The confusion by the west and the international community over what is happening in Egypt, from the deposing of the elected president, Mohamed Morsi, recalls the confusion that prevailed in the west when the Algerian Army halted parliamentary elections in 1992, because it seemed the polls would be won by the FIS had they taken place. In Egypt the army intervened because the people were in the street, demanding Morsi's ouster. The millions who turned out objected to how Morsi ran the country and his failure to meet the demands of the people, who were asking for better economic conditions, freedom and democracy. Morsi preferred to see the Muslim Brotherhood's dominance over the country in all sectors. The west's confusion, and its saying that the democratic election path should continue in Egypt, result from the fear of seeing the army re-take power, as a military dictatorship that moves the country away from the democratic course. At the same time, the west certainly enjoys the departure of the Muslim Brotherhood regime, because most western countries are afraid of Islamists. This was clear during Morsi's short term, when the world's leaders did not rush to receive him. Egypt's ending of Morsi's presidency and the Muslim Brotherhood's dominance came about because of a popular demand and the help of the army, which was obliged to intervene. Had it not, Egypt would have been threatened with strife and civil war. The biggest challenge today before the next government, the country's democratic groups, and the transitional president, is to try and improve the economic situation, which should be a priority, along with stable security conditions. Economic reports by the International Monetary Fund indicate that the economy's conditions in Egypt have deteriorated gradually since the uprising of 2011, which has increased tension in Egyptian society. Neither the civilians nor the army have managed to restore confidence in the Egyptian economy, and the continuing decline in security conditions has halted investment. Morsi was hesitant about reaching an agreement with the IMF before the parliamentary elections, because this would be costly for the Brotherhood in electoral terms. Any agreement with the IMF would require reforms that remove some subsidies and increase taxes. The reforms required by the IMF require a stable government and political consensus, which were absent under Morsi. Now, the transitional government, its prime minister and the transitional president and his deputy face a great challenge. The speeding up of drafting a convincing economic plan for the country and the outside world is the most difficult challenge. This is especially because the country is unstable and the international community is confused; when the world's leaders reiterate the need to continue the democratic process, this should be accompanied by an international awareness that during this phase, the army will have to ban the Brotherhood, which was excluded from power, from spreading chaos and instability. If not, no one will be succeed in improving the country's economic conditions, no matter how competent or professional in dealing with the outside world – whether this is Vice President Mohammad El-Baradei, who enjoys considerable international respect, the prime minister, Hazem El-Beblawi, or the foreign minister, Nabil Fahmy, a diplomatic figure who is reassuring to the international community and especially the United States, where he served for a long time as a skilled ambassador. This team, even if they are transitional officials, faces a great mission, because the huge challenge is security, the basis for improving the economy. The army will certainly have to pay attention to respecting human rights and this is not a trait of the military, which was established under past dictatorships. During this phase, the armed forces must take note that the essential thing is to bring security to Egypt. But the west and the international community must encourage the new transitional leadership quickly, support it, and prompt it to improve the economy, attract foreign investments, and encourage the return of tourism, even if conditions remain difficult. The departure of Morsi from power in Egypt presents an opportunity that should be welcomed; the international community should not be cautious and confused, after his utter failure to satisfy many Egyptians. A recent joke tells it all. A pro-opposition person tells a Morsi supporter, who is explaining his point of view that Morsi was elected for four years and should finish his term, the following: "But if you bought a can of fava beans (ful) with a four-year expiration date and opened it and found it to be rotten, what would you do? You'd throw it in the garbage." Morsi's Egypt failed, despite the support from the US and Qatar. A transitional period should now allow Egypt to make a qualitative leap, and this is the big challenge. Syrian President Bashar Assad welcomed the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, and this is part of his attempt to tell the confused west: "My regime is a guarantee against the Brotherhood." But this is a big miscalculation, as he always has, trying to turn the matter into simply and Islamist one. Recent news has talked about his getting ready to naturalize thousands of Shiites in the governorate of Swaida, most followers of Hezbollah in Lebanon and in Iraq. It is a recipe for sectarian strife, which Assad hopes for, to tell the international community that he is the guarantee of having a non-Islamic state. In fact he is the guarantee for the break-up of Syria, and the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt does not change the wager that Assad's regime and policies will collapse, with certainty, even if it takes a while.
