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Revolution and Counter Revolution – the
Struggle of the People of Egypt to Win!
The Way I See It
By: Don Currie
Chair Canadians for Peace and Socialism
Editor Focus on Socialism
February 12, 2011
www.FocusOnSocialism.ca
The Communist Party of Canada has issued a strong statement of solidarity with the working
class and mass democratic people’s movements of Egypt. 2 The Communist Party of
Australia (CPA) also provides credible analysis of events. 3 The CPA defines the upsurge in
Egypt as a national democratic revolution to overthrow a pro‐imperialist regime.
The Communist Party of Egypt (CPE) has issued a statement in Arabic that does not translate
well with Google into English but with careful attention yields important information. 4 The
statement of the CPE is dated February 5th and as we all know events have moved on since
then.
CPS cannot vouch for the accuracy of our understanding of what the CPE statement says in
detail and caution it is based on an unofficial translation. Nonetheless we believe it
important to attempt to convey the main points.
The CPE statement outlines three stages in the revolutionary events of the recent past. The
first stage was the outright rejection of the Mubarak regime of all of the people’s demands
and its attempts to resort to what the CPE defines as a “criminal plan of fascism” to retain
power. It did so by the use of regime thugs and criminals to unleash violence in an attempt
to spread panic and “to use power in the face of the people’s revolution.” The response of
the people was to organize “popular committees, initiatives that were popular voluntary
and spontaneous in most cases able to secure streets and houses, especially in the early
days of the security vacuum.” The CPE statement then states these committees in areas
where businesses functioned were taken over by secret police and State Security officers
and used to support the enemies of the revolution.
1
Hhttp://www.solidnet.org/H
2
Hhttp://www.focusonsocialism.ca/random.asp?ID=613H
3
Hhttp://www.solidnet.org/index.php/australia‐communist‐party‐of‐australia/1119‐cp‐of‐australia‐statement‐on‐
the‐egyptian‐uprisingH
4
Hhttp://www.solidnet.org/index.php/egypt‐egyptian‐communist‐party/1111‐cp‐of‐egypt‐H
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The second phase followed Mubarak’s speech asserting he would not leave and pledging
reforms. CPE states it was an effort to set the stage for mass suppression of the people. It
was during this second phase that state violence against the people resulted in 8 deaths and
1000 injured and many arrested and attempts made to suppress the popular social media
used by the youth. The response of the people on February 1st was to pour 8 million people
into the streets and squares and to heighten the demand that Mubarak step down. The CPE
describes these events as; “the heroic epic of protesters, rebels who resisted the hordes of
terrorism and criminality and (sent ‐ DC) the remnants of the security forces fleeing…The
effect was to expose the system to the whole world.” The CPE asserts that the Mubarak
plan to suppress the mass upsurge resulted in the opposite and brought such mass pressure
to bear it compelled all governments of the world to support Mubarak’s departure out of
fear that direct intervention would spread popular revolutionary sentiment throughout the
region.
The world‐wide solidarity in support of the Egyptian people was a sobering reminder to US‐
Israeli‐NATO‐EU governments to proceed cautiously on the diplomatic front. What military
maneuvers were underway by the US military in the vicinity of Egypt and Tunisia during
these past weeks will no doubt be revealed in time.
One should add at this point, that one of the few governments that expressed its contempt
for world opinion was the right wing minority Conservative government of Prime Minister
Harper that waited while approximately 300 people were killed and thousands injured by
the Mubarak regime before issuing a terse statement containing what is for the Harper
government the most important consideration in the Middle East, uncritical support for
Israel. 5
The CPE statement goes on to describe the third stage of events, the mass outpourings of
February 4th that exposed and frustrated Mubarak’s attempts to remain in power by
promising not to run for election next September. Mubarak appointed a new cabinet and
appointed Vice President Omar Suleiman as his successor. Al Jazeera carries one report that
accuses Suleiman of being an internal security chief and CIA operative who is accused of
torture. 6
5
Hhttp://blogs.canoe.ca/eyeonthehill/general/full‐text‐of‐prime‐minister‐harpers‐statement‐on‐egypt/H
6
Hhttp://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/02/201127114827382865.htmlH
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The Mubarak regime during this period attempted to split the revolutionary forces by
asserting the demonstrators and foreign interference was responsible for “the chaos and
lack of security, economic losses and halt economic activity” which included delays in paying
salaries and wages. CPE asserts; “these maneuvers failed in inciting the people.” The CPE
statement says that people understood that the economic losses and disruption of schools
and closure of government offices, banks, were the result of a collapsing regime and the
refusal of the President to relinquish power.
The CPE February 5th statement says that the regime was continuing to “use all means to
thwart the revolution. The CPE credits the resistance of the people that surprised the world.
“It is the whole basis on which (sic) forced the Government of the United States and
Western governments to abandon its ally to preserve the survival of the regime, which fears
of its collapse and fall if the revolution continues will spread to the rest of the region.
The CPE statement analyzes the actual role of the Muslim Brotherhood. The CPE contends
that even the Muslim Brotherhood was surprised by events and that its role was minimal,
belated and had little bearing on what motivated the people. Even the privately owned
corporate controlled western media was compelled to downplay that canard intended to
spread panic in the west of the rise of a religious state in Egypt.
The CPE statement warned that some opposition parties were sending official and private
delegations “seeking to rush to dialogue with the ruling regime without an agreement with
the national forces and without real support to the forces of revolution.” CPE says these
forces are attempting to ride the wave of revolution to achieve some gains that it describes
as “non‐core” and correctional and to abandon the basic demand of the revolution to bring
down the dictator. CPE said the attempts of the so‐called committee of Wise Men
advocating the transfer of power to Mubarak cronies was rejected. CPE asserts that the
departure of the dictator is important and can lead to a dismantling of the system that
would enter into a new phase of the Egyptian revolution and “develop the revolutionary
process and preventing (a) miscarriage.” The CPE statement of February 5th said the sit‐ins
and demonstrations would continue until the most important demands of the revolution at
that stage were met:
CPE stated the demands of the youth and the workers were:
1. The dictator to step down from power
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2. The formation of a presidential council and a coalition government for a transitional
period to prepare the country for presidential and parliamentary elections and allow
the political forces launched its freedoms, especially freedom to form trade unions
and parties, and the abolition of the state of emergency and all laws that restrict
freedoms.
3. Formation of a Constituent Assembly to change the constitution after a referendum.
4. To achieve economic and social demands urgent for the masses, especially the
implementation of the judicial ruling on the minimum wage and the implementation
of practical solutions to unemployment.
Since the CPE statement of February 5th the mass sit in Tahir Square has ended and Mubarak
has skipped to a posh residence in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El‐Sheikh.
An interim caretaker government headed by Mubarak supporter Prime Minister Ahmed
Shafiq has been set up for six months to replace the former Egyptian Parliament that
consisted of 90% representation of Mubarak’s ruling National Democratic Party.
The Supreme Council of Egypt’s armed forces are now the de facto interim government.
Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi is the leader of the supreme council. The officer
corps of the Egyptian Army is US trained and maintained by a $1.5 ‐ $1.8 billion annual US
payment. The army is a 500,000 strong force. There are not news reports that US support
has been halted.
To appease the people, the interim government has paid lip service to the people’s demands
without their revolutionary content. The initial statements by the Shafiq interim government
are more about assuring US imperialism and its allies that the pre‐revolutionary status quo
will be restored and the demands of the people ignored.
Prime Minister Shafiq told a recent press conference that the main priority of his cabinet is
to restore security in the country. Shafiq said that the Supreme Council of the armed forces
is to determine the future and position of Mubarak‐appointed Vice President Omar
Suleiman. The Supreme Council has also stated it would lead a transition to civilian rule and
honour the peace treaty with Israel.
These statements and the fact that hundreds of protesters remain in Egyptian jails, and none
of the demands of the people described in the CPE statement of February 5th have been
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met, would suggest that there is a consolidation of the Mubarak forces without Mubarak.
One of the key demands of the revolutionary forces is that the perpetrators of the crimes
against the people’s movements and in particular those that have plundered the wealth of
the Egyptian people be placed on trial.
CPS takes the view that the international forces of the counter‐revolution are implementing
a plan, agreed to in secret and imposed by stealth and deception to disarm and revolution
and subvert its purpose. While those plans are underway we have no doubt the
revolutionary forces are also aware of what is underway and planning to conserve their
forces, reorganize them around their key demands, and will wage a counter‐offensive as
events unfold.
CPS does not subscribe to the view that the west and its intelligence forces were caught
unawares. The CIA, Mossad and British intelligence would be informed by Mubarak’s
intelligence service as to what was developing and to act accordingly. On February 8th NATO
Secretary Rasmussen met with Prime Minister Netanyahu pledging support for Israel. 7 The
supreme irony of Rasmussen speaking of the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation, an
oblique reference to Iran, in the full knowledge that Israel is reported to have in its
possession as many as 50 nuclear weapons plus the technology to deliver them to target. On
February 11th Rasmussen issued a terse statement on events in Egypt stressing the main
concern was security and stability, code words for maintaining the Egypt‐Israeli peace treaty
which is designed to maintain Israeli dominance in the region and unimpeded use by big oil
companies for the movement of mid‐east, central Asian oil to US and other markets 8
Further proof of the collusions among the US military, the Israeli government and the
Mubarak regime is the deployment of US naval forces including 850 marines to monitor the
Suez Canal. The Israeli government has called upon the US military to seal the Philadelphia
Corridor between Gaza and Egypt. 9
All of the Egyptian interim government statements, the statements of NATO, the
statements of the Obama administration and Prime Minister Harper all stress security and
stability, code words for subversion of the Egyptian revolution and to maintain Israeli
dominance in the region.
7
Hhttp://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/news_70516.htmH
8
Hhttp://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID‐3212D2A9‐17A46E06/natolive/news_70588.htmH
9
Hhttp://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/news/middle‐east/2048‐us‐moves‐naval‐forces‐off‐ismailia‐while‐
israelis‐call‐for‐re‐occupation‐of‐philadelphia‐corridorH
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The initial euphoria about events in Egypt is understandable. Progressives, in particular
Communists need to temper the initial enthusiasm with close attention and a deeper study
of the relative strength of the revolutionary and counter‐revolutionary forces not limited to
the balance of forces in Egypt itself but in the entire region.
The role of the laboring masses of Egypt and their attempts to organize a new independent
labour centre are in need of close study. There is no doubt that the strike movement in
Egypt over the past four years combined with the enthusiasm of the democratic youth and
in particular the revolutionary bravery of the women of Egypt are major factors preceding
and laying the basis for the people’s uprising. The World Federation of Trade Unions has
issued a statement in support of the Egyptian revolution. 10
The forces that will lead the revolutionary process in Egypt to the next stage, the struggle
for a genuine people’s revolutionary government will of necessity require the working class
to lead that phase of the struggle.
10
Hhttp://www.wftucentral.org/?p=3549&language=en#more‐3549H
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