PROTECTED

Heavy Security to Guard Mubarak Trial

5,000 soldiers, 50 tanks to stand outside court.

Is Hosni Mubarak going to trial or war? Egypt's interim military government went to great lengths Tuesday to ensure a safe trial location for the country's former president, who is scheduled to appear before the court Wednesday morning. Some 5,000 soldiers and officers backed by 50 tanks and armored vehicles will guard the route that Mubarak and his fellow defendants, including his two sons, will take to court. Police said barbed wire will surround the police academy to prevent intruders from entering, and that armed forces will stand by the facility's outer fence. The full security plan includes strategies to ensure separation between the 600 people attending the trial and the accused. Mubarak faces charges of corruption and ordering the murder of protesters during February's uprising, which eventually forced the dictator to step down.