▁short , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Egypt ▁on ▁ 2 8 ▁January . ▁As ▁the ▁commander ▁of ▁an ▁army ▁of ▁ 4 6 8 , 0 0 0 ▁troops , ▁he ▁was ▁considered ▁likely ▁to ▁play ▁a ▁cru cial ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁political ▁uncertainty ▁surrounding ▁the ▁protest s . ▁On ▁ 1 ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁the ▁UK ' s ▁Channel ▁ 4 ▁News ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁was ▁pressing ▁for ▁An an ▁to ▁play ▁a ▁role ▁in ▁coordin ating ▁inter im ▁arrang ements ▁for ▁government ▁in ▁Egypt ▁after ▁H os ni ▁M ub ar ak . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁protest s ▁built ▁momentum ▁into ▁their ▁second ▁week , ▁there ▁was ▁considerable ▁spec ulation ▁whether ▁En an , ▁on ▁one ▁hand , ▁was ▁"' to o ▁close ▁to ▁M ub ar ak ▁to ▁stay ,' ▁[ per ▁... ] ▁G aw dat ▁Bah gat , ▁a ▁professor ▁at ▁National ▁Def ense ▁University ▁in ▁Washington ▁who ▁has ▁worked ▁extens ively ▁with ▁Egypt ian ▁officers ▁att ending ▁the ▁school ," ▁or , ▁on ▁the ▁other , ▁" a ▁trust ed ▁partner . ▁Ret ired ▁Army ▁L t . ▁Gen . ▁R . ▁Steven ▁Whit comb , ▁who ▁o vers aw ▁joint ▁exer cis es ▁with ▁the ▁Egypt ian ▁military ▁while ▁station ed ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁East , ▁invited ▁En an ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁to ▁his ▁home ▁at ▁Fort ▁Mc Ph erson ▁in ▁Atlanta ▁for ▁a ▁private ▁dinner ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁According ▁to ▁Whit comb , ▁En an ▁compla