EGYPT UPDATE – AT 6:34 P.M. ET:  There were large demonstrations in Egypt today.  Although there was some violence, clashes were far less frequent than yesterday.

The hated police were largely off the streets, replaced by Army units that were remarkably benign.  Army leaders appear to be divided in their loyalties.  They are not firing on the citizens.

There were many incidents of looting, and Egyptians, especially in Cairo, fear for their own property.   There were charges that at least some of the looting was carried out by provocateurs sent by the government to discredit the protesters, but the charges could not be confirmed.

In the West, commentators are increasingly worried about who might eventually benefit from these protests.  The most common term heard is "Muslim Brotherhood," the fundamentalist organization that provided the original inspiration for Al Qaeda.  The idea of Egypt, the most important Arab country, falling under Islamist control is an absolute nightmare. That would probably wreck the Egypt-Israel peace treaty, creating an entirely new, and dangerous, strategic environment.  And it would almost certainly lead to other Arab countries going in the same direction. 

Never depend on Arab countries to do anything right.  The populations of these nations have, for as long as we can remember, been fed a steady diet of fantasies and conspiracy theories by their media and local imams.  Their heads are not exactly clear.  The Arab world is the last group of dictatorships on Earth, it produces almost nothing, and there are reasons for both phenomena.

There were also demonstrations today by Egyptian-Americans in the United States.  Readers are advised to look at these demonstrations with two eyes.  Not all may be what it seems.  Be especially wary of demonstrators with pre-printed signs, as we must wonder who owns the printing presses.  I saw some "protesters" with placards saying they were part of "Answer international."  Answer is a pro-Communist coalition operating out of the United States, which the media regularly identifies as an "anti-war" group.  Yeah, right.  It's anti any war America has a chance of winning.

I knock the media, and for good reason, but coverage of the Egyptian situation has been reasonably solid in the outlets I've checked.  Even CNN, now free of the burden of Christiane Amanpour, has been remarkably straightforward.  We'll see if that continues.

The first thing we'll be looking for is to see if the protests go on.  They could fade away, leaving a weakened Mubarak still in power, and the public still angry.  If they continue, we could see serious convulsions throughout the Mideast.

January 29, 2011