Barrett Buchanan – The Corsair
After 18 days of grueling protests in Tahrir Square in downtown Egypt, protesters have finally gained their freedom from the Mubarak regime. Crowds in the tens of thousands gathered to celebrate the victory that they have won for themselves through the sweat, tears, and blood of many Egyptian people.
Now that Hosni Mubarak has stepped down from his position of power in Egypt, the military is filling the temporary void of leadership that comes from the authoritarian Mubarak vacancy. However, many questions have arisen from this unstable victory. Will Egyptian political groups be able to get organized enough by the September elections, and will there even be an election in September?
Many people fear that the fanatical group, The Muslim Brotherhood, will be the only group organized enough to win an election in Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood, currently an illegal group in Egypt, is known to be fanatical Muslims with a membership list to include Osama Bin Laden among other extreme Muslims that are supportive of Al Qaeda. Many politicians fear that this is the opportunity The Muslim Brotherhood has been waiting for to take over in Egypt.
Another opportunity provided by this event is that of the military remaining in the position it now has as yet another power over the people of Egypt. As of now, the Egyptian Army is stating that they are not looking to maintain their position of power, but that they want a free and true democracy as do the people of Egypt.
Additional consideration is the outcome of the peace treaty with Israel and how the change of power will affect the efforts included in the treaty. The 18-member supreme council of the armed forces has assured the people the treaty is to remain in place.
Omar Suleiman, Vice President and former Chief of Intelligence, although part of the Mubarak regime, appears from his statements to support a free democracy for the Egyptian people. Suleiman has not committed to a position as of Presidential candidate, but there is suspicion that his hat may indeed be placed in the ring.
This is going to be a long road for the people of Egypt, for many of them have never seen a government other than the Mubarak regime, which lasted three decades. The tasks ahead of the people of Egypt will be vast as they seek to implement a new President through a process many have never participated in. In the months to come we could see power struggles, more protests, or even a civil war come from the sudden shift of power.
While we sit back and hope for the best, no one can truly claim to know what is to come. Though one thing that we do know is that Egypt is the trend setter for the Middle East, and we can expect to see whatever comes from this to follow in surrounding areas. Several countries in the Middle East have begun to rise up, due largely to seeing the Egyptian people win the first fight for their freedom.
Many of the leaders of the youth movement, which over threw the Mubarak regime, feel that the leaders whom have taken charge of the situation are really trying to meet the concerns and needs of the Egyptian people. They say that they will be watching the actions of the new leaders very closely. One youth movement leader was quoted as saying “They have definitely started to offer us what we wanted.”
The military is also on careful watch to go after anyone who is corrupt, no matter their prior or current position in the Egyptian government. They have won the hearts and faith of the Egyptian people. Not only have the actions of the military since the fall of the dictator been to the peoples favor, even during the uprising, the military has been hesitant to use the usual brutal force that the Mubarak regime demanded them to use.
Now standing hand in hand with the youth movement and the people of Egypt, the police have become a supporter of the revolution. After enormous scrutiny from the members of the movement, the police have said that the actions they had taken were from the top leaders and that they were merely following orders. They have expressed deep regrets for what has happened in the past and hope to move forward with a positive outlook for the future.
As this situation unfolds, opinions will vary in the United States, as well as throughout the world as governments make decisions on involvement. Many feel as a democratic nation, the United States should aid and support the people of Egypt. Others have the opinion that the United States, as well as other world powers, should let the people of Egypt fight their own battle and manage their affairs the way they see fit.
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