A secular, non-islamic, non-violent uprising of the people - just drove out a pro-American, pro-Israeli dictator who'd been well lodged in place for 30 straight years.
al Qeada's entire raison d'etre has just been shot in the goat nads.
Mubarak has Stepped Down and Left, power has been transferred temporarily to the Military and Courts - Democracy has Won. The People have Won, without Firing a Shot - or a single suicide bomber.
Seems to me the only person that got last night dead-on correct, was Rachel Maddow when she stated that Mubarak's proclaimation that he would hand power over to Vice President Suleiman where essentially the words of a pair of ghosts who no longer had any real power. The Military had already decided it would step in, and neither of these guys had anything real to say about it anymore.
But what was even more telling was what Egypt's Ambassador to the U.S. stated.
And what happens when they win?
These people just destroyed every argument that al Qeada and the Taliban have been making for years. (And it also stabs a stake through the heart of those who say the only path to Liberty lies via the use of "Second Amendment Remedies"!) America is NOT the enemy of Islam. America is NOT the enemy of Arab States. We support the people. We support freedom.
Will Egypt attack Israel? I highly doubt it, since their Military depends on our financial support. Will the Muslim Brotherhood take over? Well considering the fact that They threw Zawahiri Out because of his support for Violence - I don't think their going to push forward to take over or try and start a war now.
The concept of Islamic Jihad actually began in Egypt with Syyid Qotb
Qotb tried for years to overthrow Egypt's government only to be imprisoned and eventually executed. Zawahiri who joined Qotb's original Brotherhood when he just 14, was also jailed and eventual exiled.
The Egyptian people have now accomplished in 18 Days what they failed to do for decades.
Not that inconvenient things like facts are going to slow down the panicked hyper-ventalization of the right-wing.
What happened today shows that Hope and Courage can defeat Fear and Terror. We not only face a brand new Egypt, we now face a brand new World where almost anything is possible.
A world where violence to achieve political ends, isn't necessary if you truly have the people on your side and the guts to stand up for your principles.
Vyan