In Egypt, the Military Enforces the Law

The Egyptian military currently finds itself with a new duty that could threaten its long-held prestige: domestic law enforcement. Internal security forces, such as the Egyptian National Police and the Central Security Forces, traditionally are responsible for maintaining domestic stability, and for the most part they have done so without the political and economic benefits given to the military. And while the military and the Muslim Brotherhood negotiated the transfer of power after former President Hosni Mubarak's ouster, internal security forces, under the aegis of the Interior Ministry, were alone tasked with subduing an increasingly volatile public that was in the throes of the Arab Spring.

But decades of being used to contain public unrest have undermined the prestige and the authority of the security forces. With institutional morale low, police in several cities have gone on strike, leaving the military to eschew its traditional role as guardian of the state and assume the role of police force. As it comes into direct contact with Egypt's protest movements, the military will be careful to maintain its pre-eminence in the state.