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Insecure in Egypt

(Weekly Standard) David Schenker - Five months after the revolution that ended the 30-year tenure of Hosni Mubarak, large protests have become routine if not habitual in Egypt. Lately, the demonstrations have largely focused on demands to prosecute former regime officials more quickly and provide financial compensation to families of those killed during the revolution. While it might be tempting for Washington and the international community to shovel more financial assistance at post-revolution Egypt, further cash infusions will do little to improve the state's long-term outlook. Absent physical security, the prospects for sustained economic growth are bleak. Egypt's police forces have been significantly degraded. It's estimated that only 30% of the once ubiquitous black-uniformed officers remain on the job. At the same time, the atmosphere of political and security uncertainty has considerably slowed foreign direct investment, leading to a -4.2% growth rate this quarter, the first negative period in nearly a decade. The combination of economic stress, a diminished security apparatus, and the flight of criminals from state jails during the revolution has, not surprisingly, resulted in a rising crime rate. The writer is director of the Program on Arab Politics at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
2011-07-15 00:00:00
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