The Egyptian Military: “Are they on the side of the nation or are they on the side of the regime?”
NY Times photo: protesters climbed atop Egyptian Army vehicles near Tahrir Square in Cairo
“Are they on the side of the nation or are they on the side of the regime? That distinction had been blurred. We are now seeing a modern test of whether there is a separation between the two,” The New York Times quoted a former senior Western diplomat with long service in Cairo, as saying.
Who’s side is the military on? That is a vital question, and the answer will determine whether there will be a relatively peaceful “transition” from a dictatorship to a truly representative parliamentary system in Egypt. And that was the central question in Tunisia during the recent uprisings there. In Tunisia, the answer was that the military, in the end, was on the side of the people, and it was the refusal of the military to use force to preserve an illegitimate regime that prevented a bloodbath and allowed a relatively peaceful revolution by the people to finally rid themselves of a corrupt oppressor.
What will the military do? Will they side with the people, or with the regime? That is ALWAYS a fundamentally important question when a people have finally had enough of being lorded over by corrupt and oppressive regimes. In every revolution in history, that has been a central question. What just happened in Tunisia, and what is happening now in Egypt, are stellar examples of just how important and monumental that central question really is when it comes to a showdown between the people of a nation and a repressive government. And it should be a reminder, and a confirmation, of just how important the mission of Oath Keepers is.
From the NYTimes on Mubarak
Whether his infamously efficient security apparatus and well-financed but politicized military could enforce that order — and whether it would stay loyal to him even if it came to shedding blood — was the main question for many Egyptians.
The events in Tunisia and now in Egypt provide a very interesting learning experience and example of the core point of Oath Keepers – that the loyalty of the military and police must be to the people, and what side they are on can determine the fate of freedom when the chips are down.
In a Reuters article regarding the Tunisia Protests The General would not fire on protesters saying:
“The Tunisian army struck the mortal blow against Zine al Abedine Ben Ali’s rule when it ignored orders to shoot protesters, making it unlikely he could crush a popular uprising by force”
In our nation, being loyal to the people means being loyal to the Constitution, which is the people’s chosen mechanism of securing their rights. That is why Article 6 of the Constitution mandates an Oath to defend the Constitution not to just follow orders. So long as the people of this nation continue to support the Constitution, those in military and police service are duty bound to defend it, regardless of orders to the contrary. If, God forbid, what happened in Tunisia or what is happening now in Egypt ever becomes necessary here in America, our military and police will side with the people and with our Constitution by standing down just as the Tunisian military did.
Stewart Rhodes
Sifynews
Egyptian Political analysts are finding it difficult to predict what role the armed forces would play in either suppressing the disturbances or easing President Hosni Mubarak from power.
“Are they on the side of the nation or are they on the side of the regime? That distinction had been blurred. We are now seeing a modern test of whether there is a separation between the two,” The New York Times quoted a former senior Western diplomat with long service in Cairo, as saying. he Egyptian military is the world’s 10th largest force, and is considered very powerful, popular and opaque.
In 1952, the military brought down the monarchy and had taken control ever since. In fact, all four Presidents in the later years have been military generals. However, Hosni Mubarak, who led the Air Force before rising to prominence when President Anwar el-Sadat appointed him vice president in 1975, worked hard to keep the army out of politics and under his control.
He had even taken a step of dismissing Field Marshal Abdel-Halim Abu Ghazala, a popular, charismatic war hero, from his post as defence minister in 1989. The General was accused of a smuggling scandal, but most analysts believed that he was fired because his public profile was too high.
Anlaysts now believe the current defence minister, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi who is considered an unpopular man in his late 70s, is unlikely to challenge Mubarak.
During the Tunisia protests this month, the decision of the military chief not to fire on protesters was seen as a decisive factor in driving President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali out of the country. Although no analyst doubts Mubarak’s loyalist General Tantawi, some of them pointed that his top subordinates might consider it, the paper said.
Some analysts even say that the military deployment around the government institutions, the first time in decades, is a sign of desperation, and raises the question of when the military might begin to doubt Mubarak’s viability. The question that arises is whether the military would fire on demonstrators, if ordered.
“If the military fires on civilians after demonstrations that are clearly popular, that will imperil the standing of the military, its integrity. This time the institution’s future is at risk,” Samer Shehata, a professor of Arab politics at Georgetown University, said. (ANI)
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January 29th, 2011 at 3:35 pm
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January 29th, 2011 at 3:42 pm
A very timely and important article.
Hopefully Oathkeepers will never be challenged on their oath, but it is good to know that many in the military remember that, in contrast to Admiral Mullen who allowed one of his soldiers to be incarcerated rather than assist him in verifying Obamas qualification to be POTUS, they did swear their Oath and Loyalty to the Constitution, not to the President.
January 29th, 2011 at 4:17 pm
In Egypt my sorce tell me tthe protester financed from IRAN and Moslem Broder…
This is a very danger deployment
Egypt hope not end with a moslem (like Iran) goverment
When this country fall to the (like iran ) then the hole middle east incl Saudi Kuweit and all other oil producer fall down
Then i say good night THe the worst in our liftime
January 29th, 2011 at 4:27 pm
I’ve been watching AlJazeera’s live feed from Egypt a good part of the day (will note there that the Muslim Brotherhood owns a good portion of AlJazeera). There are also a number of Facebook pages getting information from Egyptian citizens. It seems as though the Egyptian citizens trust the military and so far, the military has given them no reason not to. So far the military has protected the citzens from the police force, which is an arm of the Mubarak government and has been responsible for the killing of protestors. In addition, the military has actually acted against the police. At 18:28 ET there were reports of 19 planes carrying ‘businessmen’ out of Egypt, along with looted items from the museums. According to the information I’m getting about the citizens, they want desperately for people to know THEY are not looting the national treasures, the Mubarak government and the ‘elite businessmen’ are – and they are apparently leaving with a lot of the gold. An excellent place to follow what is happening on the ground in Egypt is here:
http://tickerforum.org/akcs-www?post=178399 (registration is required to post).
January 29th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
We have one other problem in our nation, if my memory is correct. Senor Bush Jr. signed an agreement with Canada and Mexico, to furnish military units from their nations, to assist in controlling protest, civil unrest, or any emergency. If this is actually on the books, we add to the mix, those in the military who have no real allegiance to this nation’s people, but to their controllers. I suspect that in the lower ranks, this would be the foreign born individuals, who are merely looking for a meal ticket, and a way to drag their whole clan to this country. The worst of them all, are the appointed military leaders at the top, who have not real loyalty to this nation for several decades. Those that did, tended to be murdered, or thrown into prison. A wait and see thing, and I surely hope for the best conclusion to this scenario. I surely would not wish to be a police officer should the people be betrayed. Either the police are here to help us, and not be thugs, or they will wear a large bulls eye on their backs. I got that last statement from a former Kentucky State Trooper, by the last name Wallace. He writes for News and Views.
January 29th, 2011 at 5:41 pm
“We The People SHALL Know Our Enemies By Their Fruits.” What is a MUST in such Times-? What are you and I willing to do at any cost-? ,, God Bless, Jimmie
January 29th, 2011 at 6:01 pm
the question is can it happen here? salute
January 29th, 2011 at 6:39 pm
I beliieve the question is, when will it happen here?
January 29th, 2011 at 8:34 pm
The “people” of Egypt are 80-90% Muslim. Even if Mubarek is overthrown and the military sides with the rioters in the streets and has elections, I’m betting that those people will vote in an Islamic form of government. It’s the 70’s all over again. Guess nobody learned the lessons of Iran so it’s time for a repeat class.
January 29th, 2011 at 9:51 pm
Greetings,
My radar went up last week when there was a national article citing
Defense Secretary Gates pointing a finger at CONGRESS for the Budget
problems. That signaled to me a fundamental divide that MUST be addressed.
We have seen it in many, many other countries including the former Soviet Union.
IT CAN HAPPEN HERE. Bottom line —that line CANNOT be blurry going forward
or there will be blood when push comes to shove between “shoulda-woulda-coulda”
and “what’s it gonna be Paco Taco ? “