Egypt’s Military Tightens Control Over Regime

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s appointment of a vice president for the first time in his 30-year-reign may herald the end of his rule. It probably won’t end six decades of military control.

“Egypt’s government is not so much a Mubarak government as it is a military government,” said Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based policy group. “Generals and retired generals control much of the government and much of the economy, and they would stand to lose a great deal if Mubarak were deposed.”