been banned from leaving the country pending an unspecified investigation according to Egyptian state television.
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Many demonstrators have left Tahrir Square, but a hard core of democrats remain after eighteen days of mass demonstrations and battles against counter revolutionaries. They resisted being moved from the square by solidiers on Sunday. Volunteers and municipal workers are clearing the streets of debris. According to
observers normality is returning to parts of the city not directly affected by the protests. Some democracy leaders are calling for periodic demonstrations until elections are held in support of a truly democratic Egypt. Most demonstrators seem to support the military's intervention in the name of national preservation. But the military, which removed the king in 1952 and has provided every Egyptian president since, has a vested interest in the political status quo. It runs many business interests besides defending the nation. Whether it can successfully play mid-wife to the birth of Egyptian democracy is
open to question.
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| credit: Deghati/AP |
The military establishment receives generous US military aid. The aid could be used as a carrot or stick to motivate the generals into swift action to re-establish civilian rule if the American administration were so inclined. Egyptian military officers have formed many cordial personal relationships with their American counterparts as the result of training, weapons sales, and officer exchange programs. These relationships could be a source of significant democratic influence on the ruling generals' thinking. Only time will tell if Egypt is headed towards the democracy its people want so much. A positive sign is that the generals have suspended the current one-man constitution, dissolved an enfeebled parliament, and called for elections in six months as requested by democrats. But Egypt is still under emergency rule and the
military's power is unchecked. Furthermore, efforts at constitutional amendment are under control of the military council, not the political opposition. The council has promised to submit a new constitution to a popular referendum. Meanwhile, the stock market is scheduled to open on Wednesday. It has been closed since January 28th.
