In a recent statement released by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces in regards to the actions in Tahrir Square on April 9th, the council stated: “We issued a statement on 1 February saying that we would not use violence or live ammunition against the people, and we stuck to this commitment. There should be trust between the military and the people,” said al-Assar. First, it appears that someone is not telling the truth. It may be someone at the lower level who is failing to report events correctly up the chain of command. The video from that night clearly shows a civilian being shot in the streets. This indicates that live ammunition was used. This does not mean that the representative of SCAF is not being truthful when he says that the army would not use live ammunition. The upper command may have issued such an order as he reports, but it requires the subordinate officers to interpret and relay these commands to the soldiers under their command. Second, it requires that these officers on the ground conduct proper review and issue of their soldiers' equipment to insure that these commands are followed. There may have been a mistake by one of the subordinate officers or a soldier in their command. It does not mean that the command has fallen back on their word. However, the problem that is now occurring is that instead of providing a true report of events to their commanders up the chain, someone is not being truthful and is covering either a mistake by someone else or deliberately disobeyed the orders of their commanding officers. Pointing this out is not an insult. Pointing this out is not an offense against the military. This is an opportunity for the military to conduct an investigation, issue new commands and insure that such actions do not occur again. Pointing this problem out to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces does not bring dishonor on the military. On the contrary, it suggests that the people of Egypt respect the military and the commanders enough to believe they will take proper action against any future misconduct as a well disciplined and organized military routinely conducts itself. The dishonor occured when the soldiers and officers did not obey the commands of their officers and when they did not provide a correct report. This brings dishonor to those officers and soldiers. By refusing to acknowledge and investigate these events, to review orders regarding actions with civilians and re-enforce them with their subordinate officers, the commanders bring dishonor on themselves and the military. The honor of the military cannot be taken by a few accusations of misconduct by some soldiers from a civilian observer. The honor of the military can be lost only by their own actions or inactions. The army of Egypt is made of the citizens of Egypt. They enjoy the same privileges and rights of every citizen including voicing their opinions on all subjects. The only exception is when they are in uniform. At that time, they are constrained to obey their commanding officers and conduct themselves with the utmost honor and discretion. Soldiers in uniform may not insult their commanding officers. The officers in the square who appeared in uniform disobeyed this rule and attempted to foment mutiny within the ranks. This requires prompt action as it reduces discipline within the ranks. This is not true for citizens who are not in uniform. They hold all of their privileges, including the right to question the conduct of the military that acts under the flag of Egypt and its people. This is even more correct when the method of government is a democracy and the people are free to exercise their natural rights including freedom of conscience and freedom of speech. By exercising these rights, the people can insure that all branches of government and it's subordinate departments, including the military, are acting under the guidance of the people and in accordance with their consciences and morals. The people of Egypt have relied on their military for the security of their nation for generations. The military re-affirmed their position on January 28 when they turned the barrels of their weapons away from the protesters. Today, the military remains in a position of respect, but it cannot use these events to justify actions that are expressly against the will and good of the people. It cannot use this good will to undermine the aspirations of the people to a truly free and democratic nation. The first right of a free people is the freedom of conscience and the second, though not lesser, is the right of free speech. Without these rights there can be no true freedom and the people cannot insure that the government remains responsive to their needs. A spokesman for the Supreme Council of Armed Forces said that the people should be scared for the military, not of it. The military is the largest organized body within Egypt. It has strength in numbers and the power of weapons. Whatever fear that it may be experiencing in these times cannot compare to the fear of the people that at any moment these weapons, now silenced, may not remain silent against them. That fear is compounded when the military takes actions against peaceful protesters who are simply exercising their right to free speech or when it is used to arrest and convict a citizen for exercising that same right on the internet. An act that is reminescent of the old regime that the people have just displaced. This does not create an idea of harmony or accord of the military with the aspirations of the people for a free Egypt. It creates the same fear under which the people have operated under for thirty years. An atmosphere of fear that the people rejected beginning 25 January, 2011. To end this fear, the military led by General Tantawi and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces must re-evaluate their actions and their orientation towards the people. They should order the release of all protesters arrested by the military since March 9 and others, including Maikel Nabil, who have been tried and convicted in military tribunals. It is not these people who are harming the image of the military, but the military itself by acting against the aspirations of a free people. There is no dishonor in making a mistake or admitting to it. There is dishonor in making a mistake and then refusing to acknowledge it or correct it. The military must reclaim it's own honor by correcting these actions and aligning itself once again with the free people of Egypt.
