Around the World: Chaos in Egypt

by - February 15, 2011


CBS News Correspondent Lara Logan was brutally attacked in Egypt Friday following President Hosni Mubarak's resignation.

Lara was covering the celebration in Tahrir Square for 60 MINUTES. She, her team and their security became surrounded by an out-of-control mob in excess of 200 people.

In the craziness, Lara was separated from the others and became the target of a "brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating."

She was ultimately saved by a group of women and some 20 Egyptian soldiers and reunited with her team, then flown back to the U.S. where she is currently recovering in the hospital.

Mubarak held power in Egypt for three decades on the pretense of a state of emergency. He contends that state of emergency stems from maintaining peace with Israel while allowing Muslim militants reside within the country.

Just from an outsider's perspective, the fact that the people revolted and basically ousted Mubarak from power (he officially stepped down last week) doesn't bode well for a future leader.

I had a conversation with a close friend about this situation last week, and while I know we probably don't have all the answers I sometimes wish the people in power thought the way we sometimes do.

Scholars we're not, but we both agree that this temporary reprieve isn't going to fix the country's problems. The people know what they want, but no leader can give everyone what they want all the time. The Egyptian people have gotten a taste of power, and if history tells us anything it's that the more power people get... the more they want.

All we can do is hope that they can see the progress they want isn't going to come as fast as the results of 18 days of protest.

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1 comments

  1. That's so terrible! I can't believe that happened! Mobs are so scary.

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