Faces New Generation Egypt's Old Guard
As the post-Hosni Mubarak phase begins in Egypt, analysts say the military, which is now in power, is facing off against young Egyptians who have made clear they aspire to democracy.
Egypt's military leader, the Soviet-trained defense minister, Mohammed Hussein Tantawi drove on Saturday morning to Tahrir Square, the center of the protests seeking a transition to democratic, civilian rule. He did not get out of his car.
Paul Beran, a Middle East expert from Harvard University, says so far, given the change in power, Tantawi is being well accepted, but that he will have to manage the situation very carefully.
Beran says Egypt's generational shift is also taking place within the military itself, one of many challenges facing Tantawi.
"[Tantawi] seems to have the goodwill of the vast majority of Egyptians and indeed those include the military, and so we can assume that, I do not think he has been plotting for this day, but I am sure he has been thinking about it for a number of weeks and wondering how the next steps happen," he said.
So far, the military council now ruling Egypt has issued repeated statements urging cooperation while promising a peaceful transition to an elected civilian democratic state.
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