Still waiting away in exile in rainy Naples. Much has happened the last week...the best event being Mubarak's resignation. I wish I could have been on the streets of Cairo last Friday. And as a former student of archaeology, I wish I could join the archaeologists protesting against Zahi Hawaas. It makes my day.
The way things are tending now I think my return will come shortly. The UN is returning to work Sunday and other countries have lifted their travel advisories. With all the money it is costing the State Department to have personnel evacuated, I hope they reassess the situation soon. I will refrain from further lamenting about what seems to be a lost chance at engagement on the ground in a critical time. But through my frustration I am still extremely happy for Egypt, though the battle for democracy is long from over.
Though this revolution was certainly not about the West or the United States, there is still a significant part to be played by the US and great potential on which to capitalize. Even if the US bumbled its way through articulating a stance on the events in Egypt, it was partially responsible for restraining the regime from the level of violence that could have occurred- not to diminish the level of violence that did take place and that I personally witnessed. The aid sent to the regime provided at least some leverage to the US. And it was nervous Israel, after all, who provided the regime with more supplies to suppress the protesters after the violence of 28 January.
The Egyptian military is walking a fine line at the moment and no one seems sure of their intentions. Some are optimistic, talking about meetings between the military and the youth, the suspension of the constitution, appointment of a constitutional committee, etc. But, as many have noted, suspending the constitution can be a double-edged sword. The emergency law is still in place. The military stated it intends for the constitution to be amended, not scrapped. This might, of course, be better in the transitional interim but it also vaguely smacks of a regime still trying to maintain control. And the Army has benefited from the regime and has always been intertwined with it. The million dollar question still is, as it has been for some days now, whether the Army will actually cede power to a civilian government or a transitional government. The military is still calling the shots on its own and not showing any signs of relinquishing to a truly representative transitional government...are they going to let go?
Hopefully powers that be in the US understand the momentum unleashed in Egypt. The people will not take a government that smacks of the old regime and I doubt they will take military rule as well. If progress is not adequate or real the people will not stand down. The US has to push the Egyptian military with what ability it has toward reform and implementation of a true democracy. The Egyptian military is dependent on US aid and the supply chain that comes with US equipment.
On the same note, the US should be prepared to deal with a much more dynamic and pluralistic Egypt. Stale interactions between a single regime and its military are not going to be sufficient. The US has an opportunity to "put its money where its mouth is" and actually support democracy. Though a democratic Egypt will surely be more resistant to direct US influence and goals, it will also be stable at the core. Outlets for political expression and divergent views will be available and what America always suggests as its number one enemy, extremism, will lose relevance and diminish. And, to be perfectly honest, there really is no other choice...it is going to happen.
The way things are tending now I think my return will come shortly. The UN is returning to work Sunday and other countries have lifted their travel advisories. With all the money it is costing the State Department to have personnel evacuated, I hope they reassess the situation soon. I will refrain from further lamenting about what seems to be a lost chance at engagement on the ground in a critical time. But through my frustration I am still extremely happy for Egypt, though the battle for democracy is long from over.
Though this revolution was certainly not about the West or the United States, there is still a significant part to be played by the US and great potential on which to capitalize. Even if the US bumbled its way through articulating a stance on the events in Egypt, it was partially responsible for restraining the regime from the level of violence that could have occurred- not to diminish the level of violence that did take place and that I personally witnessed. The aid sent to the regime provided at least some leverage to the US. And it was nervous Israel, after all, who provided the regime with more supplies to suppress the protesters after the violence of 28 January.
The Egyptian military is walking a fine line at the moment and no one seems sure of their intentions. Some are optimistic, talking about meetings between the military and the youth, the suspension of the constitution, appointment of a constitutional committee, etc. But, as many have noted, suspending the constitution can be a double-edged sword. The emergency law is still in place. The military stated it intends for the constitution to be amended, not scrapped. This might, of course, be better in the transitional interim but it also vaguely smacks of a regime still trying to maintain control. And the Army has benefited from the regime and has always been intertwined with it. The million dollar question still is, as it has been for some days now, whether the Army will actually cede power to a civilian government or a transitional government. The military is still calling the shots on its own and not showing any signs of relinquishing to a truly representative transitional government...are they going to let go?
Hopefully powers that be in the US understand the momentum unleashed in Egypt. The people will not take a government that smacks of the old regime and I doubt they will take military rule as well. If progress is not adequate or real the people will not stand down. The US has to push the Egyptian military with what ability it has toward reform and implementation of a true democracy. The Egyptian military is dependent on US aid and the supply chain that comes with US equipment.
On the same note, the US should be prepared to deal with a much more dynamic and pluralistic Egypt. Stale interactions between a single regime and its military are not going to be sufficient. The US has an opportunity to "put its money where its mouth is" and actually support democracy. Though a democratic Egypt will surely be more resistant to direct US influence and goals, it will also be stable at the core. Outlets for political expression and divergent views will be available and what America always suggests as its number one enemy, extremism, will lose relevance and diminish. And, to be perfectly honest, there really is no other choice...it is going to happen.
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