Since taking control of Egypt from President Hosni Mubarak on Feb. 11 , the Supreme Military Council has offered only fleeting glimpses of its thinking ? through posts on its official Facebook page. But in a rare interview, two of the 36 members on the council and a third senior general spoke to Washington Post Senior Associate Editor Lally Weymouth about the revolution that ended Mubarak?s 30-year reign and offered their take on the path ahead for Egypt. The generals spoke only on the condition that their names not be published. Here are excerpts from the interview:
Q. Were the Egyptian armed forces aware that the country was moving in a certain direction before the events [of January] took place?
A. The last 10 years gave indications that something was going to happen. In 2011, we thought we would witness change.
Q. It was known that there was a lot of unemployment, food prices were high, and then there was Facebook. What are the things we missed as observers from the outside?
A. It was about the succession of power, Gamal Mubarak, and a lack of social equity ? the erosion of a major part of the middle class. The people who were aware of what was happening were the high-level commanders, not necessarily the middle or the junior.
The demonstrations started on Jan.�25. We went as armed forces to the streets on Jan.�28. We stayed calm and observing until Feb.�11, when former president Mubarak stepped down. The important consideration we bore in mind is that when the legitimacy of the regime is lost, you have to take sides with the Egyptian people.
Q. The armed forces could have taken the side of the president. There must have been a point when you had to decide which way to go.
A. As long as the regime and the people are one unity, the military?s role is to support. [This changes] once we feel there is a crack between these two forces.
Q. Were the upper and lower ranks united in what they wanted to do?
A. Absolutely.
Q. There were no old generals whose loyalty to Mubarak remained strong?
A. At the beginning, we gave the presidential institution the full opportunity to manage events. If it were able to succeed, nothing would have happened. We would have pulled our people back to the barracks. But they were incapable of responding to the events. .?.?. On Feb. 10, there were demonstrations that amounted to millions of people all over the country.
The police and security forces collapsed completely on Jan. 28. [For] 10 days, the country was boiling. [It] made us worry that the country was going into utter chaos. With President Mubarak stepping down from the presidency, the Egyptian armed forces were assigned to run the country. .?.?. The most sacred mission for the Supreme Council is to turn over the country to a civilian authority that is democratically and fairly elected.
Q. Why did you decide to have parliamentary elections so quickly instead of giving some of the newer parties time to form?
A. We wanted to give assurances to the Egyptians that the military is not aspiring for power.
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