Foreigners in Egypt: watch or flee?

By N.B. | WASHINGTON, DC

EGYPT is in open revolt against the 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak. Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets this week, and many people have been hurt and killed in clashes between protesters and security forces. The end-game seems to be approaching rapidly, and multiple governments have announced travel advisories or promised to evacuate their citizens from Egypt. CNN reports that America and Turkey are planning to fly their citizens out, while the Washington Post has a fascinating story on Iraq's—yes, Iraq's—offer to return its citizens to the safety of Baghdad. (That's a weird sentence to write.)

The UK foreign office, meanwhile, has advised British citizens not to travel to Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, or Suez. But they're also asking the estimated 30,000 British citizens already in Egypt to "stay put." So what should you do if you're already in country? The Atlantic's Jeff Goldberg has a suggestion:

It is understandable that Americans, and others, might want to listen to the State Department and leave Cairo in a hurry, but there is an alternative, which is to stay in Cairo and watch history unfold. These demonstrations are directed against one person; they are not directed against Americans, or any other national group. Here's proof, from Israeli tour guide Amos Abidov:

"The attitude towards us as Israelis and tourist is very friendly. Actually, they're overly nice compared to my previous visits in Egypt. The Egyptians want to explain themselves, to tell everyone about their struggle. They speak Arabic over here so it's easy to communicate with them. On Friday we went right past the demonstrations on our way back from the pyramids, and people helped us get though the crowd."

The first instinct, to run from these situations, isn't always the best instinct. This doesn't mean people shouldn't be cautious and alert for mood changes, but often there is little reason to run away like mice.

The situation in Egypt could still end in a massacre. It could also end peacefully. For the adventurous, risk-takers, and thrill-seekers, it will be hard to resist the urge to stay in-country to witness a world historical event. Mr Goldberg's colleague Max Fisher asks: "If you're in Cairo right now, would you really want to flee instead of observing history?" Well, would you?