Hardly had the news of Hosni Mubarak’s long overdue departure been relayed than the pundits were off and running. What of the role of other players in the Middle East? What about the USA? What about Israel? What about the Muslim Brotherhood?
Typical of the genre is this piece in the Maily Telegraph: what about the transition to democracy? What about the military? Er, hello? Someone is missing the point. Egypt is a sovereign nation, and in any case, the continued interference by the supposedly civilised West is part of the problem: that is what propped up Mubarak for so long.
Yes, Egypt is a key part of the Middle East, and the region has the potential for further instability and conflict. But that is no excuse for other countries to keep meddling in Egypt's affairs, effectively making that country a proxy, and allowing the practising of power struggles at a distance.
The Founding Fathers of the USA did not sit down to write the Constitution while looking over their shoulders to the French, whose naval power had tipped the balance in their favour during the conflict with the British. Neither should the Egyptians have to worry what Washington will think.
The future of Egypt should be decided by the country’s own citizens. End of.
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