In Egypt, a Military Takeover Is Not Imminent

The inability of Egyptian Interior Ministry security forces in Egypt's Mediterranean town of Port Said to put an end to public unrest has forced the army to intervene. The military's intervention in the city, which sits at the mouth of the Suez Canal, is a tactical move and does not suggest an impending general takeover by the army in response to the difficulties of governance facing President Mohammed Morsi. In fact, the constitutional court's March 3 ruling dismissing a petition that challenged the legality of the composition and operations of the Constituent Assembly is yet another indication that Cairo's military-led establishment is in favor of seeing the political transition move forward.