Mubarak feeling better, thanks to Mursi failings

After months of rumors that Egypt's former President Hosni Mubarak was at death's door, footage of the toppled leader looking strong and defiant in court on Saturday stunned many who had cared little about his fate.
The 84-year-old Mubarak who is being held at a military hospital in Cairo has been treated for a heart condition, fractured ribs, fluid in the lungs, depression and high blood pressure, according to lawyers and official accounts.
At one point last year he was even declared clinically dead as he slipped into a coma.
There were questions over whether he would appear in court for his scheduled retrial along with his top security chiefs for their alleged complicity in the murder and attempted murder of hundreds of peaceful protesters on Jan. 25-31, 2011.
But on Saturday, Mubarak was in the dock, sitting upright and looking strong. Wearing sunglasses, he waved and smiled at supporters, chatting casually with his two sons Alaa and Gamal who face corruption charges.
In the event, the retrial came to an abrupt end with the main judge stepping aside and sending the case to the Court of Appeal, which will then refer it to a new circuit. "I expected to see a sick old man and I expected to feel sorry for him," said a Cairo resident. “But the pictures of him smiling and waving, they were so provocative.”
His demeanor was in stark contrast to the pictures of a pale and ailing Mubarak at the start of his trial in August 2011. "Mubarak in top form" read the headline of the state-owned Al-Akhbar.
In January, Egypt's highest court, the Court of Cassation, ordered a retrial for Mubarak after accepting an appeal against his life sentence, citing procedural failings.
Former Interior Minister Habib Al-Adly had also been sentenced to life for his involvement in the deaths of the protesters, but controversially his security chiefs were acquitted, sparking widespread anger and protests after the verdict in June.
President Muhammad Mursi, who won elections last June on the Muslim Brotherhood's ticket, had pledged new trials for former regime officials, including Mubarak, implicated in the protesters' deaths.
But Mursi's presidency has been plagued by unrest and deadly clashes between protesters and police, a revolt in the canal cities, sectarian violence and a devastating economic crisis, in what many fear is taking Egypt to the brink.
Mubarak had long warned that if he were to step down, chaos would sweep the country. Some say that a feeling of vindication may explain his attitude in court.
A cartoon in Al-Tahrir shows the trial judge asking Mubarak where his lawyer is. "Why do I need a lawyer or defense? Mursi, bless him, has done a great job,” Mubarak replies.