Egypt in Crisis

[POV]

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- The Cabinet of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak officially resigned on Saturday as thousands of demonstrators staged protests in Cairo and Alexandria, kicking off another day of anti-government ferment.

The atmosphere in Cairo's Tahrir Square remained tense as demonstrators continued chants of, "Down with Mubarak."

And on Saturday, state-run Nile TV reported that officials in the country had stepped down hours after Mubarak announced that he asked the government to resign.

CNN

[Ikarus360]

Mubarak tought firing the cabinet would calm down the protests. He obviously didnt get the message. They want HIM out, not the cabinet. He's another one of those dictators which uses the excuse of a ''democracy'' to cling onto power as much as they can. There are now more than 100 dead in the protests, a number which can give you a good idea of the high grade of repression those countries use. Now the protests have expanded to Yemen (where this guy has been ruling since the 70's ) and in Jordan, like some kind of plague. Some commie media are already starting to blame the CIA for provoking and instigating the protests, including Gadaffi (its hard to tell on which side he is...what an hypocrit).

Oh, and by the way...China has just blocked the word ''Egypt'' from internet. They're obviously paranoid now about what's happening on the Magreb-Middle East.

There is a refrain which says ''There is no evil that lasts 100 years ... nor a body that resists it''

[baron-pierreIV]

Where are Cleopatra and Hot-soup-sh*t when you need them??

[Guardian]

Well, I bet China wanted Mubarak to use his military to kill as many Egyptians as possible. According to the New York Times, China has powered up its firewall to prevent Chinese people from seeing what is going on in Egypt right now.

[FYI]

I'm really surprised that this thread hasn't gotten much more attention than it has.

This turmoil could radically pose instability in the region, & the potential to destroy the closest relationship the U.S. has in the Arab world.

Hopefully this will be settled peacefully & soon.

[baron-pierreIV]

Re the latest devs, I was wondering when the pro-gov't supporters would show up. The world should NEVER be lulled that just because a couple of thousands show their faces in the street, it means that those are the majority's wishes. I mean for a country of 80+ million, we only saw like maybe 500,000 or so in Cairo, add in another 250,000 in Alexandria...and you really have less than a million out there.

Of course, the mob (even though it is probably composed of the intelligentsia -- altho the really intelligent ones would know that it is still the gov't that holds all the cards...and that they must be allowed to exit honorably) should never rule.

Do you think crowds should gather in front of FIFA and the IOC headquarters to get Blatter and Rogge out of office??

[krow]

Re the latest devs, I was wondering when the pro-gov't supporters would show up. The world should NEVER be lulled that just because a couple of thousands show their faces in the street, it means that those are the majority's wishes. I mean for a country of 80+ million, we only saw like maybe 500,000 or so in Cairo, add in another 250,000 in Alexandria...and you really have less than a million out there.

Of course, the mob (even though it is probably composed of the intelligentsia -- altho the really intelligent ones would know that it is still the gov't that holds all the cards...and that they must be allowed to exit honorably) should never rule.

Do you think crowds should gather in front of FIFA and the IOC headquarters to get Blatter and Rogge out of office??

you do realize that if 200,000 people gather two days in a row that it's not necessarily the same 200,000 people. half might go one day and stay home the next.

and your figures are a little low. the telegraph has them at 1M in cairo.

[emre]

The board is set. The pieces are moving....

The big bosses try to shape Middle east inside of it after Iraq disaster. im afraid it will reach to Turkic countries after that and my homeland Turkey. Dreaming about Big Armenia and Kurdistan can make someones mouth wet. And if they try to do st like this it can become an international war cause Turkey can act very fiercly if they try to make another "Le Traité de Sèvres"

hope everything will settle in Egypt and the ones that need to make reforms and understand that their citizens are more important than their bank accounts, so it wont become a fire burning all middle east and east europe...

fucking chance we are settle on a tik taking bomb :S one hand is on balkans, the other syria,iran ıraq and caucaisans...

[baron-pierreIV]

you do realize that if 200,000 people gather two days in a row that it's not necessarily the same 200,000 people. half might go one day and stay home the next.

and your figures are a little low. the telegraph has them at 1M in cairo.

I think it's probably most of the same people who come and go.

Re the 1M figures, reports always just round them off. Who's to say there were really 677,892 people vs. the very convenient and more impressive 1M (when I really doubt that there's be that much).

[krow]

I think it's probably most of the same people who come and go.

Re the 1M figures, reports always just round them off. Who's to say there were really 677,892 people vs. the very convenient and more impressive 1M (when I really doubt that there's be that much).

international media have little to gain by inflating crowd figures. egypt has been top news for days. they don't need to justify their coverage.

i'm really unsure why you're being this cynical and whiny, but your speculations--based on nothing but your own bias--mean so very little versus published reports.

[baron-pierreIV]

international media have little to gain by inflating crowd figures. egypt has been top news for days. they don't need to justify their coverage.

i'm really unsure why you're being this cynical and whiny, but your speculations--based on nothing but your own bias--mean so very little versus published reports.

Well, of course, you, just like the herd--would buy the rounded-out figure. Since you obviously don't get it, what I'm saying is that with all these mass rallies, and we haven't seen the end of them, I would disbelieve the LARGE numbers bandied about. Yeah, maybe I'm cynical but I'm well seasoned too to differentiate what's truth and what's hyperbole.

[krow]

Well, of course, you, just like the herd--would buy the rounded-out figure. Since you obviously don't get it, what I'm saying is that with all these mass rallies, and we haven't seen the end of them, I would disbelieve the LARGE numbers bandied about. Yeah, maybe I'm cynical but I'm well seasoned too to differentiate what's truth and what's hyperbole.

so, just to sum this little discussion.

you haven't been to egypt.

you haven't seen the full extent of the crowds.

you admit that you have no idea whether or not different people are coming and going every day.

but...

all the international journalists who are in egypt, who have seen the full extent of the crowds, and who would be in a better position to gauge changes in crowd demographics, are all giving us information which you KNOW to be overinflated.

k. just wanted to make sure i "got it."

[Lisa Diane]

you do realize that if 200,000 people gather two days in a row that it's not necessarily the same 200,000 people. half might go one day and stay home the next.

and your figures are a little low. the telegraph has them at 1M in cairo.

Such a very amazing link!

Thanks you for the post.

[gotosy]

Mubarak resigns, hands power to the military

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has resigne.d Vice President Omar Suleiman said in a brief televised statement. His statement in full: "Hosni Mubarak has waived the office of presidency and told the army to run the affairs of the country. "

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/02/military-vows-free-election-offers-conditional-end-to-emergency-law/1

[baron-pierreIV]

Lesson to be learned from the French and Russian revolutions, and the recent Manila, Iron Curtain, Beijing, Cairo uprisings -- especially to urban planners: Do NOT provide wide-open spaces like squares and piazzas where the rabble can gather and shout down a ruling clique. Build capital cities with narrow streets where only tanks and armored vehicles can pass. Lay out the streets so that mobs can easily be separated and cornered when they need to be.

And that's my revolutionary lesson of the day.

[Rob2012]

Makes perfect sense Baron. While we're at it, we should have another look at the idea of sending marmite to the Middle East to solve the conflicts there.

Anyway, about time he went. Hopefully it'll be good for Egypt.

[Faster]

Hopefully the Egyptian people produce a secular, stable, peaceful state. It would be horrible for Egypt to go the way of Iran, especially with regards to the peace with Israel.

Now Algeria, Subdan, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Cote d'Ivoire and Yeman can follow suit.

[baron-pierreIV]

Cote d'Ivoire

Yeah, and its neighboring countries haven't been able to do anything about it. It's about time they just do a Chile-Pinochet number on that fool over there.

And what about Mugabe? Is that goon still in power?

[Mainad]

Now Mubarak has gone,who or what is going to replace him?? Anxious times ahead for Egypt,the Arab World and the rest of us!!

[Ikarus360]

Hopefully the Egyptian people produce a secular, stable, peaceful state. It would be horrible for Egypt to go the way of Iran, especially with regards to the peace with Israel.

Now Algeria, Subdan, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Cote d'Ivoire and Yeman can follow suit.

Libya is going to be more hard. People are still scared of Gadaffi, and he has good experience supressing protests. Turkmenistan is slowly moving to democracy (or at least thats what they're trying to make look like) since the new president is eliminating the personality cult which existed towards Niyazov. By the way...Kazakhstan situation reminds me of Egypt: an authocratic president, yeah, but which helped mantain stability in the country and they're not doing that bad...or at least it seems. If we know something is that history is condemeed to repeat itself.

Yemen and Jordan look like the most probable candidates of following Tunisia and Egypt ''revolutions'' if you ask me. There are already massive protests on these countries (in Jordan they are demanding the political influence of the Queen to end, for example)

Yeah, and its neighboring countries haven't been able to do anything about it. It's about time they just do a Chile-Pinochet number on that fool over there.

And what about Mugabe? Is that goon still in power?

Oh yeah..if you like the idea of getting your house checked everyday and having your sons kidnapped and beated up (and at times, killed) and getting people executed and tortured on stadiums, that would be good, no?...no.

[Alexjc]

Lesson to be learned from the French and Russian revolutions, and the recent Manila, Iron Curtain, Beijing, Cairo uprisings -- especially to urban planners: Do NOT provide wide-open spaces like squares and piazzas where the rabble can gather and shout down a ruling clique. Build capital cities with narrow streets where only tanks and armored vehicles can pass. Lay out the streets so that mobs can easily be separated and cornered when they need to be.

And that's my revolutionary lesson of the day.

So..er..where does that leave Washington DC?!!!

[baron-pierreIV]

So..er..where does that leave Washington DC?!!!

Very vulnerable to mob rule. But I think they got their more honest million-man marches there more than in Cairo. Speaking of which here is rare footage of one of the last queens of Egypt being buried alive:

It is heartbreaking to see the Pharoahs, and Hosni, the last of the Pharoahs, just shoved aside by the motley rubble. Long live the Pharoahs and Queen Nellifer!!

[Texas]

Hopefully the Egyptian people produce a secular, stable, peaceful state. It would be horrible for Egypt to go the way of Iran, especially with regards to the peace with Israel.

Now Algeria, Subdan, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Cote d'Ivoire and Yeman can follow suit.

Gaddafi has full backing of the military. That won't happen. Same with Iran. I do think that the situation in Cote D'Ivoire is going to be resolved before the summer, although it may have to involve the President of Senegal, who has been silent on the issue. Don't know what his relationship is though with Gbagbo, the President of the Ivory Coast. The African Union has sent a delegation of leaders to try to sort things out, but Gbagbo already has issues with the President of Burkina Faso for supporting the opposition, who is a part of that delegation along with the two leaders of Sub Saharan Africa's main powers: South Africa (Jacob Zuma) and Nigeria (Goodluck Jonathan).

[baron-pierreIV]

Gaddafi has full backing of the military. That won't happen. Same with Iran. I do think that the situation in Cote D'Ivoire is going to be resolved before the summer, although it may have to involve the President of Senegal, who has been silent on the issue. Don't know what his relationship is though with Gbagbo, the President of the Ivory Coast. The African Union has sent a delegation of leaders to try to sort things out, but Gbagbo already has issues with the President of Burkina Faso for supporting the opposition, who is a part of that delegation along with the two leaders of Sub Saharan Africa's main powers: South Africa (Jacob Zuma) and Nigeria (Goodluck Jonathan).

I betcha if they sent Morgan Freeman, Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Phil, those issues would be resolved just like that!!

[Ikarus360]

And now Bahrain and Libya have joined the drama show. I suggest this thread should be renamed ''Arab World in Crisis''

I've been reading on tweets that Gadaffi has sent the army (snipers at buildings and even choppers) to repress and murder the protesters, and there are almost 100 dead already (also, it seems that a masacree is happening right now at Benghazi). Gadaffi has cut the internet and Aljazeera. Gadaffi's going to be harder to beat than Mubarak . He's one of the worst tyrants in the world and the word ''dialogue'' doesn't exist on his vocabulary.

Maybe America shouldn't have lifted the ban...