Egypt: Arab Spring Morphs Into Summer Of Conflict
\nBy William Fisher – The Public Record – Jul 9th, 2011<\/p>\n
It should have been expected that the various groups who demonstrated in such a strong, unified position in Tahrir Square and elsewhere in Egypt would begin to show their differences after Mubarak resigned.<\/p>\n
After all, they won! So what to do now?<\/p>\n
Governing is a lot harder than demonstrating. And, besides, they weren\u2019t the government; the army was.<\/p>\n
During the Tahrir Square uprisings, the Army became the darlings of the protesters. They didn\u2019t fire on the protesters. In fact, it was the Army who kept pro-Mubarak forces from physically attacking those who wanted him out.<\/p>\n
Now the worm has turned once again. Crowds of full-throated critics of the Army are out in Tahrir Square again in large numbers.<\/p>\n
They insist that the demonstrators arrested in previous demonstrations be tried in civilian, rather than military courts. They scream when they learn that the cops who are on trial for mishandling demonstrators have been freed on bail. They insist on an apology from the Ministry of Interior for their mismanagement of the security police during the demonstrations. They\u2019re furious at the supreme military council for abusing prisoners taken into custody during the demonstrations and sentenced to substantial prison terms for what the opposition characterizes as \u201cnothing.\u201d And they\u2019re equally up in arms about the \u201cvirginity tests\u201d the military police administered to women taken into custody (the army now says it is discontinuing this practice.) …more<\/a><\/p>\n