Kirika wrote:
Hosni has tried to appease the masses by declaring he wont run again in September this year. But it fell flat on the demonstrators ears. Earlier, he named a VP after 30 years and still the masses are relentless.
The tide is quite high against the man; the police and the entire judiciary are with the masses, the military is sympathetic to the masses.
When push comes to shove the military will nudge him out of the door.
In the meantime Libya's strongman Gaddaffi is getting jittery, the Saudi King has condemed the riots, Jordan's Prince has fired the entire cabinet and elsewhere a Prime Minister has been axed, Bashir is frantically trying to stem off a riot by University students calling for his departure, his military Generals are not all too happy with the seccession.
This is certainly a gloomy picture for the Arab leaders.
This may or may not be good. There is need for caution here.
Looking at history, Iran to be specific, they had almost similar protests way back in 1979 against the oppressive Shah. These were led by the ordinary citizens claiming democratic rights, yet it is the radical islamists led by the Ayatollah Khomeini were the ones who ultimately seized control and turned Iran into a sharia state.
Opposition to the religious rule of the clergy was often met with harsh punishments, abuses being likened to Jews and calling fatwa on them.
So I get uncomfortable when almost-secular or 'not-so-islamicised' governments in the Arab world are unwanted in such manner. It is a perfect opportunity for al kawaida to get a foot hold and upset a few world events in the future.