Revolution in the Arab World - Observation of a lost soul Blog

foreign policy • revolution in the arab world • 18 days
ing one of their biggest rallies yet. Foreign journalists once again walked
the streets of Cairo without fear. If anything, the government’s attempts to
crush the protests—with violence and propaganda—had the opposite effect,
hardening the opposition’s resolve.
And yet the fight for a new, more democratic Egypt, free from state propaganda
and intimidation, is far from over. America’s new Man in Cairo,
Suleiman, carries too much of the baggage of the past. When Christiane
Amanpour asked him last Thursday whether the aspirations of the youth
for a more democratic society might not represent a real yearning, he responded,
“I don’t think that’s only from the young people; others are pushing
them to do that.” He warned darkly of “the Islamic current” that was
inspiring the youthful protesters. Perhaps he’s been watching too much state
television.
Peter Bouckaert is emergencies director at Human Rights Watch. Soraya Morayef
assisted with the research for this article.
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