Egyptian Army Faces Difficult Choice as Situation Deteriorates

James Phillips / January 30, 2011

Tensions on the streets of Cairo continue to rise. Looters have taken advantage of the widespread disappearance of the reviled police to smash and grab what they can. Gangs have attacked prisons to release Muslim militants held there along with hundreds of common criminals, who have added to the chaos. The Egyptian army, which was welcomed yesterday by the teeming crowds of protesters in Cairo, has sought to restore order, but it is ill-equipped to handle the growing chaos triggered by the massive protests. Today, the military command dispatched two jet fighters and a helicopter to fly low over the city in a show of force that has raised the hackles of many opposition protesters.

The military’s ambiguous actions and President Hosni Mubarak’s effort to salvage his regime by naming intelligence chief Omar Suleiman as Vice President and Ahmed Shafik as the new Prime Minister have done little to propitiate the angry protesters.

The Obama Administration has urged Egypt’s top military leaders to exercise restraint in their efforts to restore public order. The top ranks of the armed services, hand-picked by President Mubarak (the former head of the Air Force), appear to remain loyal to the regime. But there may be a growing schism between senior officers and many of the troops on the streets, who have reportedly embraced the protesters while protecting public buildings. (more…)