Sunday, January 30, 2011
THE OBSERVER – EDITORIAL: It is in the interest of autocratic Arab nations to note the mood in Egypt and effect change
Days of rage in Egypt signify the end of days for Hosni Mubarak's repressive and bankrupt regime. For 30 years, the president has held his country down through fear, secret police, emergency laws, American cash subsidies and a lamentable absence of vision and imagination. His crude, Gaullist message: without me, chaos. Now the chaos has come anyway. And Mubarak must go.
Five days of rage on the streets of Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and dozens of other cities have transformed the way Egypt sees itself. For years, they said it was impossible. The regime was too powerful, the masses too apathetic, the security apparatus too ubiquitous. Like eastern Europeans trapped in the Soviet Union's cold, pre-1991 embrace, they struggled in the dark, without help, without hope. Movements for change, such as Kefaya (Enough!), were brutally suppressed. Courageous dissidents such as Ayman Nour were harassed, beaten and imprisoned.
Yet all the time, pressure for reform was rising. Every day, higher prices, economic stagnation, poverty and unemployment, political stasis, official corruption and a stifled, censored public space became less and less tolerable. Every day, impatience with the regime's insulting insouciance bred more enemies. Hatred seeped like poison through the veins of the people. Until, at last, in five days of rage, as if as one, they cried: "Enough!" And now, Mubarak must go. >>> Editorial | Sunday, January 30, 2011
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The full horror of Egypt's political convulsions has emerged, as relatives gathered at morgues filled with bodies and doctors described their heroic efforts to save the wounded.
As President Hosni Mubarak installed his head of intelligence as the first vice-president of his 30-year rule in a desperate effort to cling to power, it became clear that the death toll from the past two days of violent disturbances was even higher than officials claimed.
A tally of credible figures from around Egypt collated by The Sunday Telegraph showed that at least 89 people had died, compared with the 62 admitted by officials on Saturday. A further 2,500 were said to have been injured.
Among the dead were 10 policemen — some had been attacked by protesters. The civilian dead and injured included many shot with live rounds: doctors and protesters displayed bullets they had picked up from the streets after police — and in some cases soldiers — opened fire.
The use of live ammunition against his people, with witnesses claiming that deadly rounds had been fired by units of the elite presidential guard, throws into further doubt continued American support for Mr Mubarak’s regime.
President Barack Obama telephoned his counterpart late on Friday night to urge the 82-year-old leader to take concrete steps toward reform. “Violence will not address the grievances of the Egyptian people, and suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away,” he said after the 30-minute conversation. >>> Colin Freeman, and Richard Spencer Cairo | Saturday, January 29, 2011
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: As Washington struggles to come to terms with a rapidly changing Middle East, US President Barack Obama is acutely aware he must get Egypt right, for the wrong side of history eagerly beckons.
Faced with a dilemma that has long troubled Western leaders, including Britain's, Barack Obama's administration has not covered itself in glory vis à vis Egypt.
Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State, was conspicuously caught between two natural inclinations - encouraging the forces of democracy and preserving an autocratic but deeply loyal friend of the United States and its allies.
Initially, she said that although the US supported "the fundamental rights of expression and assembly", in her view the Egyptian government was "stable".
The next day, as the turmoil deepened in Cairo, she declared that reform "must be on the agenda" of the Egyptian government, which should respond to "active, civil leaders".
Vice President Joe Biden, whose foot is never far from his mouth, rejected the suggestion that Mubarak was a dictator and questioning whether the crowds of Egyptians were indeed making "legitimate claims".
Those were dangerous words. The US provides $1.3 billion military aid annually to Egypt, money which helps fund a repressive apparatus that Washington now more than ever does not want to be closely identified with.
Rather late in proceedings, Mr Obama himself produced a more calibrated response on Friday, edging away from Hosni Mubarak and effectively putting the Egyptian leader on notice. "This moment of volatility has to be turned into a moment of promise," said the US president, who urged that "reforms that meet the aspirations of the Egyptian people". >>> Alex Spillius, Washington | Saturday, January 29, 2011
My comment:
In two years, Mr Obama has shown himself to be a quick learner.
The pace of his learning seems to have slowed considerably, then! He and his administration appear to have been caught on left foot. His reaction, and the reaction of his cronies, is way out there in left field. Neither Obama nor Hillary Clinton are doing themselves any favours by propping up Hosni Mubarak. However good an ally he has been to America, his reign is coming to an end. He's finished. He is an ailing, ageing man who has lost all credibility. Further, he has failed to understand that the people of Egypt do not want him any longer. Which part of the word 'go' doesn't this geriatric understand?
Asking Mubarak to reform is not enough. The man has had thirty-one years to reform; and in that time, he has demonstrated his reluctance to reform anything. Obama, Clinton, Cameron, and Hague are all wrong to back him any longer. The US, in particular, with all the billions they have been supplying this régime with, would have a lot of leverage with Egypt. Obama should be using that leverage to ease Mubarak out of power. Obama should be showing the young of the Arab world that America is committed to democracy, committed to the will of the people. After all, there was supposed to be “a new beginning.” So why not back ElBaradei? He is the right man waiting in the wings. He is perfectly capable and willing to take over from Mubarak. Further, at eighty-two, it is high time that Mubarak spent far more time with his family!
By going against the wishes of the people of Egypt, who, as we all know, have been suppressed and have suffered for far, far too long already, Obama risks a backlash against America in the post-Mubarak age. And that age is fast approaching. Mubarak may from here on in stumble along for a short while, but it is now only a matter of time.
Obama is showing himself to be a political greenhorn. Far from learning fast, as you suggest, he appears to be in the remedial class! – © Mark
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THE SUNDAY TIMES: Egypt’s generals urge Mubarak to step down: The country’s new vice-president and defence minister warns its ‘stubborn’ president to end his 30-year rule as thousands of protestors defy curfew >>> Marie Colvin and Uzi Mahnaimi | Sunday, January 30, 2011 [£]
Saturday, January 29, 2011
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: Looters seen stealing objects in various cities as residents form vigilante groups in defence.Residents in the Egyptian capital of Cairo have set up neighbourhood groups armed with guns, clubs and knives as looting spread across the capital, despite the deployment of army troops to restore order.
Witnesses also reported gangs of youths, some on motorbikes, roaming the streets, looting supermarkets, shopping malls and shops on Saturday. Some of the gangs also entered wealthy residential areas of the capital, and gunfire could be heard in the city centre as well as outlying districts.
Residents also said that banks were broken into and hundreds of young men carted away televisions, fans and stereo equipment looted from the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) near the Egyptian Museum, before setting the building alight.
The looting has prompted residents in some neighbourhoods, including the upscale Zamalek district in central Cairo, to set up vigilante groups to protect private property. Outside some apartment blocks, guards armed with machine guns had taken up posts.
In the Maadi neighborhood in south Cairo, neighbourhood mosques called on young men over loudspeakers to come down to the entrances of building and homes to ward off looters. >>> Source: Al Jazeera and agencies | Saturday, January 29, 2011
THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Tanks guarded key government building around Cairo and the central square Saturday as protesters returned to the streets a day after massive and violent confrontations emboldened the movement demanding the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. The Cabinet resigned in the midst of rampant looting across the sprawling city and the death toll since protests began rose to 45.
Dozens of military armoured personnel carriers and tanks as well as soldiers on foot deployed around a number of key government buildings in the capital, including state television and the Foreign Ministry after thousands of protesters besieged the two offices in Friday's riots. The military was protecting important tourist and archaeological sites such as the Egyptian Museum, home to some of the country's most treasured antiquities, as well as the Cabinet building. The pyramids on the outskirts of Cairo — Egypt's premiere tourist site — were closed by the military to tourists.
Last night, a defiant President Hosni Mubarak attempted to reassure the Egyptian people that he is still the best man to deal with the grievances of the people, and would do so in an orderly way.
Mr. Mubarak said he was aware of people’s hopes to improve the economy and would take steps to do so “as soon as possible.” To that end, he announced that he had dismissed the government and would appoint a new cabinet Saturday.
But, emphasizing the “thin line that separates freedom and chaos,” Mr. Mubarak said that the violence of protesters in recent days was an attempt “to destabilize the country,” something he would not tolerate.
Delivered after midnight on state television, these were the words of a man looking over the abyss: the 30-year rule of the Egyptian President is hanging by a thread. >>> Patrick Martin | Published: Friday, January 28, 2011; Updated: Saturday, January 29, 2011
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YNET NEWS: Clerics say protests against Mubarak government were inspired by 1979 revolution in Iran
Iranian leaders expressed satisfaction with the anti-government protests in Egypt, with one leader saying he believes the protesters were inspired by the revolution in his country in 1979.
“Today, as a result of the gifts of the Islamic revolution in Iran, freedom-loving Islamic peoples such as the peoples of Tunisia, Egypt and nearby Arab countries are standing up to their oppressive governments,” the New York Times quoted Ayatollah Mohammad-Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi as saying.
He congratulated the Egyptian people, saying their actions were "based on the principles" of the Islamic revolution.
Western officials fear Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will be replaced by a hardline cleric similar to the ayatollahs in Iran, like the Muslim Brotherhood opposition party, which also gave rise to Hamas.
Mohammad-Javad Larijani, secretary general of the Iranian High Council for Human Rights and a conservative leader, also voiced a positive opinion. "In my opinion, the Islamic Republic of Iran should see these events without exception in a positive light," he said. >>> Ynet | Saturday, January 29, 2011
FRANCE 24: If Iran's hardliners had their way, men would keep their hair cropped short and women's locks would be out of sight under tight veils. As a result, free-spirited young Iranians have decided to wear their curly locks Jimmy Hendrix-style, a move less innocuous than it would first appear…
Iranian authorities banned “un-Islamic haircuts” in July 2010 during the yearly Modesty and Veil festival. Ponytails, mullets and punk hairstyles were forbidden, in favour of classic short cuts, with a dab of hair gel at the very most.
Brutal police repression in the face of a recent popular uprising silenced most opposition in Iran. As a result, Iranians have found other, less overtly political, ways to express their opposition to the government. For example, a Facebook group of curly-haired Iranians has been established, where its members rally Iranians with similarly large hair dos to meet in Tehran’s Mellat park on January 21, is one example of playful subversion. >>> | Friday, January 28, 2011
LE POINT: Le Prix Nobel de la paix, opposant au régime actuel, estime que les manifestants veulent le départ du président.
Le président égyptien Hosni Moubarak "doit partir", a déclaré samedi l'opposant le plus en vue, Mohamed El Baradei, dans une déclaration à la chaîne d'information France 24, alors que les manifestations contre le régime se poursuivaient en Égypte. "Je descendrai dans la rue aujourd'hui (samedi) avec mes collègues pour contribuer à apporter un changement (...) et pour dire au président Moubarak qu'il doit partir", a déclaré à France 24 Mohamed El Baradei, ancien chef de l'Agence internationale de l'énergie atomique (AIEA). >>> Source AFP | Samedi 29 Janvier 2011
FRANCE 24: ElBaradei says Mubarak 'must go' >>> AFP | Saturday, January 29, 2011
YNET NEWS: Extremist takeover in Egypt would put Israel in ‘wholly different position,’ security official warns
A fundamental change of government in Egypt may lead to a “revolution in Israel’s security doctrine,” a defense official told Ynet Friday night, as protests against President Hosni Mubarak’s rule continued to intensify.
The security official made it clear that Israel’s peace treaty with Egypt constitutes an important strategic asset, “which enables the IDF to focus on other theaters.” The defense source said that the IDF would have to dedicate major resources in order to devote any attention to the Egyptian front as well.
“It is no secret that the IDF focuses on certain theaters and earmarks most resources to them,” the official said. “The Egyptians are only addressed on the margins. We are holding discussions, including updates relevant to recent years, yet without a doubt Egypt is not considered a theater that requires attention.”
Should a revolution indeed take place in Egypt, the rules of play will not necessarily change at once, the source added. “It won’t mean, heaven forbid, that Egypt would immediately turn into an enemy country, yet our attention would most certainly have to shift.” >>> Hanan Greenberg | Saturday, January 29, 2011
YNET NEWS – OPINION: Op-ed: Obama Administration must decide whether to support democracy or US ally Mubarak
WASHINGTON – The natural American tendency is to support individual freedoms, freedom of religion, freedom of expression and freedom of association, which constitute inalienable US assets and the essence of the American nation. However, democracy at home is one thing, while democracy abroad is an entirely different matter.
In order to preserve its global hegemony, the US over the years knew how to openly endorse democratic reforms in the Arab world and other regions, yet at the same time support tyrants such as Mubarak and the Saudi and Jordanian kings – as long as they were loyal to the US and to the West, of course.
When former President George W. bush [sic] attempted to push the Middle East to adopt democracy, in the wake of the Iraq takeover and the toppling of Saddam Hussein, he insisted on holding elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council, contradictory to Israel’s and the Palestinian Authority’s position. Hamas ended up winning most seats in the subsequent vote. Meanwhile, Bush’s democratization ideas in Lebanon opened the door for Hezbollah’s integration into parliament and beyond.
Obama appears to be more pragmatic than his predecessor on this front. He issued statements in favor of democracy, including in the famous Cairo speech, yet at the moment of truth he lowered his profile. The State of the Union Address Tuesday constituted an opportunity to speak about democracy, yet the word “Egypt” was not mentioned in the speech. Tunisia, however, was mentioned.
The latest developments in the Arab world caught the American Administration in a helpless position as it desperately seeks the help of its diplomats, and mostly its intelligence arms, in making sense of where the wind is blowing. >>> Yitzhak Benhorin | Saturday, January 29, 2011
THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: Mohamed ElBaradei must be free to give political leadership
It was the day on which Egyptians lost their fear: of green armoured personnel carriers, which swayed and toppled before the unstoppable tide of human wrath; of plainclothes thugs who had plagued their lives; of the ruling party's headquarters, from where elections were rigged and parliamentary seats managed – it too went up in flames; of military curfews; of the entire apparatus of a regime which had crushed all political dissent for nearly three decades. "Even if the dogs could speak," one of the hundreds of thousands who flocked the streets told our reporter, "they would tell you that they are fed up with [Hosni] Mubarak. We have to have change." This was a transformative day. The Arab world's largest power had just lost control of the streets of Cairo, Alexandria, Giza, Suez. The regime shut down the internet and unplugged the mobile phone network, a desperate move to stop the protests. It only propelled thousands more on to the streets. As darkness fell, shots were heard in Cairo and tanks were seen in Suez. And still the roar of protest continued.
The revolution threatens not only Hosni Mubarak's regime but the strategy the US and Britain have constructed in the Middle East. The hesitancy with which President Mubarak reacted last night was matched only by the perceptible shift in the emphasis of the statements by the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton. Only two days ago she said the US assessment was that the Egyptian government was stable and was looking for ways to respond to the legitimate interests of the Egyptian people. The primary importance of keeping a key Arab ally and Middle East interlocutor stable was also emphasised yesterday by Tony Blair, the Quartet's envoy. Faced with the conflicting needs to keep an Arab partner of Israel afloat and to respond to demands for democratic reform, the US would choose the first every time. After yesterday's events, Ms Clinton's calls to lift internet controls and respond to the grievances of Egyptians became more strident. But it was too little, too late. Ms Clinton's initial support for the Mubarak regime had not been lost on Egyptians battling for their freedoms. Read on and comment >>> Editorial | Saturday, January 29, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: An Afghan suicide bomber targeting British diplomats killed up to nine people when he blew himself up in a supermarket servicing Kabul's expats in a wealthy district yards from the British embassy.Afghan intelligence officials said four Filipinos and two Afghans were confirmed among the dead when a lone gunman opened fire, threw at least one grenade and then detonated his explosive harness.
Women and a child were among those killed.
The Taliban immediately took responsibility in a text message claiming it had targeted the chief of the Blackwater security contracting firm.
The 2.30pm (10am GMT) blast struck Finest Supermarket in the relatively secure central Wazir Akbar Khan district which is popular with embassies.
The shop is across the road from the fortified British embassy compound and is frequented by expats for its range of Western groceries. Witnesses said the shop was full of foreigners on what is the Afghan weekend.
Mehrab Gol, who sells mobile phone cards outside the shop, said: "The suicide bomber fired first and then threw a grenade and then he blew himself up. >>> Ben Farmer, Islamabad | Friday, January 28, 2011
THE AUSTRALIAN: THE mood of revolt has spread beyond the Arab world to the Balkans.
The Albanian opposition gearing up for another anti-government protest today and the police warning of a high risk of violence.
The opposition Socialist Party said the rally was aimed at honouring the three victims of violent clashes in last week's anti-government demonstration. Protesters have been calling on the government to resign, claiming corruption and electoral fraud.
"I want to assure you it will be peaceful and quiet, there will be flowers and candles," Socialist leader Edi Rama said yesterday.
"Everything will be normal, not provoking anyone and not being provoked by anyone."
Police said the demonstration was a danger to national security, and warned that they could not guarantee the rally's safety. >>> AFP | Saturday, January 29, 2011
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