Egypt - True Liberty or Shadows?

Historic week behind us.  Protesters have forced a dictator of 30 years to step down in Egypt, and are on the path to regime change.  Makes one wonder how the protests in Iran scheduled for this week will turn out.  I doubt that will be as successful.

But I wonder, in Egypt, if it is as successful as we believe.  Or was the protests where a convenient excuse for the true power of Egypt's regime, its armed forces?  They have held the power since the Royal Family was overthrown 40 odd years ago.  It was clearly illustrated from the day Mubarak ordered them into the streets to crush the protests that the army had its own ideas.

Mubarak and the army have been in conflict in the recent past, with the army at odds with his desires to install his son as president as his successor.  On Thursday, Mubarak was adamant he was going nowhere.  Then he was spirited away Friday morning and not given the opportunity speak on his change of heart.  Some reports speak of a 'bloodless coup,' an opinion shared by Diaa Rashwan as quoted in an AP story:

 "This is in fact the military taking over power," said political analyst Diaa Rashwan after Mubarak stepped down and left the reins of power to the armed forces. "It is direct involvement by the military in authority and to make Mubarak look like he has given up power."

So the great hope is the military will safe guard Egypt until such time that infrastructure can be put in place for free and open elections.  Further hopes must include that whomever is elected to lead Egypt will be the power behind the state, and not the latest public face for the true dictators of Egypt, the Military Council.

People of Egypt, I pray that all your hopes and dreams will be realized, and your will become that of the state.  And that your supreme sacrifice and bravery will not be co-oped by opportunistic operators to fulfill their own agendas.  Liberty is the right of all mankind.

It is my fear that the opposite may be the case, and everything the protesters did, honestly and in the open eyes of the world, was used to maintain an illusion of legitimacy for those happy to rule over you in the shadows.  And the liberty you have won will be that of shadows.