Egypt's Military Uses Force

The Daily Beast ^ | 2/27/11 | Ursula Lindsey

[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."

[Free Vulcan]

Be careful what you wish for...

[johniegrad]

This story does not appear to be over by a long shot. Unfortunately, its difficult to predict any happy endings.

[dforest]

Could anyone act shocked?

[Christian Engineer Mass]

"people were kidnapped and beaten"

Let's take that heresay with a pinch of salt, for now.

Egypt's military may be Egypt's best hope for a non-totalitarian future.

If Egypt falls to these "protestors" they are guaranteed to get an islamic dictatorship.

Thoughts for the day

• Republicans win in 2012. They are going to try very hard to force an insider candidate like Gingrich or Romney on us.
  
• Conservatives are kept too busy. Downsize some, and give a day a week to joining/starting Tea Party action groups if you really want things to change.
  
• Get rid of the TV. Even the most aware people are swallowing subtle propaganda through the TV.
  
• Muslim atrocities in the USA are sure to punctuate the next few years. When they occur, try to open the public debate about muslim immigration. With each new muslim atrocity, the level of public discussion about the issue deserves to increase.

[ColdOne]

The Daily Beast, liberal right? If so the comment section should be interesting read.

[agere_contra]

Ambivalent about this. Looks like the Muslim Brotherhood aren’t going to find it as easy to take over Eygpt as they might have thought.

[Army Air Corps]

Looks like the Muslim Brotherhood aren’t going to find it as easy to take over Eygpt as they might have thought.

The Muslim Brotherhood taking over any country is a worst case scenario.

[csense]

The protesters in Egypt are about to find out what “useful Idiot” means. The second casualty in any cultural revolution are the protagonists themselves.

[Houghton M.]

Quelle surprise. Lie down with a dog, get up with fleas.

[Frantzie]

Well I know one country the MB took over in late 2008. Thanks to drooling idiots who watch TV.

The Egyptian Army was pretty fair during the protests. I think their army may try to keep Egypt from turning into Iran.

[org.whodat]

Just to damn dumb to see that coming, that little a hole from google goes there again he will be missing and swimming with the fish.

[org.whodat]

This really turning out great, the MB has failed now all of the countries in the middle east will start hunting them like animals. The pit bull turning on his master, they tolerated the MB, the will no longer.

[knarf]

Pay attention, America.

No compromise, no bi-partisanship, no hands across the aisle.

We take it back or give it away.

[Cicero]

Good. I was afraid that the military were showing weakness, which would lead to a Muslim Brotherhood takeover. Maybe they just decided to hold off for a while, instead of breaking up the protestors right away, as many expected them to do.

If the Muslim radicals take over, the military families who have run the country for decades will be deposed, and many of them executed. That’s what happened in Iran, and has also happened to a degree in Turkey after the Muslims took power there.

If the military kill a few thousand rioters and provocateurs, that will be far fewer than those who will die if the extremists take over. Again, Iran is a pretty good lesson. Or almost any of the Communist nations.

Instead of thousands of dead, of the MB takes over, there will be millions. And that’s even before the wars start.

[SE Mom]

Just in case you were getting nostalgic for Cairo, ping!

[VanDeKoik]

It’s sad, but I do have to chuckle at this!

I wonder how all of the wonderkid bloggers, Facebook jockeys and Tweeters that the MSM keeps highlighting are going to stop a bullet with 180 characters or less?

Toppling an 80 year old dictator is easy, and may have come across as fun to them.

Fun time is apparently over.

[Tallguy]

The clock strikes midnight for the cinderella revolution. What a surprise? /sarc