Egyptian Revolution

[Lamarr]

Biden Says Egypt's Mubarak No Dictator, He Shouldn't Step Down

You know, his comment really does clear things up for me. In essence, he said Mubarak is not a dictator because he promotes our policy in the region. If he opposed our policy in the region, then he WOULD be a dictator and regime change would be appropriate.

Source

Joe Biden says Egypt's Mubarak no dictator, he shouldn't step down...... and wonders what the Egyptian protesters want.Vice President Joe Biden spoke to the PBS NewsHour tonight with the most direct US governent comments yet about the gathering Egypt protests against President Hosni Mubarak's 29-year reign.

Mr. Biden's comments are unlikely to be well-received by regime opponents, as they fit a narrative of steadfast US support for a government they want to bring down. About eight protesters and one policeman have died this week as Egypt has sought to bring down the heavy hand of the state against opponents. Since the US provides about $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt a year, the repressive apparatus of the state is seen by many in Egypt as hand in glove with the US.

Tonight in Cairo, activists said that internet service was being systematically blocked, as was the use of instant messages on local cellphones, despite repeated calls from the US State Department for Egypt to allow social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to remain available to the nation's people. Egypt is bracing for a showdown tomorrow. Organizers have called for massive protests against the regime after noon prayers on Friday, seeking to build on the unprecedented wave of public demonstrations this week calling for an end to Mubarak's rule.

Whether the protests will be as large as democracy activists hope is an open question. Overnight in Egypt, the government was doing everything it could to head them off.

Ahead of a day that could prove decisive, NewsHour host Jim Lehrer asked Biden if the time has "come for President Mubarak of Egypt to go?" Biden answered: "No. I think the time has come for President Mubarak to begin to move in the direction that – to be more responsive to some... of the needs of the people out there."

Asked if he would characterize Mubarak as a dictator Biden responded: “Mubarak has been an ally of ours in a number of things. And he’s been very responsible on, relative to geopolitical interest in the region, the Middle East peace efforts; the actions Egypt has taken relative to normalizing relationship with – with Israel. … I would not refer to him as a dictator.”

He also appeared to make one of the famous Biden gaffes, in comments that could be interpreted as questioning the legitimacy of protesters' demands. Monitor Cairo correspondent Kristen Chick, other reporters in the country, and activists have generally characterized the main calls of demonstrators as focused on freedom, democracy, an end to police torture, and a more committed government effort to address the poverty that aflicts millions of Egyptians.

Biden urged non-violence from both protesters and the government and said: "We’re encouraging the protesters to – as they assemble, do it peacefully. And we’re encouraging the government to act responsibly and – and to try to engage in a discussion as to what the legitimate claims being made are, if they are, and try to work them out." He also said: "I think that what we should continue to do is to encourage reasonable... accommodation and discussion to try to resolve peacefully and amicably the concerns and claims made by those who have taken to the street. And those that are legitimate should be responded to because the economic well-being and the stability of Egypt rests upon that middle class buying into the future of Egypt."

Egypt's protesters, if they're paying attention to Biden at all, will certainly be wondering which of their demands thus far have been illegitimate.

 

[Upgrade Dave]

Re: Biden Says Egypt's Mubarak No Dictator, He Shouldn't Step Down


This is the difference between Biden and Obama. Obama's threading a needle in supporting Mubarek, but not absolutely, and empathizing with the protesters. Joe just jumps out there.

Expect a "clarification" soon.

 

[MASTERBAKER]

Barrack Hussein Obama responds to Egyptian uprising

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[QueEx]

Re: Biden Says Egypt's Mubarak No Dictator, He Shouldn't Step Down

Not new for Joe; off-the-cuff remarks. He serves(d) his purpose in the administeration - but obviously measured remarks is not his forte.

QueEx

 

[ronmch20]

Re: Biden Says Egypt's Mubarak No Dictator, He Shouldn't Step Down

Well Joe, what would YOU call a person who maintains power through rigged elections for over 30 years?

 

[QueEx]

Re: Biden Says Egypt's Mubarak No Dictator, He Shouldn't Step Down

Well Joe, what would YOU call a person who maintains power through rigged elections for over 30 years?

Damn ronmch. Thats a hard question.

Lemme see . . . . the leader of:

- China?

- Russia?

- United States 2004?

- Iran?

- North Korea?

- over half the governments of the world?

- all of the above and a lot more?​

LOL

QueEx

 

[QueEx]

 

[QueEx]

<font size="4">
Secretary Clinton: “Reform Is Absolutely
Critical to the Well-Being of Egypt”</font size>


DipNote
January 28, 2011



"We continue to monitor the situation very closely. We are deeply concerned
about the use of violence by Egyptian police and security forces against
protestors, and we call on the Egyptian Government to do everything in its
power to restrain the security forces. At the same time, protesters should
also refrain from violence and express themselves peacefully.

<SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">"As we have repeatedly said, we support the universal human rights of the
Egyptian people, including the right to freedom of expression, of association
and of assembly. We urge the Egyptian authorities to allow peaceful protests
and to reverse the unprecedented steps it has taken to cut off
communications. These protests underscore that there are deep grievances
within Egyptian society, and the Egyptian Government needs to understand
that violence will not make these grievances go away."

"As President Obama said yesterday, reform is absolutely critical to the well
being of Egypt.</span> Egypt has long been an important partner of the United
States on a range of regional issues. As a partner, <SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">we strongly believe that
the Egyptian Government needs to engage immediately with the Egyptian
people in implementing needed economic, political, and social reforms.</span> We
continue to raise with the Egyptian Government, as we do with other
governments in the region, the imperative for reform and greater openness
and participation to provide a better future for all. <SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">We want to partner with
the Egyptian people and their government to realize their aspirations to live
in a democratic society that respects basic human rights.</span>

http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/entry/clinton_egypt_reform

 

[nittie]

The media is calling this a Egyptian revolution when in fact there's uprisings across the Middle East. It seems like they want to confine it to Egypt and stop it from spreading. If it spreads across the region govts could fall like dominoes. There's no telling what might happen if say a unified Middle East emerges with countries like Iran and Pakistan as its leaders.

 

[Sango]

The media is calling this a Egyptian revolution when in fact there's uprisings across the Middle East. It seems like they want to confine it to Egypt and stop it from spreading. If it spreads across the region govts could fall like dominoes. There's no telling what might happen if say a unified Middle East emerges with countries like Iran and Pakistan as its leaders.

How would it be possible for Iran to emerge as a leader of this movement, when it is based on the fight against inequality, for basic freedoms, and against corruption?

 

[nittie]

How would it be possible for Iran to emerge as a leader of this movement, when it is based on the fight against inequality, for basic freedoms, and against corruption?

What movement. What's happening in the Middle East hasn't been defined yet that's what the media is trying to do. Is this a regional movement or revolutions in different countries. If it is a movement and it does lead to a unified Arabic nation it would be a Muslim nation which means Iran could emerge as it's leader as well as any other Muslim nation.

 

[Lamarr]

The Effects of Quantitative Easing

Riots caused by high prices are the result of US Fed policies

Milan (AsiaNews) – AsiaNews recently published a number of articles on rising food prices, especially in China[1] and India[2], Asia’s two largest economies, raising alarm bells about potential turmoil. Countries like Laos, Oman and Jordan have already experienced riots over the cost of food staples. Higher fuel prices have sparked popular unrest elsewhere. News about such incidents have not come from Asia alone; in fact, every continent has been affected. For example, roadblocks have been set up in Chile, a country shaped as a long strip wedged along South America, where transportation costs and fuel prices are very important. Similar incidents have been reported in Bolivia where the cost of petrol jumped 86 per cent on 26 December.

In North Africa, the rising cost for semolina wheat, the basic ingredient in the region’s main food staple, couscous, has led to riots in the streets of Algeria and caused disgruntlement in Morocco. In Tunisia, whose president fled (with 1.5 tonnes of gold), the government resigned. What started out as widespread dissatisfaction appears to be turning into a popular revolution. Something like it is feared in Egypt[3] where customs officials have recently stopped 59 shipments of gold before they left the country, a sign that some people have lost confidence in those in power and are willing to risk confiscation and smuggling charges.

Please read more

 

[Lamarr]

Let's see, which country will be next..................Yemen?

 

[Sango]

What movement. What's happening in the Middle East hasn't been defined yet that's what the media is trying to do. Is this a regional movement or revolutions in different countries. If it is a movement and it does lead to a unified Arabic nation it would be a Muslim nation which means Iran could emerge as it's leader as well as any other Muslim nation.

I'm not really interested in what the media is trying to do, but this is a movement(The progression of events, a series of actions and events). You described it as an uprising, which it is as well, but whatever the outcome this will change that region. It may lead to a Muslim nation of varying beliefs of freedoms and rights, considering what seems to be the underlying purpose for the people taking to the streets. That's why I don't believe that Iran could emerge as its leader.

 

[nittie]

I'm not really interested in what the media is trying to do, but this is a movement(The progression of events, a series of actions and events). You described it as an uprising, which it is as well, but whatever the outcome this will change that region. It may lead to a Muslim nation of varying beliefs of freedoms and rights, considering what seems to be the underlying purpose for the people taking to the streets. That's why I don't believe that Iran could emerge as its leader.

I don't think it's a movement. The article Lamarr posted probably sums up whats happening. People are tired of fat cats living large at their expense and they are taking it too the streets. The govts could easily quiet this by having food give-aways or something like that. A global movement could emerge from this if it turns into the poor overtaking the rich Dr King, Malcolm, Ghandi and almost every other cultural leader have predicted something like that would happen.

 

[Lamarr]

A global movement could emerge from this if it turns into the poor overtaking the rich Dr King, Malcolm, Ghandi and almost every other cultural leader have predicted something like that would happen.

These oligarchs aint got a clue about whats goin on out here! As illustrated in Biden's comments

Joe Biden says Egypt's Mubarak no dictator, he shouldn't step down......and wonders what the Egyptian protesters want.

Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

 

[nittie]

People everywhere are realizing govts are ponzi schemes. Pyramid societies with pyramid wealth distribution. Those people in power are not wealthy because of business acumen they are rich because they feed on working people's tax dollars. It's going to play out one day and when it does Katie bar the door lol.

 

[thoughtone]

Does anyone understand the connect between the attacks of the USS Cole, the World Trade Towers and other attempts and the protests in Tunisia and Egypt?


source: Huffington Post

Obama Administration Cut Funding To Promote Democracy In Egypt, Disappointing Human Rights Activists


NEW YORK -- President Obama's historic speech at Cairo University galvanized millions of people across the Arab world with its inspiring message of peace and brotherhood among Muslims. And his stirring endorsement of democracy gave hope to many Egyptians that his words would ring in a new era, helping pressure their own government to hold free and fair elections and to adhere to the rule of law.

But when it comes to backing up the president's rhetoric since that speech in June 2009, the administration has a decidedly mixed record and has disappointed many Egyptians, foreign policy experts tell The Huffington Post. Though Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has championed human rights around the world and American diplomats have quietly encouraged political and legal reforms in Egypt, when it comes to promoting democracy in the riot-torn country, efforts have generally been less aggressive than the Bush administration's. On Friday, amidst violent protests, longtime leader Hosni Mubarak announced the resignation of Egypt's government.

In its first year, the Obama administration cut funding for democracy and governance programming in Egypt by more than half, from $50 million in 2008 to $20 million in 2009 (Congress later appropriated another $5 million). The level of funding for civil society programs and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) was cut disproportionately, from $32 million to only $7 million. Though funding levels for 2010 are not yet available, they are expected to show an increase to $14 million, says Stephen McInerny, the director of advocacy at the Project on Middle East Democracy. He notes that the Bush administration slashed economic aid to Egypt in the 2009 budget but kept the funding for democracy and governance programs constant, while Obama cut funding to those programs in an effort to make the cuts more proportional and under pressure from the American embassy in Cairo.

The White House and the State Department did not return emails for comment.

In addition, the administration limited funding only to NGOs registered with the Egyptian government, oversees such groups broadly and can dissolve them for violations like receiving foreign funding. Most human rights groups are not registered with the government, according to an Egyptian academic interviewed by the U.S. Embassy. The widely-criticized change, taken in the wake of intense pressure from Egyptian officials for the U.S. to stop funding non-registered groups, reversed a Bush-era policy of funding all NGOs and civil society programs.

"The speech in Cairo raised expectations a lot that a new era was near with sustained support for human rights and dignity" said Bruce K. Rutherford, the author of "Egypt After Mubarak: Liberalism, Islam and Democracy." "The administration chose not to follow through on that for a variety of reasons, cutting the support for civil society programs in half, etc. There was the perception that he did the opposite of what he said he would do and there is anger and disillusionment at the U.S. and Obama in general among almost everyone I talk to in Egypt."

The new administration limited funding to human rights groups in an effort to repair its relationship with the Egyptian government, which was damaged during the Bush years, says McInerny. "There was a real priority to improve relations in the area after the tumult of the previous eight years."

Former U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Nicholas Veliotes agreed with that assessment, noting that the failure of Bush's public pressure campaign was most evident in a State of the Union speech during which the former president explicitly called out Mubarak. "That backfired completely -- the only thing that Mubarak could do under those circumstances was to hunker down. If he did cave and do the right thing, he'd be accused of doing it for the wrong reasons," he said.

But the new administration started off on the wrong foot, says McInerny. "One of the big mistakes was adopting this policy of USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) funding only going to organizations that were registered," he says. "Privately, the administration realizes that but they still have that policy." McInerny feels that the administration improved its policy on such issues in its second year. "They sent some really bad signals the first year and since then they've realized their mistakes and are doing a much better job on civil society issues."

The administration emphasized establishing warmer ties with Egypt to avoid the public "name and shame" tactics of Bush, while urging political reforms in private, according to diplomatic cables posted by WikiLeaks on Friday.

American efforts to promote democracy are viewed skeptically by Mubarak, the U.S. Embassy in Cairol told Clinton in a cable shortly before the Egyptian leader's visit to Washington in May 2009.

"We have heard him lament the results of earlier U.S. efforts to encourage reform in the Islamic world," says the cable. "He can harken back to the Shah of Iran: the U.S. encouraged him to accept reforms, only to watch the country fall into the hands of revolutionary religious extremists. Wherever he has seen these U.S. efforts, he can point to the chaos and loss of stability that ensued."

Former diplomats contacted by Huffington Post felt that the current administration is doing its best under difficult circumstances. They noted that Egypt is of vital importance and has been instrumental as a U.S. ally in the region on Israel-Palestinian issues, the Iraq War and containing Iranian ambitions. "It is the largest culturally important Arab country and our number one political ally in the region," said David Mack, the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs from 1990 to 1993. "Egyptians have always been there and they are essential to US strategic concerns -- you deal with reality and you don't necessarily have the choice of who it is that you're talking to."

As for democracy and human rights, Mack says it's a matter of tactics, since the American position has always been clear. "Bush was very public in his human rights agenda, and he embraced this with regard to Egypt, and I don't fault Obama for trying to deal with this differently," he said. Calling it a difficult balance between regional stability and promoting democracy, Mack criticized those "who say we have to be absolutely consistent from country to country -- as they say, consistency is the hobgoblin of inferior minds."

The State Department's mission is not just the promotion of human rights but in protecting American interests, says Veliotes. "One of which is democracy, but that is by no means the only one -- they're also concerned about regional stability." Veliotes emphasizes that the current turmoil in Egypt is a complicated situation, recalling that when he served as ambassador from 1983 to 1986, Mubarak represented a hopeful future, holding free parliamentary elections and freeing many prisoners (one of whom, Muslim Brotherhood leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, went on to become the number-two in al-Qaeda). At the time, he says Mubarak told him that he only wanted to serve two terms. "Obviously things have changed a lot but you can't push too hard or you'll just piss them off. I happen to believe that Clinton and Obama are handling this as well as they can."

Egyptian-American Aladdin Elaasar, who says he has not been able to contact his sister in Cairo in recent days due to phone outages and the government's Internet shutdown, was much more critical of the White House for failing to "see the writing on the wall."

The author of "The Last Pharaoh: Mubarak and the Uncertain Future of Egypt in the Obama Age," Elaasar says that Obama's policy on the country is worse than Bush's. "At least Bush talked about the whole Middle East, winning hearts and minds. When Obama came and chose to deliver that speech in Cairo, that was great, but it sent a mixed message. They saw him shaking hands with Mubarak -- he talked about democracy and all that, but nothing has happened," he said, pointing out the country's huge youth population that remains alienated and often unemployed.

The cables also reveal new details about Egypt's judicial system and their government's defensiveness when questioned by American diplomats. When an embassy staffer asked top Egyptian security official General Abdel Rahman about police brutality and prison conditions, Rahman asserted that the Interior Ministry State Security (SSIS) "has not abused prisoners 'in the past ten years' and claimed "there are no problems with prison conditions."

Elsewhere, the cables upend that claim with widespread citations of abuse, including police officers assaulting and sodomizing prisoners. One of the cables describes the arrest of a government clerk for writing poetry that insulted Mubarak -- he was sentenced to three years in prison. One human rights activist said "unrelenting pressure" on police officers led to a climate where "to conduct murder investigations, police will round up 40 to 50 suspects from a neighborhood and hang them by their arms from the ceiling for weeks until someone confesses."

Often, Egyptian officials mocked U.S. pressure on human rights. Rahman complained that "communists and extremists" dominated the NGOs and human rights organizations. One ministry official "wondered whether the U.S. was under 'external pressure' to be more 'hawkish' on human rights in Egypt or whether the U.S. intervention was 'retribution' for U.S.-Egyptian differences over procedure" during the Israeli peace process, according to a cable sent in February 2009.

In meetings with Egyptian security officials in early 2009, Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Labor Michael Posner "stressed that U.S. human rights policy is based on principled engagement, universal standards and a recognition that reform will come from internal actors." To demonstrate the new administration's commitment to human rights, Posner cited President Obama's announcement "on his second day in office to close Guantanamo."

 

[Chitownheadbusa]

The US has a history of supporting Dictators until the oppressed people within that country somewhat gain the upper hand. If the people of Egypt didnt "somewhat" gain the upper hand, then the Obama Admin wouldnt have even started talking about cutting Aid i.e. Aid that his Admin and previous Admins knew was being mismanaged and used to oppress the people of Egypt, talking about reform, etc. It wouldve been business as usual...and most of you know this.

Revolts can be contagious...especially during times whereas people all over the globe are slowly but surely realizing that theyve been getting fucked by the people they did or didnt vote for, corporations, etc.

The American people need to take note of this sort of response by the US and use it to their advantage. Considering the limited freedoms that we do have...if there was ever a TRUE revolt here in the states....IMO... it would be felt World wide.

Much respect to the people of Egypt and elsewhere that are doing what the American people need to but are too stupid & scared to do.

 

[Upgrade Dave]

People everywhere are realizing govts are ponzi schemes. Pyramid societies with pyramid wealth distribution. Those people in power are not wealthy because of business acumen they are rich because they feed on working people's tax dollars. It's going to play out one day and when it does Katie bar the door lol.

Will never happen here. The corporations and government have it so wrapped up they get working class people to do the fighting for them. How else do you explain people on Medicare and Social Security rallying against health care/health insurance reform? How else can you explain no public outcry for the prosecution of Bush, Cheney and anyone else complicit in their many transgressions?

The US has a history of supporting Dictators until the oppressed people within that country somewhat gain the upper hand. If the people of Egypt didnt "somewhat" gain the upper hand, then the Obama Admin wouldnt have even started talking about cutting Aid i.e. Aid that his Admin and previous Admins knew was being mismanaged and used to oppress the people of Egypt, talking about reform, etc. It wouldve been business as usual...and most of you know this.

Revolts can be contagious...especially during times whereas people all over the globe are slowly but surely realizing that theyve been getting fucked by the people they did or didnt vote for, corporations, etc.

The American people need to take note of this sort of response by the US and use it to their advantage. Considering the limited freedoms that we do have...if there was ever a TRUE revolt here in the states....IMO... it would be felt World wide.

Much respect to the people of Egypt and elsewhere that are doing what the American people need to but are too stupid & scared to do.

 

[nittie]

Will never happen here. The corporations and government have it so wrapped up they get working class people to do the fighting for them. How else do you explain people on Medicare and Social Security rallying against health care/health insurance reform? How else can you explain no public outcry for the prosecution of Bush, Cheney and anyone else complicit in their many transgressions?

We live in a adversarial society most people want to see the next guy get dogged out as long as it doesn't happen to them. Throw in racism and status and we are fucked. We will never find issues to unite us against the system. We will always be divided and conquered unless gas reaches $5.00 a gallon then something might jumpoff.

 

[Lamarr]

Will never happen here. The corporations and government have it so wrapped up they get working class people to do the fighting for them. How else do you explain people on Medicare and Social Security rallying against health care/health insurance reform? How else can you explain no public outcry for the prosecution of Bush, Cheney and anyone else complicit in their many transgressions?

Never say never, IMO, the bankers, govts, & multinational corps are playing the divide & conquer game. So yes, right now, we are a fractured society. When we wake up one day broke & figure out that these oligarchs have fucked over the whole world, then we will have an oppurtunity to make the world a better place (and bring the responsible parties to justice). Until then, I see more chaos & it is intensifying around the globe.

One sick-azz game with each party covering for one another! Kucinich had enough balls to present the Articles of Impeachment to impeach the most-impeachable President in history, the rest of the Dems sat on their hands

 

[Race Harley]

CNN just reported an hour ago that 1000 prisoners broke out near Cairo. Guess they're going to join in on the protest and looting. Break out the popcorn, shit's only going to get funkier the longer Mubarak stays in power.

 

[QueEx]

<font size="5"><center>
The Egyptian Unrest: A Special Report</font size></center>



Strategic Forecasting (STRATFOR)
Global Intelligence Report
January 29, 2011


Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak remains the lifeblood of the demonstrators, who still number in the tens of thousands in downtown Cairo and in other major cities, albeit on a lesser scale. After being overwhelmed in the Jan. 28 Day of Rage protests, Egypt’s internal security forces — with the anti-riot paramilitaries of the Central Security Forces (CSF) at the forefront — were glaringly absent from the streets Jan. 29. They were replaced with rows of tanks and armored personnel carriers carrying regular army soldiers. Unlike their CSF counterparts, the demonstrators demanding Mubarak’s exit from the political scene largely welcomed the soldiers. Despite Mubarak’s refusal to step down Jan. 28, the public’s positive perception of the military, seen as the only real gateway to a post-Mubarak Egypt, remained. It is unclear how long this perception will hold, especially as Egyptians are growing frustrated with the rising level of insecurity in the country and the army’s limits in patrolling the streets.

There is more to these demonstrations than meets the eye. The media will focus on the concept of reformers staging a revolution in the name of democracy and human rights. These may well have brought numerous demonstrators into the streets, but revolutions, including this one, are made up of many more actors than the liberal voices on Facebook and Twitter.

After three decades of Mubarak rule, a window of opportunity has opened for various political forces — from the moderate to the extreme — that preferred to keep the spotlight on the liberal face of the demonstrations while they maneuver from behind. As the Iranian Revolution of 1979 taught, the ideology and composition of protesters can wind up having very little to do with the political forces that end up in power. Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood (MB) understands well the concerns the United States, Israel and others share over a political vacuum in Cairo being filled by Islamists. The MB so far is proceeding cautiously, taking care to help sustain the demonstrations by relying on the MB’s well-established social services to provide food and aid to the protesters. It simultaneously is calling for elections that would politically enable the MB. With Egypt in a state of crisis and the armed forces stepping in to manage that crisis, however, elections are nowhere near assured. What is now in question is what groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and others are considering should they fear that their historic opportunity could be slipping.


<font size="4">The Military Card</font size>

One thing that has become clear in the past several hours is a trend that STRATFOR has been following for some time in Egypt, namely, the military’s growing clout in the political affairs of the state. Former air force chief and outgoing civil aviation minister Ahmed Shafiq, who worked under Mubarak’s command in the air force (the most privileged military branch in Egypt), has been appointed prime minister and tasked with forming the new government. Outgoing Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman, who has long stood by Mubarak, is now vice president, a spot that has been vacant for the past 30 years. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi (who oversees the Republican Guard) and Egypt’s chief of staff of the armed forces, Lt. Gen. Sami Annan — who returned to Cairo Jan. 29 after a week of intense discussions with senior U.S. officials — are likely managing the political process behind the scenes. More political shuffles are expected, and the military appears willing for now to give Mubarak the time to arrange his political exit. Until Mubarak finally does leave, the unrest in the streets is unlikely to subside, raising the question of just how much more delay from Mubarak the armed forces will tolerate.

The important thing to remember is that the Egyptian military, since the founding of the modern republic in 1952, has been the guarantor of regime stability. Over the past several decades, the military has allowed former military commanders to form civilian institutions to take the lead in matters of political governance but never has relinquished its rights to the state.

Now that the political structure of the state is crumbling, the army must directly shoulder the responsibility of security and contain the unrest on the streets. This will not be easy, especially given the historical animosity between the military and the police in Egypt. For now, the demonstrators view the military as an ally, and therefore (whether consciously or not) are facilitating a de facto military takeover of the state. But one misfire in the demonstrations, and a bloodbath in the streets could quickly foil the military’s plans and give way to a scenario that groups like the MB quickly could exploit. Here again, we question the military’s tolerance for Mubarak as long as he is the source fueling the demonstrations.

Considerable strain is building on the only force within the country that stands between order and chaos as radical forces rise. The standing theory is that the military, as the guarantor of the state, will manage the current crisis. But the military is not a monolithic entity. It cannot shake its history, and thus cannot dismiss the threat of a colonel’s coup in this shaky transition.

The current regime is a continuation of the political order, which was established when midranking officers and commanders under the leadership of Gamal Abdel Nasser, a mere colonel in the armed forces, overthrew the British-backed monarchy in 1952. Islamist sympathizers in the junior ranks of the military assassinated his successor, Anwar Sadat, in 1981, an event that led to Mubarak’s presidency.

The history of the modern Egyptian republic haunts Egypt’s generals today. Though long suppressed, an Islamist strand exists amongst the junior ranks of Egypt’s modern military. The Egyptian military is, after all, a subset of the wider society, where there is a significant cross- section that is religiously conservative and/or Islamist. These elements are not politically active, otherwise those at the top would have purged them.

But there remains a deep-seated fear among the military elite that the historic opening could well include a cabal of colonels looking to address a long-subdued grievance against the state, particularly its foreign policy vis-à-vis the United States and Israel. The midranking officers have the benefit of having the most direct interaction — and thus the strongest links — with their military subordinates, unlike the generals who command and observe from a politically dangerous distance. With enough support behind them, midranking officers could see their superiors as one and the same as Mubarak and his regime, and could use the current state of turmoil to steer Egypt’s future.

Signs of such a coup scenario have not yet surfaced. The army is still a disciplined institution with chain of command, and many likely fear the utter chaos that would ensue should the military establishment rupture. Still, those trying to manage the crisis from the top cannot forget that they are presiding over a country with a strong precedent of junior officers leading successful coups. That precedent becomes all the more worrying when the regime itself is in a state of collapse following three decades of iron-fisted rule.

The United States, Israel and others will thus be doing what they can behind the scenes to shape the new order in Cairo, but they face limitations in trying to preserve a regional stability that has existed since 1978. The fate of Egypt lies in the ability of the military to not only manage the streets and the politicians, but also itself.





http://www.stratfor.com/

http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20110129-the-egyptian-unrest-a-special-report

 

[Gunner]

<iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ThvBJMzmSZI" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>




Live Stream

http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/2007829161423657345.html

 

[Soul Survivor]

Egypts " NEW " Vice President......The C.I.A.’s point man........WTF ????

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced on Egyptian state television that he has sworn in a new vice president, former Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman. According to Article 82 of Egypt's constitution, the vice president should assume presidential powers "if on account of any temporary obstacle the president is unable to carry out his duties."

So who is the new vice president who, in the seemingly imminent departure of President Mubarak may begin ruling Egypt? Jane Mayer asks the question in her article today in the New Yorker, and answers it with information from her book The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals. "Since 1993 Suleiman has headed the feared Egyptian general intelligence service. In that capacity, he was the C.I.A.’s point man in Egypt for renditions—the covert program in which the C.I.A. snatched terror suspects from around the world and returned them to Egypt and elsewhere for interrogation, often under brutal circumstances."

 

[QueEx]

Re: Egypts " NEW " Vice President......The C.I.A.’s point man........WTF ????

<font size="3">Okay,

Assuming, arguendo, Suleiman's role in the CIA led renditions as alleged; what, if any, is the point vis-a-vis the present unrest, the U.S., and what the people of Egypt are demanding ???

(just asking)

QueEx

</font size>

 

[fourth_retired]

Re: Egypts " NEW " Vice President......The C.I.A.’s point man........WTF ????

Sources in Egypt and West: US secretly backed protest

Sources in Egypt and West: US secretly backed protest
DEBKAfile Special Report January 29, 2011, 3:49 PM (GMT+02:00)
Tags: Egypt Mubarak uprising US backing
"Egyptian people and army are one"

Persistent claims were heard Saturday, Jan. 29 in various Egyptian and informed western circles that the popular uprising against president Hosni Mubarak, still going strong on its fifth day, was secretly prepared three years ago in Washington during the Bush administration.

Saturday morning, people rage across Egypt gathered steam from Mubarak's speech after midnight, in which he declined to step down. After defying the night curfew, tens of thousands of protesters, estimated at 50,000, crowded into central Cairo's Tahrir Square and began marching on the state TV building, calling on the soldiers in tanks ranged quietly around the square to oust the president. They shouted that the people and army were one.

Law and order is breaking down in Egypt's cities. In Cairo looters are roaming through shops and smoldering public buildings and seizing empty residences. Rioting inmates are confronting armed warders and getting shot in Egypt's biggest prisons. Political prisoners are escaping.

In defiance of the extended nationwide curfew, fierce clashes also erupted in Alexandria, Suez, Ismailia, Rafah and El Arish, with security forces firing live ammunition on surging protesters. By the afternoon, 100 people were dead and 2,000 injured across the country. The death toll Friday was estimated at 74 and more than a thousand wounded.

In Cairo, the hated Mahabharat security forces vanished off the main streets after failing to quell four days of protests. The military tanks and infantry units posted at strategic points in the capital have so far not fired a shot or interfered in the clashes. But the Interior Ministry's elite security force fired live ammo on demonstrators attempting to storm the building.
The London Daily Telegraph headlined a story Saturday, apparently confirming confidential US documents released by WikiLeaks, which claimed that since 2008, the American government had secretly backed leading figures behind the uprising for "regime change."

The US embassy in Cairo reportedly helped a young Egyptian dissident secretly attend a US-Sponsored summit for activists in New York. "On his return to Cairo in December 2008, the activist told US diplomats that an alliance of opposition groups had drawn up a plan to overthrow President Hosni Mubarak and Install a democratic government in 2011," the Telegraph reported.
The activist whose identity the paper is protecting is already under arrest.
debkafile: If this is true, the Western observers who have concluded that the protesters have no leaders and are propelled into the streets purely by rage against the regime may not have the full story. The movement does have a leader whose identity is known to Washington and the demonstrations' ringleaders – but not to Mubarak or his security services. They show every sign of being cut off from the prevailing currents in the street. It would also explain the steadfast insistence of President Barack Obama and all his spokesmen on forcing Mubarak to do the virtually impossible, i.e. to refrain from force against the opposition movement and introduce immediate reforms by means of national dialogue. His successors would be waiting in the wings to move in when they could expect to be embraced by the opposition.
Saturday, as the violence on the streets of Egypt mounted, the Muslim Brotherhood called for the peaceful transfer of power, thereby offering a bridge to span Obama's call for national dialogue and the people's demand for change.

 

[MASTERBAKER]

The situation in Egypt has reached the breaking point.

Breaking Point

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[ronmch20]

Re: Biden Says Egypt's Mubarak No Dictator, He Shouldn't Step Down

Damn ronmch. Thats a hard question.

Lemme see . . . . the leader of:

- China?

- Russia?

- United States 2004?

- Iran?

- North Korea?

- over half the governments of the world?

- all of the above and a lot more?​

LOL

QueEx

By that do you mean you don't think Mubarak qualifies????

 

[GET YOU HOT]

Democracy on a platter...

 

[nittie]

US cop killers gun down 11 policemen
Tue Jan 25, 2011 6:47AM

Two police officers have been gunned down in a shootout in a home in St. Petersburg, Florida, January 24, 2011.
At least eleven police officers have been shot dead in the United States in the past 24-hours alone marking a dramatic rise in US police fatalities.


In the US state of Florida, two police officers were shot dead and a third sustained injuries while on an attempt to detain a criminal in the city of St. Petersburg on Monday.

Police had been in hot pursuit of the gunman - named in an aggravated battery warrant - for weeks, CNN quoted police spokesman Chuck Harmon as saying.

The officers eventually managed to locate the felon inside a house and went there at about 7 a.m. local time (1200 GMT) in response to a call, he added.

A burst of gunfire erupted in the home's attic where the man had been hiding and two of the officers were shot dead. The villain's body was not discovered until one-third of the house was torn down by a backhoe.

Meanwhile on Sunday, four officers were shot in a Detroit police station after a man walked in and opened fire on the cops. The attacker, identified as Lamar Deshea Moore, was shot to death by the police while his motive remains unknown.

Earlier in the day, a police officer had been shot during a traffic stop in Indianapolis. He is in a critical condition in hospital.

Separately, two deputies were shot in Port Orchard, Washington, near Seattle and a third one was shot on Sunday night during a traffic stop in Lincoln City, Oregon.

Two police officers were also gunned down along with a suspect in northern Miami last week. The policemen were killed when authorities raided a home in search of violent criminals.

During recent years, the number of police fatalities in the Unites States has seen a dramatic increase.

In 2010 alone, 160 police officers lost their lives in the line of duty, marking a 37 percent increase from the 117 deaths last year.

Most of the killings were reported in the US states of Texas, California, Illinois and Florida.

This uprising could be bigger than what's happening in Egypt there's unrest everywhere. The U.S media cannot be trusted to tell the full story.

 

[Upgrade Dave]

This uprising could be bigger than what's happening in Egypt there's unrest everywhere. The U.S media cannot be trusted to tell the full story.

You see completely unrelated, random cop shootings as even tangentially related to what's happening in Egypt?

 

[Upgrade Dave]

Never say never, IMO, the bankers, govts, & multinational corps are playing the divide & conquer game. So yes, right now, we are a fractured society. When we wake up one day broke & figure out that these oligarchs have fucked over the whole world, then we will have an oppurtunity to make the world a better place (and bring the responsible parties to justice). Until then, I see more chaos & it is intensifying around the globe.

I don't like to play "the cynic" but if not never, damn near never.
We already woke up broke and somehow it still became the fault of the poor and disenfranchised and not the power brokers who were the actual culprits.

One sick-azz game with each party covering for one another! Kucinich had enough balls to present the Articles of Impeachment to impeach the most-impeachable President in history, the rest of the Dems sat on their hands

Agreed.

 

[QueEx]

Re: Egypts " NEW " Vice President......The C.I.A.’s point man........WTF ????

Sources in Egypt and West: US secretly backed protest

Citation ???

QueEx