Just over a year ago, Egyptians mounted mass protests that forced the departure of longtime President Hosni Mubarak. It was a revolution to replace military dictatorship with democracy. But the revolution is in danger of being stillborn. The dictator is gone, but the military rulers are still in charge — and still wedded to the old ways.
The world got a grotesque reminder of the nature of the regime Monday, when it was announced that 43 foreigners will be prosecuted for the activities of their nongovernmental organizations, which the government blames for continued civil unrest among Egyptians. Nineteen of the targets are Americans, including Sam LaHood, son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
The announcement came a few weeks after security forces raided the offices of the organizations. They are generally devoted to providing instruction in the basics of organizing and communicating in a democracy.
The government accuses them of operating without a license, something the government rarely grants to NGOs. But at least two of the U.S. groups were invited by the regime to monitor the elections.
Those targeted face up to five years in prison. Some, including LaHood, have taken refuge in the U.S. embassy. All are being victimized by cynical thugs whose conduct threatens to make the regime an international pariah.
The Obama administration has made its outrage clear, with the president and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton personally informing the regime’s highest officials that $1.5 billion in U.S. aid expected this year hangs in the balance. “We are very clear that there are problems that arise from this situation that can impact all the rest of our relationship with Egypt,” said Clinton.
Forty members of Congress signed a letter warning the government that the aid is in jeopardy — and that was before the prosecutions were announced. U.S. law bars continued aid unless the administration certifies that Egypt is making progress toward democracy. If the generals think they can take American (and other) hostages with impunity, they will learn they are grossly mistaken.
This flagrant abuse is one part of a pattern that confirms the worst fears of democracy advocates in Egypt, who have lately returned toCairo’sTahrir Square to demand an end to military control. Some protesters have turned violent after 74 people died in a riot at a soccer stadium.
The Muslim Brotherhood, which finished first in the recent parliamentary elections, has more or less sided with the regime, which is supposed to turn over power to an elected president by the end of June. But the police handling of the soccer riot provoked criticism even from the Brotherhood. Monday, the government said it would move to hold the presidential election sooner than previously planned.
Other groups that opposed Mubarak are not so indulgent. They see the generals as a dangerous holdover from an ugly past. They want an early transition, with the military permanently relieved of the power it has long wielded.
It’s a legitimate demand, as the latest events confirm. Last year, the people of Egypt set out on the road to democracy. The question now is whether those in charge of the government transition will march alongside them — or block the way.
