Riots In Egypt: Mubarak Steps Down and President Obama Responds
February 11, 2011
Diane W. Collins
dcollins@marketingweb.com
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Pres. Obama Responds Will Obama Act Like Carter or Reagan? |
Cairo - Riots and violence in the streets over the past eighteen days brought protesters their desired result... the resignation of Pres. Hosni Mubarak. Vice President Suleiman made the announcement today in Cairo saying Mubarak had left the palace in Cairo and stepped down.
Tahrir Square erupted with jubilation as a long suppressed people rejoiced at what is hoped to be new found freedom. However, many outside Egypt continue to reflect back on the 1979 deposing of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in Iran as well as the 2009 Iranian Presidential election and the Green Revolution. As I've mentioned, déjà vu with regard to these two preceding events is not what we'd like to see.
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President Hosni Mubarak Resigns |
The protesters claim their "candidate will come from the people." We hope so. But the Muslim Brotherhood may attempt to bring about an Islamic fundamentalist regime in Egypt as they did in Iran, overtaking what many believe is a moderate Egyptian proletariat looking for better economic conditions and more participation in their government.
President Mubarak and VP Suleiman from all reports are not running the government in Egypt anymore. The responsibility is said to have fallen to the military, specifically a military council which plans to govern with Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi as its head. The protesters are happy with this. The Brotherhood is not. If the military is able to maintain order and return Egypt to an acceptable level of stability, the democratic process may be able to grow resulting in free elections with multiple candidates and parties represented. If radical elements are able to re-introduce violence into the equation they will push the military to respond. It will be used as propaganda. And, we will have a situation where fear could draw Egyptians to what others have reported as "the world they know..." Islam. It is at that point the Muslim Brotherhood will seize their opportunity. Watch for the rise of Mohamed ElBaradei.
President Obama is at a crossroads. Conservatives are watching very closely. Will he do as Reagan did when the Berlin Wall fell? Will the US send in the same type of support teaching Egyptians how to establish and protect their new found freedom? Or will Obama "sit on his hands" like Carter leaving the protesters to their own devices. What Obama does for Egypt in the immediate future will reveal his true nature. Is Obama really the centrist he currently attempts to project or the radical ideologue we've had to deal with over the past two years. More than Egypt lies in the balance.
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