In the days and weeks after Tunisians rose in protest and forced their president from office in December 2010, Egyptians dissidents launched a series of orchestrated protest demonstrations calling for the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. The world watched in rapt wonder as unarmed civilians confronted the Egyptian police and army, seeking to end Mubarak’s 40-year reign as dictator of the country.

Day after day, men, women and families flocked to Tahrir Square (Liberation Sq.) to protest, in, perhaps, the civilization’s most dignified revolution. Credit for their ultimate success goes to the organizers who relied on new media, the Internet, cell phones, and social networking to inspire and motivate demonstrators.

The older, government officials looked hopelessly out of touch and impotent to respond to the mass demonstrations. When Mubarak deployed police and thugs to provoke violence, the strategy backfired and when the military intervened to protect civilians, the police vanished. Mubarak made repeated vain attempts to cling to power, but eventually agreed to step down.

The Egyptian revolution has been hailed as a new, modern approach in the world’s quest for freedom. However, other leaders in other countries took a different lesson. Apparently, viewing Mubarak as weak, Libya’s dictator, Col. Muamar Gadhafi, deployed his military forces against civilians and provoked an international military response against his regime’s crimes against humanity.

The Egyptian revolution of 2011 will remain a viable model, but it’s unlikely that future success will be as painless in other places where authorities are more prone to violence and less responsive to world opinion.

The next challenge is for Egyptians to craft a new constitution and establish a democracy that can deliver on the goals and aspirations of a people frustrated with the fortune and future.

History

Egypt has functioned as a unified nation-state for more than 5,000 years. It’s location at the mouth of the Nile River Valley has been a focal point for trade between Europe and Asia.

The Ottoman Turks controlled Egypt from 1517 until 1882. In 1805, Mohammed Ali, was appointed Pasha, founding the dynasty that ruled Egypt until his successor, King  Farouk I, was overthrown in 1952.

In 1882, British forces crushed a revolt against the Ottoman rulers, and seized military control of the country. Egypt became a British protectorate in 1914 and King Fuad I was installed on the throne. Egyptian nationalists negotiated independence from Britain in 1922.

During World War II, British troops used Egypt as a base for Allied operations throughout the region. British troops were withdrawn to the Suez Canal area in 1947, but nationalist, anti-British feelings continued to grow after the war.

In 1948, Egypt went to war against the newly created state of Israel and lost. In 1952, a group of disgruntled military officers (the "free officers") led by Lt. Col. Gamal Abdel Nasser overthrew King Farouk, whom the military blamed for Egypt's poor performance in the 1948 war with Israel. Egypt became a republic in 1953 under President Nasser, a proponent of Arab socialism.

When Nasser nationalized the privately owned Suez Canal Company in 1956, to raise money to build the Aswan Dam, Britain, France, and Israel invaded Egypt. The US intervened on the side of Egypt and the canal remained under Egyptian state control.

Nasser's domestic policies were popular but often oppressive. All opposition was stamped out, and opponents of the regime frequently were imprisoned without trial. Nasser's policies provoke the Israeli attack of June 1967 that all but destroyed Egypt's armed forces along with those of Jordan and Syria. As a result, the Israeli forces occupied the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights. Nasser died in1970 and Vice President Anwar el-Sadat, was elected President.

In 1971, Sadat concluded a treaty of friendship with the Soviet Union, but a year later, ordered Soviet advisers out of Egypt, earning undying respect from the US.

In 1973, he launched the October war with Israel, in which Egypt's armed forces achieved initial successes but were defeated in Israeli counterattacks.

Camp David and the Peace Process

President Sadat shifted Egypt’s Israel policy from confrontation to peaceful accommodation through negotiations. The historic Camp David accords were signed by Egypt and Israel in September 1978. The accords led to the March 26, 1979 signing of the Egypt-Israel peace treaty, by which Egypt regained control of the Sinai in May 1982. Throughout this period, U.S.-Egyptian relations steadily improved, but Sadat's peace with Israel created Arab enemies. Sadat was assassinated by Islamic extremists in October 1981.

Hosni Mubarak, an air force officer, was elected President and confirmed by popular referendum for four more 6-year terms, most recently in September 2005.

Mubarak has maintained Egypt's commitment to the Camp David peace process, while at the same time re-establishing Egypt's position as an Arab leader. Egypt was readmitted to the Arab League in 1989.

The Muslim Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928, remains an illegal organization and is not recognized as a political party (current Egyptian law prohibits the formation of political parties based on religion). Members are known publicly and openly speak their views, although they do not explicitly identify themselves as members of the organization. Members of the Brotherhood have been elected to the People's Assembly and local councils as independents, and most recently scored a major victory in 2005 parliamentary elections, winning 88 seats, thus forming the largest opposition group.

Egypt played a key role during the 1990-91 Gulf crisis. President Mubarak helped assemble the anti-Iraq coalition and deployed 35,000 Egyptian troops to help liberate Kuwait. Egypt has contributed to UN peacekeeping missions East Timor, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. In 2004, Egypt sent military monitors to the Darfur region of Sudan.

Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Egypt has helped support U.S. counter-terrorism activities. Reportedly, Egypt has participated in US “rendition programs,” whereby US terrorist suspects are sent to other countries where they are tortured to obtain information. Under Mubarak, Egypt used detention and torture as a regular part of law enforcement.

In July 2005, terrorists attacked the Egyptian city of Sharm El Sheikh and Egypt's envoy to Iraq was assassinated.

 

 

Capital: Cairo
Area: 1,001.450 sq km
Three times larger than Mexico
Population: 76,853,000

Al-Ahram - state-owned daily, the oldest newspaper in the Arab world

Al-Ahram Weekly - English-language

Al-Jumhuriyah - state-owned daily

Al-Akhbar - semi state-owned daily

Al-Misri al-Yawm - private daily, English-language edition

Al-Ahali - opposition

Al-Wafd - opposition

Al-Messa - pro-government

The Egyptian Gazette - pro-government daily

The Daily News Egypt - private daily

Travel advisories remain in effect due to the unstable political situation as Egypt implements plans for a transitional government.

Most tourist facilities have re-opened.