Steven Cook describes the background to the protests in Egypt expected to take place later this week:

It is no wonder that the revolutionary groups are going out into the streets. They have a lot to be angry about in addition to the aforementioned slow pace of justice. Indeed, much of what the demonstrators have accomplished since Hosni Mubarak’s fall has been tangibly symbolic without being tangible. To be sure, Mubarak and his sons are in the dock along with a variety of their advisors, henchmen, and corrupt enablers. Yet there is a strong sense of frusrtation among activists that while they were able to topple Hosni et al, the regime they rose up against remains remarkably resilient. They only have to point to the behavior of the police and Central Security Forces to drive home the point that when it comes to the Ministry of Interior at least, not too much has changed. Indeed, people who did Mubarak’s bidding remain firmly entrenched throughout Egypt’s vast bureaucracy. Some are, of course, entirely innocent of the regime’s crimes doing what they had to do to get by in a soul crushing political environment, but others—especially those in important ministries like Interior, Defense, and Finance—are well placed to try to undermine efforts to build a new, decent, political order. In other areas, the revolutionary groups who instigated the uprising have found themselves on the losing side whether it was the March 19 referendum, efforts (so far) to delay parliamentary elections, or the broader effort to establish accountability during the transitional period.

The frustration is understandable, but the reasons for that frustration should also make us remember that Egypt’s military regime has never gone anywhere. The military directly, openly rules the country as it has for roughly the last five months. Before the protesters’ revolution can be “saved,” it first would need to achieve something beyond dethroning of the old ruling family.