Cairo, Egypt - After 18 days of protest, President Hosni Mubarak decided to resign. The president, under fire because of economic failure and embezzlement of public funds, had created a dictatorship out of a democracy. After coming into power in 1981, he led his country through the good, the bad, and the ugly. He was the last of a long line of extended presidents. His predecessors had led the country to modernization. The opposition leader, Mohamed El Baradei, who led the UN search of WMD’s in Iraq, said, “it is a dream come true.” In an interview over the phone with Al Jazeera, he also said, "I can't tell you how every Egyptian feels today. We have been able to restore our humanity ... to be free and independent."
Mubarak resigned on Friday, February 11, leaving many happy. Tahrir Square, the home-base of the protest movement, was in absolute joy. “Jumping, joy, crying, happiness and other emotions were present,” said NBC foreign news correspondent Richard Engle. The end of an empire brings the dawn of a new one. The Supreme Council of Armed Forces confirmed the resignation and “is analyzing the situation of the country before choosing the next leader.” In the front running are defense minister Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi and Mr. El Baradei.
The future of Egypt seems uncertain. There are several issues that must be considered. There are hopes that trade will come out of Egypt and turn the country back into a powerhouse. The issue of continuing friendship between Israel and Egypt is important. Also, the Muslim Brotherhood, sometimes called a terrorist group, has more power than before and it is possible, according to the Christian Science Monitor that “Israelis are increasingly concerned that (Mubarak’s) departure will empower the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood and threaten Israel’s longstanding peace treaty with Egypt.” “This is history in the making,” says NCCS’s own Mrs. Post. Only time will tell. For now, it seems all the Egyptians can do is dance in the street.
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