Egypt Rolling Updates Wednesday 09 Feb

Godzilla if you have tea and buns in your thread I may visit often

Babsi wrote:http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/02/201129165618696838.html

Interesting...

Interesting indeed. I wonder if any of Obama's people will show him this. Any chance he might be tempted to go?! Nah. If he did it would sure force me to re-evaluate him big time.

Babsi wrote:http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/02/201129165618696838.html

Interesting...

I don't think people understand how much pressure he's under to prop up Mubarak. It's not just about what he prefers, he's feeling heat from dictators all over the world, some of whom can cause real problems for the US.

IMO.

Egyptian officials getting fired and resigning left and right . . .

#newvalley gov fires top security officials & launches investigation in2 civilian killings by security #tahrir #jan25 half a minute ago via Twitter for BlackBerry®

When this story was a few days old, the comment was made that the protesters couldn't last because they didn't have a lot of resources to use. People that have little really have little to lose and are use to strife. The Govt. and Military(own 30% of the economy) have much but also lose much every day.

Hopefully the economic hardship on the rich will help turn the tide.

The American Govt. doesn't want to lose a country that is bought and payed for. Just my 2 cents.

Cue Mr. Obvious . . .

BreakingNews White House spokesman says Egypt must do more to meet demands of protesters - Reuters
1 minute ago

Way to go Godzilla. The North Korean Govt will start something whenever they think not getting the attention they want. Bunch of drama queens but SOOOOO unpredictable that govts have to stay on their toes

Strawberry wrote:Godzilla if you have tea and buns in your thread I may visit often

There will be ocassional "doomage" for you GLPers...news as I get it...even occasional commentary and yes...humor cuz you can't be serious all the time...that will only lead to uclers. I'll have a wine cabinet and a regular beverage cabinet as well.

Godzilla85 wrote:

Strawberry wrote:Godzilla if you have tea and buns in your thread I may visit often

There will be ocassional "doomage" for you GLPers...news as I get it...even occasional commentary and yes...humor cuz you can't be serious all the time...that will only lead to uclers. I'll have a wine cabinet and a regular beverage cabinet as well.

Friends don't let friends drink and post.

LOL, that can end badly.

1917 GMT: The impression that the Egyptian Army was playing a neutral game has come under question. Foreign Policy reports:

Human rights activists in Washington and Cairo reported last week uniformed Egyptian military personnel were directly involved in the arrest, detention, and interrogation of human rights activists in Egypt, including the raid on the Hisham Mubarak Law Center, which included the arrest of Human Rights Watch researcher Daniel Williams. In a gripping first-hand account on Monday, Williams explained the extensive role of Egyptian military personnel in his incarceration.

"The initial impression was that the military sided with the demonstrators yet provided order amid the chaos, which is why I was surprised to see the soldier on the chair, harassing the human rights workers about a ‘suspicious meeting' with foreigners bent on ‘ruining our country,' Williams wrote on Monday at The Daily Beast. "There was no doubt that the army was in charge of the raid. At one point, a major general showed up at the Hisham Mubarak center and other officers worked hand in glove with a uniformed policeman, plainclothes state security agents and assorted abusive henchmen."

Read more at : http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/02/07/state_department_confirms_egyptian_military_elements_participated_in_crackdown

ZX12R wrote:

Godzilla85 wrote:

Strawberry wrote:Godzilla if you have tea and buns in your thread I may visit often

There will be ocassional "doomage" for you GLPers...news as I get it...even occasional commentary and yes...humor cuz you can't be serious all the time...that will only lead to uclers. I'll have a wine cabinet and a regular beverage cabinet as well.

Friends don't let friends drink and post.

Heck, I encourage it!

1930 GMT: Tahrir is packed again tonight

Beast wrote:When this story was a few days old, the comment was made that the protesters couldn't last because they didn't have a lot of resources to use. People that have little really have little to lose and are use to strife. The Govt. and Military(own 30% of the economy) have much but also lose much every day.

Hopefully the economic hardship on the rich will help turn the tide.

The American Govt. doesn't want to lose a country that is bought and payed for. Just my 2 cents.

I agree, somewhat. I think there are good people in Egypt at all economic levels (Babsi can comment on this). Does anyone really love tyranny except the sick individuals who enjoy terrorizing others? I doubt it. To be honest, I am uncertain the extent to which the "American Government" exists as a sovereign entity anymore. Our own constitution has been and continues to be under assault since 2001.

Janey wrote:

Babsi wrote:

Janey wrote:

Babsi wrote:

snark wrote:Babsi please be safe- did they give you a timeframe in which you had to decide whether to leave or not??

No timeframe given as the embassy is as of now not doing mandatory evacuations. As I said before, leaving is only a option for me if the embassy decides to evacuate, then I have to seriously consider, otherwise I might be stranded here in a life or death situation. But everybody is still hopeful things won't escalate to that level. Right now I must just be taking care of myself, i.e. observing curfew etc.

I meant to ask you Babsi, do you speak fluent arabic now?

Unfortunately I do not. I can communicate in matters of work and daily life, but not fluent. If its a subject familiar to me, I understand everything. But if I watch arabic news, it's difficult for me to understand everything 100%, I'd say 50% only. Problem is that I deal mostly with foreigners working here and all egyptians speak perfect english/german with me. It's a shame really, lol. But never had the time to take proper classes either...but learning every day . I speak german, english, italian, arabic is what came later.

that in itself is an impressive list of languages! I now I have told you in PM, but I will echo it in public here. We all think of you all the time and want you to stay safe out there!

In my prayers every day.

Joe Bese wrote:

ZX12R wrote:

Godzilla85 wrote:

Strawberry wrote:Godzilla if you have tea and buns in your thread I may visit often

There will be ocassional "doomage" for you GLPers...news as I get it...even occasional commentary and yes...humor cuz you can't be serious all the time...that will only lead to uclers. I'll have a wine cabinet and a regular beverage cabinet as well.

Friends don't let friends drink and post.

Heck, I encourage it!

Education website reports Al Azhar U closed for a year, Cairo U and other #Egypt unis for months due to #jan25 protests
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 2:37:18 PM

EANewsFeed: #Egypt: Government to Unblock Al Jazeera in Egypt #Jan25
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 2:38:03 PM

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east/2011/02/08/live-blog-feb-9-egypt-protests

Live blog will bring you upto date on events tonight

SNIP from the lede blog at the NYTIMES: http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/09/latest-updates-on-day-16-of-egypt-protests/?src=twt&twt=thelede#egyptian-pop-star-tearfully-recants-support-for-regime


The wave of labor unrest, which seemed to spread across Egypt on Tuesday, intensified on Wednesday, as public transport workers reportedly went on strike in Cairo.

Hossam el-Hamalawy, a self-described "socialist journalist," reported on his blog Arabawy:


The Cairo Public Transportation workers, who started a strike today in five Garages: Nasr Station, Fateh Station, Ter'a Station, Amiriya Station, Mezzalat Station, Sawwah Station, have issued a statement with a list of demands, calling for overthrowing Mubarak. No public buses will roam Cairo tomorrow, except those buses that will bring the drivers to the central station in Nasr City's el-Gabal el-Ahmar, where the strikers have announced they will declare an independent union.

The strikers' statement has also called for abolishing the emergency law, removing [the Mubarak regime's National Democratic Party] from the state institutions, dissolving the parliament, drafting new constitution, forming a national unity govt and setting a national minimum wage of LE1200 and prosecuting corrupt officials.

This comes as strikes have spread literally everywhere. It's happening people. It's happening. The working class has entered the arena with full force today. Mubarak's regime's fate will be sealed off SOON!

AC wrote:BreakingNews Egypt foreign minister 'infuriated' by early U.S. response to crisis, but believes U.S. now understands situation, PBS, via Reuters
11 minutes ago

not sure if I got this out to you all earlier, but Obama has called a meeting of senior staff to discuss the US having a coordinated voice on Egypt. He is concerned that different people and different departments have a differing policy.

Finally caught up with everyone's posts! You all are doing an amazing job reporting. It's all I can do to keep up!

This twitter feed is keeping up with the different industrial strikes and is pretty interesting:

http://twitter.com/3arabawy

Janey wrote:

AC wrote:BreakingNews Egypt foreign minister 'infuriated' by early U.S. response to crisis, but believes U.S. now understands situation, PBS, via Reuters
11 minutes ago

not sure if I got this out to you all earlier, but Obama has called a meeting of senior staff to discuss the US having a coordinated voice on Egypt. He is concerned that different people and different departments have a differing policy.

He wants to make sure nobody Bidens themselves.

I think it is a good idea for Obama to get everyone on the same page considering what Wisner has said the last couple days . . .


Does the President have confidence in Margaret Scobey?

Gibbs: Great, great confidence.

Is she the chief envoy now or is there any talk of sending Wisner back?

Gibbs: No, no, Wisner was only sent once, and there are no plans for him to be returning, and he knew that.

C-SPAN2

Joe Bese wrote:

Babsi wrote:http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/02/201129165618696838.html

Interesting...

I don't think people understand how much pressure he's under to prop up Mubarak. It's not just about what he prefers, he's feeling heat from dictators all over the world, some of whom can cause real problems for the US.

IMO.

I think youre right but its a bed of his/US/elite making