NEW VIOLENCE IN EGYPT – AT 10:01 A.M. ET:  Just when we thought Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times had this one put away and wrapped up as a victory for the common man, reality intervenes.  How unfair:

Egyptian soldiers armed with clubs and rifles have stormed Cairo's Tahrir Square in a pre-dawn raid that reportedly killed at least two people, reigniting the simmering tensions in the country.

Video footage showed hundreds of troops firing weapons and charging in large numbers into the square to clear it.

Tahrir Square – which for 18 days was the centre of the Egyptian revolution that ousted President Hosni Mubarak — was occupied again on Friday by hundreds of thousands of Egyptians calling for Mubarak to be put on trial, and for the head of the army, Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, who is the titular head of state, to be removed.

Many demonstrators were demanding that the army council be replaced by a civilian one during a transitional period to democracy, accusing the military of protecting members of the former regime.

The huge turnout followed growing fears that the revolution had been hijacked by the army.

Witnesses in the square said the raid was led by a mixture of army, police and internal security forces. About 300 soldiers swept into the square at around 3am, backed by 20-30 military trucks. Witnesses said firing continued in the square until around 5.30am on Saturday.

COMMENT:  Egypt is the most important Arab nation, culturally.  We cheered the revolution, but, like many revolutions, the reality may not be that pretty.

In addition to this story of renewed violence, there are new reports of Islamist groups making their move before the fall elections.  They may not win outright, but will exert far more influence in Egypt than they did under Mubarak.

What will the Egyptian people gain?  Maybe we should also ask what they will lose.  So far, the signs aren't brilliant, and the peace between Egypt and Israel, a key ingredient of American foreign policy in the region, seems more fragile than ever. 

Viva the revolution.  Yeah.

April 9, 2011