WORRY IN EGYPT – AT 10:46 A.M. ET:   Despite assurances from many "experts," the Islamists are apparently making their move in Egypt, which could have frightening implications for the region, and for the United States.  From The New York Times:

NAHIA, Egypt — Abboud al-Zomor — the former intelligence officer who supplied the bullets that killed President Anwar el-Sadat and is Egypt’s most notorious newly released prisoner — waxes enthusiastic about ending the violent jihad he once led.

“The ballot boxes will decide who will win at the end of the day,” Mr. Zomor said during an interview in his large family compound in this hamlet on Cairo’s western edge. “There is no longer any need for me to use violence against those who gave us our freedom and allowed us to be part of political life.”

In its drive to create a perfect Islamic state, his Islamic Group and other groups like it were once synonymous with some of the bloodiest terrorist attacks in Egypt. But they are now leaping aboard the democracy bandwagon, alarming those who believe that religious radicals are seeking to put in place strict Islamic law through ballots.

The public approval of the constitutional amendments on March 19 provided an early example of Islamist political muscle, the victory achieved in no small part by framing the yes vote as a religious duty. But perhaps the most surprising aspect of the Islamist campaign was the energy invested by religious organizations that once damned the democratic process as a Western, infidel innovation masterminded to undermine God’s laws.

COMMENT:  Let us not forget that a "democratic" election brought Hitler to power, brought Chavez to power in Venezuela, and brought Hamas to power in Gaza.   Free elections do not guarantee great results, nor do they even guarantee the election of those who would preserve the freedom.

And the question of the day still remains, "Who are the rebels of Libya?"  CIA operatives have been placed on Libyan soil to try to determine who.  It is a question we'll be asking throughout the Mideast.  A sectarian Egypt, led by or heavily influenced by, the Muslim Brotherhood would be a tremendous setback for American influence in the region.  Remember that we're still the Great Satan.

We hope the Arab spring doesn't turn into the Islamist winter, but don't bet your living room on a good outcome.

April 2, 2011