Following the court ruling in Egypt a week ago that state security forces must be removed from university campuses, it's not surprising to see that practical objections to the ruling are now being raised.

Mohamed Tawfiq Abul Naga, one of the founders of the university guard squads at Cairo University, has been telling al-Masry al-Youm of the difficulties this might cause:

1. "Extreme groups" could take control of on-campus activities.
2. It could lead to drug-dealing on campus.
3. Private security guards are less well-trained.
4. Using private security firms would be too expensive for the universities.

His solution? Keep the Interior Ministry's guards, but put them in civilian clothes.

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 31 October 2010.

UPDATE, 4 November: For further discussion see this article by Ursula Lindsey in the Chronicle of Higher Education.