Mubarak, a close U.S. ally, resigned February 11, handed power
to the military command, and flew to the resort town of Sharm
el-Sheikh near the Red Sea. Hundreds of thousands gathered at
Tahrir Square and cheered his ouster. After pushing Mubarak
aside as the protests continued to mount, armed forces officials
suspended the constitution and dissolved parliament, which had
been elected less than three months ago. The generals for the
time being kept in place the cabinet, which is made up of
members of Mubaraks National Democratic Party. The Supreme
Military Council, headed by Field Marshal Mohammed Tantawi, has
now taken the power to make laws. Tantawi was a close ally of
Mubarak. The protests that helped topple Mubarak have opened up
space for working people to organize to defend their interests.
Unlike the massive protests in Iran in 1979 that shattered the
Shahs regime, however, the actions in Egypt ousted the ruling
dictator, but not the military and political structure he led.
Many armed forces commanders