Posted on 02/27/2011 11:26:43 AM PST by Nachum
After joyously toppling a dictator, protesters trusted the army to hold power until elections—but a vicious show of force this week has soured their faith. Ursula Lindsey reports from Cairo.
The warm relations between Egyptians protesters and their army are over. Military police and, reportedly, masked special forces violently broke up protests in downtown Cairo late Friday night. The attack—and ongoing reports of "disappearances" and abuse—has soured the once hopeful relations between the military and pro-democracy forces here.
The film director Ahmad Abdalla was in a group of several hundred protesters standing and chanting in front of the Egyptian parliament late Friday night. Military officers told the group it had to leave. "But we said no, we are here protesting peacefully," says Abdalla. Then, sometime after 2 a.m., "out of the blue they came, pushing us with machine guns. And they were shocking people with tasers. We started running and they kept running after us. Many people were kidnapped and beaten."
(Excerpt) Read more at thedailybeast.com ...
I was thinking the opposite. The Iranian military of 1979 let the Shah down, and their senior leaders paid a heavy price for it when Khomeini and the mullahs got control. I don't think the Egyptian military was ever going to let things get that far out of control. They wanted Mubarak & his family out. So did the demonstrators. Once this was accomplished the military was bound to turn on the demonstrators.
Do we know if the military, or parts of it, are not with the Muslim Brotherhood?
Are we sure who is with who in Egypt? Remeber, Iran just went through the Suez Canal. Would the military have allowed that?
Answer to first question is No.
Answer to second question No.
Answer to third question .. maybe
Hold on to your seat, this is far from over.
Thanks, I think, or could I revise that to Thanks ... maybe.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.