It is understandable that many Egyptians celebrated Friday when the oppressive rule of President Hosni Mubarak came to an end with his decision to step down and hand over power to the military.
There had been weeks of mass protests against Mubarak -- protests that unfortunately involved violence. Mubarak tried a piecemeal approach to ceding power, handing some authority over to his vice president at one point even as he refused to step down formally. But in the end, the pressure was too much, and he gave up power altogether.
Mubarak was certainly not desirable as president. But it is an open question whether he will be succeeded by leadership that is committed to the personal, political and economic liberty of the Egyptian people, or whether radicals of one variety or another will move into the power vacuum and impose a new tyranny.
We have seen that pattern far too often around the world. In places such as Iran and Cuba, it was assumed that removing one regime would lead to the installation of a more benevolent one. But that was not the case, as Iran today is ruled by terrorist-backing radical Muslims, and Cuba remains an impoverished communist dictatorship.
Not surprisingly, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the rapid changes in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries a sign that Israel is doomed. Ahmadinejad has previously declared that Israel should be wiped off the map.
Alarmingly, one of the most organized groups of protesters in Egypt has been the Muslim Brotherhood, which is closely linked to the terror group Hamas. The Brotherhood seeks to impose Islamic rule in Egypt. A cell of the Brotherhood assassinated Mubarak's predecessor, Anwar Sadat, in part because Sadat had signed a peace treaty with Israel.
So what is going to happen in Egypt now? No one is certain, though people of good will are obviously hoping peace and freedom will prevail. But one thing is certain: The departure of one despot is no guarantee that another despot won't take his place.