Egypt rocked by turmoil: Mubarak confident of survival after Obama assurance

Hosni Mubarak

Egyptians are up in arms. President Hosni Mubarak's rule is being challenged by a "people's revolt". People are up in arms over the inability of Mubarak's administration to fulfill the economic benefits he promised to his people. 


Riots and armed encounters broke out in the streets. Thousands of people marched in the streets, burned police stations and defiantly faced a phalanx of armed policemen and even soldiers with tanks and armored personnel carriers. This is the third day of violence in the economically depressed nation.


Mubarak promised to install a new government but did not indicate any intention of stepping down. After his conversation with US president Barack Obama, Mubarak called on the government to step down and install a new one. 

ElBaradei

Mubarak's call was received negatively by the people who are demanding for drastic reforms. Mubarak has been Egypt's undisputed leader for over 30 years. 


Mubarak is confident of surviving this, the most serious political challenge he faced in his 30 year rule.


His confidence stems from the continued support being given by the United States government who considers him a staunch ally. 


The question really is---will the United States let Mubarak go?


Like what happened in Tunisia, Egypt is facing the severest economic crisis in the region, fueled by high prices of commodities. Unemployment has risen exponentially since last year, and food prices have skyrocketed. Inflation is on its historic high, and investments are not coming thru. 


Opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei is now holed up in a mosque in Cairo. Cairo is now heavily guarded by armed soldiers and tanks. The US has asked ElBaradei to "stay put" while the US reviews its policy on Egypt (actually the US is trying to "reason" with Elbaradei, or getting some "assurance" that US interests will not be harmed if they allow a change in the political leadership).


Mubarak succeeded Anwar Sadat. Sadat was assassinated in 1981. Like Sadat, Mubarak came from the Egyptian military.  


Prior to Sadat, Egypt was an active critic of the United States policy in the Middle East. The country, however, changed tack when Sadat decided to recognize the Israeli state. Mubarak continued Sadat's policy. 


The US has been aiding Egypt since then. 


Now that the US is itself facing a severe financial crisis, and affected almost all of the financial markets around the world, even countries in the Middle East are affected by the crisis.


Worse, the Middle East is being affected by a region-wide food crisis. People are hungry, unable to buy even the most basic commodities due to high prices. 


Will this happen in the Philippines?