This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Feb. 11, 2011 - WASHINGTON - The dramatic events that unfolded Friday in Cairo represented a promising beginning to Egypt's transition, lawmakers said, but reformers face some daunting challenges to their efforts to transform the regime into a functioning democracy.
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., described President Hosni Mubarak's handover of power to the military as a "critical moment for Egypt and this region. The Egyptian people deserve both stability and freedom. I'm very hopeful this transition allows for both."
Calling Friday's events "an historic moment for the people of Egypt, the Middle East and the world," Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said she joined other lawmakers in wishing for a smooth transition from the repressive regime to a democratic government.
"I hope that the Egyptian military and all key leaders will now work to ensure a peaceful, transparent transition to real democracy and real freedom for Egypt," McCaskill said.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill, said that "Egypt's future is now in the hands of the Egyptian people. The United States stands ready to help them move towards peace and democracy." The second-ranking Senate Democrat, Durbin is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Durbin said he was heartened that the non-violent protests in Egypt proved to be effective. "For more than two weeks, tens of thousands of Egyptians have been peacefully calling for a voice in choosing a representative government," he said in a statement. "Today, with the departure of Mubarak, those calls have been heard."
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., said that Mubarak "made the right decision to step down." He added in a statement: "Now we should support the army and the transitional government to maintain stability, reaffirm the Egyptian-Israeli peace and prevent the radical Muslim Brotherhood from taking power."
Earlier this week, Kirk -- a Naval Reserve intelligence officer -- said he worried that the administration of President Barack Obama was not taking the Muslim Brotherhood as seriously as it should. The Islamist organization has not taken a leading role in the Egyptian protests so far but remains a potential political force.
In recent testimony to Congress, Kirk said, "The director of national intelligence characterized the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt as a secular group. I am concerned that the DNI's assessment does not agree with recent public statements by senior leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood nor does it agree with the organization's publicly stated goals."
In a Senate speech, Kirk said a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood reportedly told an Iranian news network earlier this month that the Suez Canal should be closed and that he "would like to see the Egyptian people prepare for war against Israel."
Kirk also warned that the Brotherhood's 2007 political platform "contained a number of indications on how this organization would govern Egypt if it came to power." A report by the Congressional Research Service said the group's platform "called for the establishment of a board of religious scholars with whom the president and the legislature would have to consult before passing laws" -- a board that one Arab editor compared to the Guardian Council in Iran.
U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said that "the challenges Egypt faces in the days ahead are vast. Instituting democratic reforms will require more than holding free and fair elections -- a difficult undertaking in and of itself -- but real change will require a significant commitment to rule of law and comprehensive institutional reform."
In a statement, Carnahan said he hopes "that Egypt's transitional leaders recognize the importance of an orderly change and take the necessary steps to aid Egyptian society in making these needed reforms." He added that the United States "must stand ready to support an Egyptian-led transition and reform process that respects universal freedoms, human rights, and the democratic aspirations of the Egyptian people."
Added Carnahan: "Egypt has long been a strategic partner for U.S. security interests in the region, and what happens in Egypt has a direct impact on families and businesses in Missouri. This announcement is a positive step, an historic opportunity -- and major challenge -- for the people of Egypt to establish a government that's responsive to their hopes and needs."
In Washington, Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair John Kerry, D-Mass., said in a statement that this country "must help Egyptians turn this democratic moment into a process that builds a government responsive to economic needs as well as demands for freedom."
Sen. John McCain, R-Az., said it was important that representatives of Egypt's pro-democracy parties and other opposition groups be included in the transition government before elections are held.
"Egyptians must be free to exercise their universal rights peacefully -- to speak and express themselves without interference, including over the internet; to organize independent political parties; to register candidates of their choosing for office; and to participate in elections that are free and fair by international standards."