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The Egyptian Unrest: A Special Report
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak remains the lifeblood of the
demonstrators, who still number in the tens of thousands in downtown
Cairo and in other major cities, albeit on a lesser scale. After being
overwhelmed in the Jan. 28 Day of Rage protests, Egypt’s internal
security forces — with the anti-riot paramilitaries of the Central
Security Forces (CSF) at the forefront — were glaringly absent from the
streets Jan. 29. They were replaced with rows of tanks and armored
personnel carriers carrying regular army soldiers. Unlike their CSF
counterparts, the demonstrators demanding Mubarak’s exit from the
political scene largely welcomed the soldiers. Despite Mubarak’s refusal
to step down Jan. 28, the public’s positive perception of the military,
seen as the only real gateway to a post-Mubarak Egypt, remained. It is
unclear how long this perception will hold, especially as Egyptians are
growing frustrated with the rising level of insecurity in the country
and the army’s limits in patrolling the streets. Read more »
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