Revolution in the Arab World - Observation of a lost soul Blog
Revolution in the Arab World - Observation of a lost soul Blog
Revolution in the Arab World - Observation of a lost soul Blog
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foreign policy • revolution <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> arab world • 18 days<br />
now. They have survived—just barely by many accounts—a harrow<strong>in</strong>g experience<br />
and emerged battered but on <strong>the</strong>ir feet. There is a feel<strong>in</strong>g that <strong>the</strong><br />
regime had played one <strong>of</strong> its few rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g cards and failed. The people<br />
I spoke with were very aware that <strong>the</strong> previous two days <strong>of</strong> mayhem had<br />
backfired badly, caus<strong>in</strong>g a serious escalation <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational criticism <strong>of</strong><br />
Mubarak.<br />
The protesters believed that if <strong>the</strong>y could just hold Tahrir until Friday,<br />
<strong>the</strong>y would get ano<strong>the</strong>r huge turnout <strong>of</strong> supporters. And <strong>the</strong>y were right:<br />
Friday’s crowds at least matched and possibly exceeded <strong>the</strong> largest ga<strong>the</strong>r<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
<strong>of</strong> this 11-day upris<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
But nobody <strong>the</strong>re still th<strong>in</strong>ks that oust<strong>in</strong>g Mubarak is go<strong>in</strong>g to be easy,<br />
quick, or clean. “I th<strong>in</strong>k we were def<strong>in</strong>itely a little optimistic earlier this<br />
week,” longtime human rights activist Hossam Bahgat told me.<br />
They know now that Mubarak and <strong>the</strong> security system he built over<br />
three decades are <strong>in</strong> this fight for <strong>the</strong> long haul. But today, at least, <strong>the</strong> protesters<br />
show every sign <strong>of</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g both will<strong>in</strong>g and equipped to match his<br />
resolve <strong>in</strong> what could turn out to be a lengthy stand<strong>of</strong>f.<br />
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