CAIRO - In following developments in the aftermath of an 18-day uprising that brought the rule of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to an end, Mamdouh Qenawi, an opposition activist and a former legislator, still has gnawing doubts. Qenawi, who was actively calling on Mubarak to step down even before the former Air Force commander did this on February 11, says Mubarak's men are still around, posing threats to the fulfilment of the revolt, which began peacefully on January 25, but quickly descended into violence as Mubarak's security men started shooting at demonstrators, killing at least 365 and injuring 5,000. “These people are still able to launch their own revolution to counter the revolution of the people,” Qenawi told The Egyptian Gazette. “This can trigger a civil war in this country.” This is the fear of almost everybody in this country, including the revolutionaries themselves who say that Mubarak's presence inside Egypt, even in the remote resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, poses threats to the revolution. There are scant reports about the ousted president, but some people say he is well and continues to receive briefings about developments in Egypt in his self-imposed exile. Egypt's iconic political analyst Mohamed Hassanein Heikal invited everybody's attention to the dangers inherent in Mubarak's presence inside Egypt in a rare interview with Egyptian TV on Saturday. Heikal, who appeared on State TV for the first time in 40 years, said Mubarak formed what he described as a “counter pole” to the revolution in Sharm el-Sheikh, abetted by tens of businessmen and former government officials who see their life tied to the survival of Mubarak's regime. “This counter pole needs to be eliminated,” Heikal said to the astonishment of millions of viewers. “He can cause problems in the future.” Egyptians tried the bitter taste of these problems a few days before Mubarak's resignation when thousands of thugs, criminals, ex-convicts attended to Al Tahrir Square, a boiling point of anger against Mubarak then, and battled with anti-Mubarak activists. Some people said the convicts were paid by some senior National Democratic Party members who could not reconcile themselves with the downfall of the president. Some newspaper reports also give credence to arguments about the hazards Mubarak's presence in Egypt can wreak on the revolution. On February 18, the Arabic daily Al-Shorouq reported that Mubarak continued to make contacts with some members in the Ahmed Shafiq Government. A Mubarak confidant later said some of the former president's aides kept travelling from Cairo to Sharm el-Sheikh. The confidant said Mubarak had replaced some of his guards on February 16 with others from Cairo. The nature of Sharm el-Sheikh itself makes it a piece of secret for tens of millions in this country. Most Egyptians have not visited the city, while others know about it only through the rumours of fabulous affluence related to it. Heikal says Sharm el-Sheikh is isolated and is close to the sea and the airport in ways that make it a state within the state. Abdel Moneim Kato, a strategic expert, referred to the presence of what he called “enemies” of the revolution. “These people have incurred losses because of the revolt against Mubarak,” he said. “They include former National Democratic Party members, governmental officials, and businessmen,” he said in an interview with Al-Shorouq newspaper. The Chief Prosecutor on Monday referred two former ministers to the criminal court. The Prosecutor is also investigating hundreds of corruption cases against former ministers, businessmen, and former National Democratic Party leaders. Mamdouh Qenawi says these people are ready to do anything to abort the revolution, the thing that means they will not be brought to court on corruption charges that will be filed against them in the future. “Mubarak's entourage will continue to defend him to the last breath,” he said. “The sure thing is that the millions who got out on the street to change Egypt will not go back home before this change is made.”
