Egypt, 2011: The military amid the protesters

Protesters graffiti-ed tanks with anti-government slogans; the 

military did not stop them. This tank says, "Down with Mubarak"

and "No to Mubarak". 

The events of the past two weeks in Egypt have been breathtaking to say the least. Images of tens of thousands of people gathering in Cairo's Tahrir Square, insisting that their voices be heard, have left us inspired, concerned, jubilant and hopeful.  This is the metaphorical public square reified.
But in all of this, I have been left stunned by the maturity shown by Egypt's military.  As the protests began some thirteen days ago, the one issue I was most curious and concerned about was what the response of the military would be to the situation .  Who would they side with? Would we see a brutal and bloody repression of the largely peaceful protests at the hands of the Egyptian armed forces?  If it were so, it would not have been the first time in the history of the modern world when the military had come to the aid of a regime that found itself in a precarious position.  
I certainly breathed a sigh of relief the day that I woke to the news that the Egyptian army had announced it would not fire on protesters.  How easy it would have been for the army to decide that these protests were disrupting a stable political, economic and social environment (which they are), and thus had to be repressed.  How uncomplicated it would have been for it to side with the powers that be.  But in all of this, the Egyptian military has not taken the easy and uncomplicated way out.  It has decided that its job is not to defend the Egyptian regime, but the Egyptian people; that it is a neutral entity when it comes to political stances and changes, and it is not for the military to decide which way the socio-political sands shall be allowed to shift.  

Over the past two weeks we have seen them act as arbiters of order, without ever attempting to muffle the voices of dissent in a sham of orderliness.  They have acted as a bedrock of strength amidst the throngs of protesters, without ever actively flexing its military muscle. There were moments when the seemingly miraculous balance achieved seemed to tip in the direction of violence - all it would have taken was one bullet fired by a uniformed soldier.  But the Egyptian military's promise to the Egyptian people has held.  
I can only hope that this maturity and foresight holds strong in the weeks, months and years ahead, as Egypt and its people undoubtedly face turbulent and uncertain times ahead.  I will watch, with baited breath, to see if the Egyptian military continues to respect its mandate as a defender of the nation's people, and not the brokers of power and authority.