No problem with them backing up judicial outcomes (though the police might be a better option), but when the army are seen to be making the decisions, the outcome is unlikely to be positive.

True, but its clear from the previous round of protests that led to the introduction if democracy that the Egyptian police force is very unlikely to be able to 'police' mass demonstrations (or violence) in any meaningful way.

As soon as the army has to be used you're going to have problems. An army is by definition not a police force - its members are supposed to be ready and willing to use lethal force. The British army didn't cover itself in glory in NI either.

BTW did anyone see that horrific footage of those teenagers being murdered on top of a building CNN? Even edited it was awful, and a reminder of what at least a few of the people are like who the army was facing.

Bottom line is that this all shows that simply introducing 'democracy' via having an election does not represent a job well done. Written constitutions, agreed and clearly delimited roles and responsibilities for army, police, judiciary etc are equally as important as having a free vote. Without those structures, everybody ends up making it up as they go along, often with poor results.

What was going through the soldier's minds this time when they slaughtered over five hundred people?

Two separate incidents. Fuck you're dumb.

So you're finally condemning the actions of the military then? Not trotting out your rubbish about them being in fear as justification for mass murder?

I gave you an example on how the situation could have arose, having found myself in a similar situation like that a few years ago.

You trying to link the 2 separate situation together in the same post is typical of an ill informed wit.

So there was definitely no fear this time then, no justification whatsoever.

Justified?

They'll have been plenty of fear on both sides.

Just goes to show that having a dictator is a very good way of keeping the country under control. Gaddafi, Hussein and the 1st equation pm who was jailed.

Egyptian

No, it goes to show that removing a dictator is only step 1 and that a political vacuum will suck in all sorts of opportunists chancing it.

I imagine that even if they wanted to disobey orders, they were fully aware of the fate of many syrian troops who refused to fire on civilians.

And from plenty of footage it wasn't just soldiers doing the slaughtering.