CAIRO - I must first state that I do not subscribe to the conspiracy theory. To me, it is an excuse made by weak people to justify their feebleness and mistakes. However, what is taking place in Egypt defies logic and leaves one with no option but to cling to the conspiracy theory. Who stands to benefit from the anarchy hitting Egypt since the ousting of Hosni Mubarak? The most horrifying aspect of this anarchy so far unfolded late last Friday, when thousands of people broke into the Israeli Embassy in Giza and then attempted to storm the nearby Giza Security Directorate. Footage on Egyptian State Television showed young men on the rampage, torching police vehicles and vandalising whatever they could lay their hands on. These acts of sabotage were by no means inspired by the revolution against Mubarak and his 30-year-long regime. Significantly, the violence, which left more than 1,000 people injured and three dead, came a day after two police witnesses testified that former interior minister Habib al-Adli had ordered a deadly crackdown on protesters during the anti-Mubarak uprising. The two witnesses also accused al-Adli of ordering a telecommunications cut on the eve of January 28, popularly known as the Friday of Rage, in order to make it difficult for the protesters to communicate and come together. Their testimony was dramatic and incriminating for al-Adli and his aides. According to the conspiracy theory, al-Adli loyalists instigated the assaults on the Israeli Embassy and the Giza Security Directorate, as a kind of reprisal and to fuel the chaos in the country. In fact, many Egyptians have been feeling insecure since the inexplicable collapse of the police establishment at the peak of the revolt against Mubarak in late January. Repeated promises by the incumbent Interior Minisister, Mansour el-Essawi, and his aides, that security will be restored, remain unfulfilled. It is likely that the recent attacks on the police are meant to deepen this feeling of insecurity across the nation and discourage policemen from doing their job. At the same time, the masterminds behind these incidents have sought to send a message to the outside world that post-revolutionary Egypt is unable to protect diplomatic missions. In the wake of the assault on the Israeli Embassy, several Western countries, including the US, have criticised the Egyptian Government for the violence, urging it to “honour international agreements” and protect foreign diplomatic missions. Meanwhile, part of the blame should be apportioned to the interim Government of Essam Sharaf. Since his appointment in late March, the Government has seemed to be ineffectual. This public perception has increasingly taken root. The Government has failed to handle a series of crises, including the attack on the Israeli Embassy. A statement, released by the Government following a crisis with the ruling Military Council on Saturday, was disappointingly rehashed from previous, lame statements. The Government has threatened tough steps, including the enforcement of emergency measures against anarchists. But this threat rings empty. Over the past six months, similar threats have been hurled at the oulaws. The fact that these threats remain mere ink on paper has emboldened thugs and those loyal to the former regime to flex their muscles. The big casualties are the concept of the State's authority and ordinary people's feeling of security. Egyptians waited anxiously for any governmental or military official to come out and make a convincing statement on the violence outside the Israeli Embassy. But a statement only came at least 16 hours later. And, when it was made public, it sounded poorly worded and confusing – the same old story. Rumour has it that the military rulers are reluctant to give genuine powers to the Sharaf Government, but both sides are keeping mum about this. Nor has the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, in control of Egypt since Mubarak's toppling, offered to outline a detailed plan with a clear timetable for the transitional period in post-Mubarak Egypt. All this confusion and half-heartedness is a prescription for more anarchy. It has proven a windfall to all local and foreign powers lurking in the dark to prolong this country's ordeal.
