Friday, February 11, 2011
THE GUARDIAN: Critics said the president would never leave voluntarily but few political rights and falling prosperity forced an end
Hosni Mubarak's presidency was born amid gunfire and bloodshed and ended in an equally dramatic fashion. As vice-president, Mubarak was sitting next to Anwar Sadat on 6 October 1981 at an army parade in the Cairo district of Nasser City when soldiers with Islamist sympathies turned on their leader, pouring automatic weapons fire into the reviewing stand. Sadat was killed outright. Mubarak narrowly escaped. Eight days later, he was sworn in as Egypt's third president.
That Mubarak should be ejected from the job he has held for nearly 30 years is, with hindsight, hardly a surprise. It had become clear to Egyptians and the world in recent years that even at the age of 82 he regarded the presidency as his by right, hence his nickname of "pharaoh" – and that he would not quit voluntarily. As the crisis overwhelmed him, he said he had had no intention of standing again in September. Few believed him. Others assumed he planned instead to install his second son, Gamal, in a dynastic succession.
Mubarak's attitude to his people was by turns paternalistic, aloof and repressive. Though he claimed to love his fellow Egyptians, he did not trust them, maintaining the harsh emergency laws imposed after Sadat's assassination throughout his reign. Leading an unswervingly secular, pro-western regime, he demonised even moderate Islamist parties and made of the Muslim Brotherhood a bogeyman with which to scare the Americans.
Yet, in rare interviews he implied that he believed he held some sort of divine mandate, that he ruled through and by God's will. After he survived an attempt on his life by Gema'a Islamiya (Muslim Group) terrorists in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in June 1995, one of up to eight attempted assassinations over 30 years, he returned to Cairo proclaiming that God had saved him through an act of divine providence, as in 1981.
Imperious, abstemious (he does not smoke or drink), and intensely private, he suggested Egyptians were lucky to have him in charge. Without him, he said repeatedly, there would be only chaos. And this claim to ensure stability was, in truth, his entire electoral manifesto. >>> Simon Tisdall | Friday, February 11, 2011
AL ARABIYA NEWS CHANNEL: Amid rapidly changing developments in Egypt and conflicting reports about the nature of power transition, questions about the location of embattled President Hosni Mubarak are taking center stage in different local and international news media.
While Egypt's state TV reported that Mubarak will deliver a statement live from his palace, earlier Egyptian media reports suggested that Mubarak had already departed to the Sinai resort of Sharm Eshiskh onboard a military airplane and was accompanied by chief of staff of the armed forces, Lt. Gen. Sami Annan.
Other local reports indicated that Mubarak has flown to an "unknown" destination.
US-based Al-Hurra TV reported that Mubarak was flying toward the United Arab Emirates and was expected in Dubai in an hour. >>> Writer: Farrag Ismaeli, Dubai; Translator: Mustapha Ajbaili | Published: Thursday, February 10, 2011; Updated: Friday, February 11, 2011
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Mubarak Reportedly Leaves Cairo: CAIRO —The Egyptian military appeared to assert its leadership Friday amid growing indications that President Hosni Mubarak was yielding all power. A Western official said that Mr. Mubarak had left the capital, though that could not be independently confirmed. >>> David D. Kirkpatrick, Anthony Shadid and Alan Cowell | Friday, February 11, 2011
THE GUARDIAN: First Netherlands, then Sweden. Now Austria witnesses rise of far right: 'Red Vienna', a socialist and social democrat stronghold since 1920s, is latest European city to see extremists make new gains >>> Ian Traynor, Europe editor | Monday, October 11, 2010
FRANCE 24: French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Thursday declared that multiculturalism had failed, joining a growing number of world leaders or ex-leaders who have condemned it.
"We have been too concerned about the identity of the person who was arriving and not enough about the identity of the country that was receiving him," he said in a television interview in which he declared the concept a "failure." >>> AFP | Thursday, February 10, 2011
HT: KGS of Tundra Tabloids >>>
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: Protesters' new push to force President Mubarak to step down may test the military's loyalties.Pro-democracy protesters in Egypt are calling for "millions" to take to the streets across the country in what could become the largest protests so far, a day after President Hosni Mubarak repeated his refusal to step down.
Massive crowds gathered in Tahrir Square ahead on Friday, chanting "the army and the people are one, hand in hand".
In a statement read out on state television at midday, the military announced that it would lift a 30-year-old emergency law but only "as soon as the current circumstances end".
The military said it would also guarantee changes to the constitution as well as a free and fair election, and it called for normal business activity to resume.
Many protesters had anticipated a much stronger statement. Al Jazeera's correspondent in Tahrir Square said people there were hugely disappointed and vowed to take the protests to "a last and final stage".
"They're frustrated, they're angry, and they say protests need to go beyond Liberation [Tahrir] Square, to the doorstep of political institutions," she said.
Protest organisers have called for 20 million people to come out on "Farewell Friday" in a final attempt to force Mubarak to step down. >>> Al Jazeera and agencies | Friday, February 11, 2011
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Zu Beginn der Krise ernannte Mubarak ihn hastig zu seinem Stellvertreter - jetzt überträgt er Vollmachten an Omar Suleiman. Der Ex-Geheimdienstchef gilt als Hardliner, ließ Gefangene foltern. Hat er als neuer De-facto-Präsident überhaupt eine Chance, das Land zu befrieden?Er liebt maßgeschneiderte Anzüge, hat Politikwissenschaft studiert und gilt unter Bekannten als ruhig und beherrscht. Das ist die eine Seite des Omar Suleiman. Als General kämpfte er in den beiden Nahostkriegen gegen Israel, als Chef des gefürchteten Geheimdienstes Mucharabat [sic] ließ er Gefangene misshandeln und foltern. Das ist seine andere Seite.
Der Mann ist genauso widersprüchlich wie das Land selbst. Im Westen wird er als verlässlicher Gesprächspartner geschätzt. Im eigenen Land ist er als Gesicht des Regimes verhasst.
Doch wer ist der neue starke Mann in Ägypten?
Omar Suleiman stammt aus der ländlichen Provinz Kena, wo er nach unterschiedlichen Quellenangaben 1935 oder 1936 geboren wurde. Er wuchs in einer wohlhabenden Familie auf, absolvierte eine Militärausbildung in Kairo und in der ehemaligen Sowjetunion, studierte Politik.
Nach seiner Zeit beim Militär wechselte Suleiman zum einflussreichen und gefürchteten ägyptischen Geheimdienst Mucharabat [sic], dessen Leitung er 1991 übernahm. Das unbedingte Vertrauen seines obersten Chefs Mubarak errang der Spionage-General 1995, als der Präsident bei einem Afrika-Gipfel in der äthiopischen Hauptstadt Addis Abeba ein Attentat auf seine Limousine unverletzt überstand. Es war Suleiman gewesen, der auf den Einsatz eines schwer gepanzerten Fahrzeugs bestanden hatte.
Seitdem gilt der Geheimdienstchef, der in seiner Freizeit gerne Schach und Karten spielt, als engster Vertrauter Mubaraks. Der frühere Chef eines europäischen Geheimdienstes bezeichnete ihn einmal als "Augen und Ohren des Präsidenten".
Und er ist Mubaraks Mann für die kniffligen Missionen. Ein gefragter Unterhändler >>> Von Andreas Niesmann | Donnerstag, 10. Februar 2011
LE FIGARO: Israël fonde tous ses espoirs sur Omar Souleiman: Le vice-président égyptien est bien connu des responsables israéliens. >>> Par Marc Henry | Jeudi 10 Février 2011
YNET NEWS: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said during a speech in Tehran at a rally marking the 32nd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution that "the new Middle East will turn into an area without the United States and Zionist regime."
Ahmadinejad told a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people, "The entire world will experience the sweet taste of a world without Zionists and thugs." He called on the West not to intervene in the situation in Egypt and Tunisia and allow the people "to make their own decisions". (Dudi Cohen) [Source: Ynet News] | Friday, February 11, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Furious Egyptian demonstrators have vowed to mount their biggest protests yet after President Hosni Mubarak dashed expectations by pledging once again to stay in office.
At the end of a dramatic day which saw the powerful army promise to give Egypt's protest movement all it wanted, raising hopes that the president would end his 30 year rule, Mr Mubarak instead said on television again that he would stay on till September.
The move enraged protesters and angered foreign powers, with the United States increasing international pressure on Mr Mubarak to quit.
After the president's speech, Barack Obama released a statement demanding an "unequivocal path toward genuine democracy" in Egypt, which has long been supported by massive US aid.
"The Egyptian people have been told that there was a transition of authority, but it is not yet clear that this transition is immediate, meaningful or sufficient," he said.
"Too many Egyptians remain unconvinced that the government is serious about a genuine transition to democracy, and it is the responsibility of the government to speak clearly to the Egyptian people and the world." >>> Adrian Blomfield, and Nick Meo in Cairo | Friday, February 11, 2011
My comment:
I fear that very soon La Vache qui rit will become La Vache qui pleure! The future of Egypt looks bleak, the future looks red! No good will come of this defiance; no good will come of Obama’s double-dealing. The cauldron is about to boil over. – © Mark
This comment also appear here
You can vote here to help Egyptians build a democracy. It’s anonymous.
KIFAYA: The Egyptian Movement for Change, best known by its slogan “Kifaya” (Enough), was founded by 300 Egyptian intellectuals from various ideological backgrounds in November 2004 at a meeting at the home of al-Wasat party leader Abu ‘l-Ala Madi. The meeting was planned to discuss political opportunities in light of the upcoming 2005 parliamentary elections. The groups agreed to set up a small committee of seven members, and a conference soon thereafter attended by more than 500 people concluded with the creation of the Kifaya movement. Rather than a political party, Kifaya is best described as a coalition movement of political forces united only by a shared call for an end to President Hosni Mubarak’s rule.
Using simple but potent slogans, Kifaya called for political reforms and criticized the extension of Mubarak’s presidential term, the succession of Gamal Mubarak, government corruption, and Egypt’s state of emergency in place since 1981. The movement organized unauthorized demonstrations in brazen opposition to the legitimacy of Mubarak’s regime, being the first group to directly criticize it and other ruling elites. Following an initial protest in December 2004 of approximately 300 political activists gathered outside the High Court in downtown Cairo, in January 2005 protests were held in more strategic locations to attract greater attention (always accompanied by a generous police force) including at the Cairo Book Fair, on university campuses, and downtown in Tahrir Square. Finally by spring of 2005, protests had spread outside of Cairo; in April, anti-regime demonstrations were held simultaneously in fourteen cities. >>>
عربي >>>
Dear President Hosni Mubarak (Raiisna Koleena):
After 25 years, we the descendants of the privileged Egyptian masses and the Egyptian diaspora and their supporters, have been blessed (guess it rubs off from your name) with economic prosperity, sound governance, occasional Titanics/terrorist attacks, and of course, your strong commitment to a prospering, democratic Egypt. No wonder you received 88 percent of your unemployed, impoverished, and frustrated people's vote! Life without you would be difficult or simply unimaginable!WIKI: La Vache qui rit / The Laughing Cow >>>
However, we are willing to take that chance and to let you go. Given the long, dedicated years of service to your country and its citizens, we believe that it is time for you to take a break. Or perhaps a long vacation. Wouldn't it be great for you to take Mrs. Mubarak and to buy a house in Sharm El-Sheikh (or the Amazon) using the Treasury's money or American foreign aid (if you haven't done so already)? With all due respect, sir, you are getting old, and there really is no reason for you to worry about politics these days. Instead, we believe it is time for you to connect with the Divine (you really must!) and spend time with Gamal's children (We really hope he gives you many).
We understand it will be difficult for you to make that transition from 'democratic ruler' to civilian, but trust that everything shall be fine. We are sure that if you were able enough to convince the Americans that you are the most competent man to rule the largest Arab nation in the world and that you are the path to democracy in your region, then you will manage to do just fine.
Your achievements shall speak for themselves. Their effects will be felt by many generations of Egyptians to come. So, just leave it at that. What better way to end a long, fruitful career in your case, than just to end it?
As the future of Egypt, we hope you take our advice (since in our democracy, that is all we can really give) and leave the reigns of Egypt to another (and preferably, someone with no genetic resemblance to you.)
We sincerely wish you great future successes. If you insist on further shedding your great leadership and expertise ruling, we hear that North Korea is looking. You know what your party members say: If you can't beat them, join them!
Great job these past 25 years! Just please no more!
Respectfully yours,
The New Kifaya (Enough) Movement [Source: Facebook]
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: Thousands of protesters are expected to march on the streets demanding his resignation after Mubarak remained defiant.
Hundreds of thousands of pro-democracy protesters are expected to march on the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities on Friday, in what could become the largest - and some fear the most violent - protests thus far.
The demonstrators’ hopes for the resignation of the President were dashed on Thursday as Hosni Mubarak, in a 17-minute address on television, said he was determined to stay in power until September, when his current term ends.
Mubarak said he was handing "the functions of the president" to Vice-President Omar Suleiman and that he would oversee an "exit" from the current crisis, and "realise the demands voiced by the youth and citizens ... without undermining the constitution in a manner that ensures the stability of our society".
Before he finished his anticlimactic speech, protesters camped in Tahrir Square, the epicentre of Egypt’s revolution, shouted "donkey, leave!"
Rabab Al Mahdi, a professor at the American University in Cairo, told Al Jazeera that the level of anger and frustration at the square was "unprecedented".
"This is putting us into a messy situation that can turn bloody at any moment," she said, adding that the fact that Mubarak "for more than 10 minutes, was talking about himself - very narcissistic, again, giving the message that he's still in control, and this, in and by itself, offended people."
Egyptian state television did not broadcast the scenes of anger after Mubarak's speech. 'People in tears' >>> Al Jazeera and agencies | Friday, February 11, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
THE GUARDIAN: President hands some powers to vice-president Suleiman but will remain in control until September electionsPresident Hosni Mubarak dashed the hopes of hundreds of thousands of Egyptians celebrating what they expected would be his resignation speech by defiantly telling them he would not bow to domestic or foreign pressure to quit.
Mubarak said he would hand some powers to his vice-president, Omar Suleiman, but would remain in overall control until September to oversee what he called an orderly transition to an elected government. He repeated a pledge not to seek re-election.
He also said that there would be no going back on a commitment of long-term political reform after the two weeks of growing protests to demand his resignation. However, he ominously referred to the army playing a role in ensuring an orderly transfer of power.
The president's defiant tone angered the crowds packed in to Cairo's Tahrir Square, the centre of protests against Mubarak's 30-year rule, and may have set the stage for an ugly confrontation at the mass demonstrations called for across Egypt. Many of the protesters waved their shoes, a traditional sign of contempt, and chanted: "He must leave", and shouted "Mubarak you are finished". >>> Chris McGreal in Cairo | Thursday, February 10, 2011
BBC: Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak has said he will stay in office and transfer all power only after September's presidential election.
His comments in a national TV address confounded earlier reports that he was preparing to stand down immediately.
Mr Mubarak said he would delegate some powers to Vice-President Omar Suleiman, but would ignore "diktats from abroad".
Thousands of anti-government protesters in central Cairo reacted angrily to his announcement. >>> | Thursday, February 10, 2011
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: Egyptian president vows he will stay in office until September, and will not bow down to 'foreign pressure'.Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, has refused to step down from his post, saying that he will not bow to "foreign pressure" in a televised address to the nation.
Mubarak announced that he had put into place a framework that would lead to the amendment of six constitutional articles in the address late on Thursday night.
"I can not and will not accept to be dictater orders from outside, no matter what the source is," Mubarak said.
He said he was addressing his people with a "speech from the heart[.]"
Earlier, the Supreme Council of Egyptian Armed Forces had met to discuss the ongoing protests against Mubarak's government.
In a statement entitled 'Communique Number One', televised on state television, the army said it had convened the meeting response to the current political turmoil, and that it would continue to convene such meetings.
Thurday's meeting was chaired by Mohamed Tantawi, the defence minister, rather than Mubarak, who, as president, would normally have headed the meeting.
"Based on the responsibility of the armed forces and its commitment to protect the people and its keenness to protect the nation... and in support of the legitimate demands of the people [the army] will continue meeting on a continuous basis to examine measures to be taken to protect the nation and its gains and the ambitions of the great Egyptian people," the statement. >>> Source: Al Jazeera and agencies | Thursday, February 10, 2011
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Tunisia's deposed dictator's final moments before fleeing his country's "jasmine revolution" were yesterday revealed as being spent enduring a flurry of insults from his fearsome wife.Leila Ben Ali's words of "encouragement" to her husband, Zine al-Abidine as he refused to board the plane to spirit him out of Tunisia and to Saudi Arabia were reported as: "Get on imbecile. All my life I've had to put up with your screw ups."
An unnamed senior air force official recounted the 74-year old ex-president's feeble attempt to disobey Lady Macbeth of Carthage, as his wife has been dubbed, in the French weekly, Nouvel Observateur.
As revolt rumbled in the capital, Mr Ben Ali, who was ousted after 23 years of iron rule on January 14, stood on the tarmac in Tunis airport with a small briefcase wringing his hands, and saying: "Leave me, I don't want to go, I want to die here for my country."
At Leila's side was Ali Seriati, Mr Ben Ali's feared and hated political police chief, who pushed him onto the steps, shouting: "For ----'s sake, get on!"
None of the soldiers present from the army that had helped topple Mr Ben Ali budged as the fallen leader slowly climbed the steps.
With him were his wife, their son Mohammed, their daughter Halima, her fiancé, their butler and two Philippine maids. >>> Henry Samuel, Paris | Thursday, February 10, 2011
LE FIGARO: Le premier ministre égyptien a évoqué pour la première fois jeudi après-midi un éventuel départ du raïs. Le président va s'adresser à la nation dans la soirée, a annoncé la télévision d'État.
Les choses semblent brusquement s'accélérer en Égypte. Le premier ministre égyptien Ahmed Chafik a déclaré ce jeudi après-midi à la BBC que le président Hosni Moubarak pourrait démissionner. La situation sera rapidement clarifiée, a ajouté le chef du gouvernement, au 17e jour du soulèvement populaire pour réclamer le départ du raïs. La télévision d'État a d'ailleurs annoncé que celui-ci s'adressera à la nation dans la soirée depuis le palais présidentiel au Caire.
L'annonce du premier ministre a été prise très au sérieux par la CIA, qui a jugé fort «fort probable» que le président égyptien quitte le pouvoir dans la soirée. Le cas échéant, Omar Souleiman, le vice-président nommé fin janvier par Hosni Moubarak, serait selon l'agence américaine de contre-espionnage son remplaçant vraisemblable. >>> Par lefigaro.fr | Jeudi 10 Février 2011
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
DIE PRESSE: Der ägyptische Präsident wird am Abend eine TV-Ansprache halten. "Ich rechne damit, dass der Präsident auf die Forderungen der Menschen eingeht", sagt der Generalsekretär der Regierungspartei.
Der ägyptische Präsident Hosni Mubarak soll noch heute Abend zurücktreten. Das berichten mehrere internationale Medien. Das Staatsfernsehen kündigte für den Abend eine Ansprache Mubaraks an. Ein genauer Zeitpunkt für die Rede wurde nicht genannt.
Der neue Generalsekretär der Regierungspartei NDP, Hossan Badrawi, sagte der "BBC": "Ich rechne damit, dass der Präsident auf die Forderungen der Menschen eingeht, denn es geht ihm um die Stabilität des Landes, der Posten ist ihm derzeit nicht wichtig". Er hoffe, dass Mubarak die Macht an seinen Stellvertreter Omar Suleiman übertrage. Suleiman und Mubarak haben sich am Donnerstagabend zu einem mehrstündigen Gespräch getroffen, über den Inhalt gab es keine Informationen. >>> Ag. / Red. | Donnerstag, 10. Februar 2011
AL JAZEERA ENGLISH: Hosni Mubarak 'may step down': Ruling party officials suggest Egypt's president will 'meet protesters demands', ahead of televised statement. >>> Source:
Al Jazeera and agencies | Thursday, February 10, 2011
BBC: Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi has been put under house arrest, his official website says.Security officials at the premises say the measures will last until next week, it adds. No one is being allowed to enter the house except his wife.
Mr Karroubi and Mir-Hossein Mousavi, another opposition leader, had called for a rally on Monday to support the popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.
The authorities refused permission, calling it a political move. >>> | Thursday, February 10, 2011
BBC: Striking doctors and a host of other workers have joined thousands of anti-government protesters in Egypt.Medics wearing white coats streamed into Cairo's Tahrir Square alongside demonstrators who continue to call for President Hosni Mubarak to resign.
A key Cairo hospital was reported to have been closed by strike action as an estimated 3,000 staff walked out.
The renewed protests come after Egypt's foreign minister criticised US calls for Egypt to lift its emergency law.
Rebuffing Washington's calls to speed up the pace of political reform, Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Washington should not "impose" its will on "a great country".
Many thousands of Egyptians have been protesting since 25 January, calling for President Hosni Mubarak to step down.
Mr Mubarak has said he intends to step down after presidential elections, due to be held in September.
Protests in Cairo have now spread to Egypt's parliament, with violence and reports of strikes in other cities.
Bus drivers, lawyers and textile workers were reported to have joined the doctors on strike on Thursday, with unions reporting walkouts and protests across the country. >>> | Thursday, February 10, 2011
FOX NEWS: Saudi Arabia has threatened to prop up embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak if the Obama administration tries to force a swift change of regime in Egypt, The Times of London reported Thursday.In a testy personal telephone call on Jan. 29, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah reportedly told President Obama not to humiliate Mubarak and warned that he would step in to bankroll Egypt if the U.S. withdrew its aid program, worth $1.5 billion annually.
America's closest ally in the Gulf made clear that the Egyptian president must be allowed to stay on to oversee the transition towards peaceful democracy and then leave with dignity.
"Mubarak and King Abdullah are not just allies, they are close friends, and the King is not about to see his friend cast aside and humiliated," a senior source in the Saudi capital told The Times.
Two sources confirmed details of the King's call, made four days after the people of Egypt took to the streets.
The revelation of Saudi concerns sheds new light on America's apparent diplomatic paralysis and lays bare the biggest rift between the nations since the oil price shock of 1973.
The tough line from Riyadh is driven by concern that Western governments were too eager to shove aside Mubarak when the uprising began, without proper consideration of what should follow him.
"With Egypt in chaos, the kingdom is Washington's only major ally left in the Arab world and the Saudis want the Americans to remember that," said a source in Riyadh.
The White House declined to comment on the reports Wednesday, saying that the administration did not divulge what other leaders said to Obama. >>> | Thursday, February 10, 2011
This just goes to show how much might the US has lost in recent years. Now, under Obama, other countries are telling the US what to do, not the other way around. And this warning, it must be remembered, comes from a monarch who is himself propped up by the US! There seems to be something wrong with this picture. And isn’t this a clear case of the tail wagging the dog? – © Mark
THE TIMES: Exclusive: Saudis told Obama to back Mubarak: Saudi Arabia has threatened to prop up President Mubarak if the White House tries to force a swift change of regime in Egypt. In a testy personal telephone call on January 29, King Abdullah told President Obama not to humiliate Mr Mubarak and warned that he would step in to bankroll Egypt if the US withdrew its aid programme, worth $1.5 billion annually. America’s closest ally in the Gulf made clear that the Egyptian President must be allowed to stay on to oversee the transition towards peaceful democracy and then leave with dignity. “Mubarak and King Abdullah are not just allies, they are close friends, and the King is not about to see his friend cast aside and humiliated,” a senior source in the Saudi capital told The Times. >>> Hugh Tomlinson, Riyadh | Thursday, February 10, 2011 [£]
THE TIMES: How the anger of an oil-rich king has put Obama back on the wrong side of history >>> Giles Whittell, Washington | Thursday, February 10, 2011 [£]
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Der Einfluss der USA in der Ägypten-Krise ist offenbar kleiner als gedacht: Saudi-Arabiens König Abdullah soll gedroht haben, sich auf die Seite von Mubarak zu schlagen. In dem hitzigen Telefonat mit dem US-Präsidenten verteidigte er seinen "Freund"- und beschert Barack Obama noch mehr Ärger.
Riad/Washington - Die Krise in Ägypten sorgt für diplomatische Verstimmungen zwischen den USA und Saudi-Arabien, einem wichtigen Verbündeten des Westens in der Region. König Abdullah warnte die US-Regierung in einem Telefongespräch davor, einen Umbruch in Ägypten zu forcieren. Am 29. Januar - vier Tage nach Beginn der ersten Massenproteste in Kairo und anderen ägyptischen Städten - griff Saudi-Arabiens Regent zum Hörer und maßregelte US-Präsident Barack Obama. Das berichtete die Londoner "Times" am Donnerstag, sie bezieht sich auf hochrangige Diplomaten in Riad.
Der Tonfall sei "gereizt" gewesen, schreibt die Zeitung. Abdullah drohte, Ägyptens Präsident Husni Mubarak zu unterstützen, sollten sich die USA gegen den umstrittenen Machthaber stellen. Zudem werde er Ägypten finanziell aushelfen, sollten die Amerikaner ernsthaft erwägen, die milliardenschweren Rüstungshilfen an Kairo einzufrieren. Abdullah mahnte Obama der Zeitung zufolge, die USA dürften Mubarak keinesfalls mit offenen Rücktrittsforderungen "demütigen".
"Mubarak und König Abdullah sind nicht nur Verbündete, sondern auch Freunde. Der König wird nicht dabei zuschauen, wie sein Freund weggeschoben und erniedrigt wird", zitierte die "Times" einen Diplomaten. Nach den Unruhen in Ägypten verbliebe den USA derzeit nur noch ein stabiler Partner in der arabischen Welt: Saudi-Arabien. "Und die Saudis werden die USA genau daran erinnern", ergänzte der Diplomat.
Die US-Regierung steckt in der Ägypten-Krise in einem Dilemma: Einerseits unterstützt sie die Forderungen der Demonstranten nach einem längst überfälligen Machtwechsel, andererseits fürchtet Washington, zu viel Druck könnte eine friedliche Lösung erschweren. Wann genau Mubarak abtreten soll, ließ Obama bislang offen. >>> amz/AP | Donnerstag, 10. Februar 2011
DUTCHNEWS.nl: Persistent troublemakers should be kept away from the rest of the population in special ‘scum villages’, Geert Wilders, leader of the anti-Islam PVV says in an interview with the Telegraaf on Thursday.
‘Repeat offenders should be forcibly removed from their neighbourhood and sent to a village for scum,’ Wilders said. ‘They will then be put into converted containers as homes. If juveniles are involved, their families should be moved too. Put all the trash together.’ >>> | Thursday, February 10, 2011
THE AUSTRALIAN: THE trial of alleged terrorist cleric Abu Bakar Bashir began this morning under massive security at South Jakarta District Court, only to be adjourned almost immediately.Bashir, 72, who was convicted of conspiring in the 2002 Bali bombings but acquitted on appeal, faces seven terrorism-related charges stemming from his alleged role in organising an Islamic militant training camp in Aceh province that was broken-up last February.
The most serious charge, “planning or motivating others to commit terrorist acts carries a mandatory maximum penalty, either execution or life imprisonment.
More than 1500 police, including heavily armed rapid response officers, surrounded the courtroom and plainclothesmen moved among his supporters, who appeared to number about 300.
As Bashir was brought from a holding room to the court, the broadly smiling cleric said: “I feel as usual, the Prophet Mohammed also experienced this.” >>> Peter Alford, Jakarta correspondent | Thursday, February 10, 2011
WELT ONLINE: Die Niederlande sind erzürnt über die Exekution einer Landsfrau im Iran. Der Außenminister spricht von der ,,barbarischen Tat eines barbarischen Regimes".Vor etwas mehr als einer Woche wurde Sahra Bahrami im Iran exekutiert. Die Frau mit niederländischem und iranischem Pass wurde beschuldigt, mit Drogen zu handeln. Das wurde jedoch nie vor einem unabhängigen Gericht bewiesen. Auch ließ es der islamische Gottesstaat nicht zu, dass die 45-jährige Mutter Hilfe von einem Anwalt ihres Vertrauens oder vom niederländischen Konsulat bekam. Der Iran erkennt die doppelte Staatsbürgerschaft nicht an. Zudem wurde sie gezwungen, im iranischen Staatsfernsehen ein Bekenntnis abzulegen. Diplomatischer Konflikt mit Teheran – Den Haag zieht Botschafter ab >>> Autor: Rob Savelberg | Mittwoch, 09. Februar 2011
LE FIGARO: Le chef de l'État s'exprimait mercredi soir lors du 26e dîner annuel du Conseil représentatif des institutions juives de France.C'était la deuxième fois depuis son élection que Nicolas Sarkozy participait mercredi soir au 26e dîner annuel du Crif (Conseil représentatif des institutions juives de France). Et si le chef de l'État n'a pas choisi le registre de la «repentance», il n'en était pas très éloigné, quand il a évoqué les épisodes les plus douloureux de la relation de la France avec les juifs, français ou d'ailleurs. «Si la France a des racines chrétiennes, elle a aussi des racines juives», a-t-il affirmé en préambule de son rappel historique. Avant de poursuivre: «La présence du judaïsme est attestée en France avant même que la France ne soit la France, avant même qu'elle ne soit christianisée.»
«C'est ainsi, a déclaré Nicolas Sarkozy, qu'il existe en France des bains rituels juifs contemporains de nos églises romanes et des synagogues aussi ornées que des chapelles baroques. Oui le judaïsme fait partie des racines de la France et chaque Français, quelle que soit sa confession ou son origine, peut en être fier.» >>> Par Judith Waintraub | Jeudi 10 Février 2011
Nuit de flamenco à Grenade from Ulysse, la culture du voyage on Vimeo.
THE GUARDIAN: Military accused by human rights campaigners of targeting hundreds of anti-government protestersThe Egyptian military has secretly detained hundreds and possibly thousands of suspected government opponents since mass protests against President Hosni Mubarak began, and at least some of these detainees have been tortured, according to testimony gathered by the Guardian.
The military has claimed to be neutral, merely keeping anti-Mubarak protesters and loyalists apart. But human rights campaigners say this is clearly no longer the case, accusing the army of involvement in both disappearances and torture – abuses Egyptians have for years associated with the notorious state security intelligence (SSI) but not the army.
The Guardian has spoken to detainees who say they have suffered extensive beatings and other abuses at the hands of the military in what appears to be an organised campaign of intimidation. Human rights groups have documented the use of electric shocks on some of those held by the army. >>> Chris McGreal in Cairo | Wednesday, February 09, 2011
THE GUARDIAN: Leader of France's National Front has congratulated David Cameron on his controversial speechThe leader of France's National Front has praised David Cameron for what she says is an endorsement of her party's far-right views on multiculturalism and immigration.
Marine Le Pen was elected to lead the National Front last month. She claimed the prime minister's speech on the failures of multiculturalism showed he was taking Britain's Conservatives towards her stance on the issue. "It is exactly this type of statement that has barred us from public life [in France] for 30 years," she told the Financial Times. "I sense an evolution at European level, even in classic governments. I can only congratulate him."
Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel, was among European leaders listening to Cameron's speech in Munich at the weekend. He is accused of having played into the hands of rightwing extremists by talking of the failings of multiculturalism within hours of one of the biggest anti-Islam rallies ever staged in Britain.
Cameron called for a new "muscular liberalism", promoting British values and national identity. A policy of "passive tolerance" had only served to encourage Islamist extremism, he argued. >>> David Batty | Thursday, February 10, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)