Originally posted by jaden101
The government has been dissolved. Looks like this shit actually works.
I'm unsure as Anub'arak (lol) asked the cabinet to resign.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/28/world/main7293753.shtml
CAIRO - In a press conference late Fri., Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak says he will work towards resolving the problems that caused the massive unrest in Egypt and that he will designate a new government Sat.Embattled President Mubarak says he has asked his Cabinet to resign in his first appearance on television since protests erupted demanding his ouster.
He says he will press ahead with social, economic and political reforms. He calls anti-government protests part of plot to destabilize Egypt and destroy the legitimacy of his regime.
He is defending security forces' crackdown on protesters.
U.S. President Barack Obama spoke to Mubarak for 30 minutes late Fri., saying that he told the Egyptian president that he "has a responsibility to give meanings to those words. Violence will not address the grievances of the Egyptian people."
Thousands stayed on the streets into the night in Cairo and Suez despite the government opposing an official curfew at dusk for the entire country.
Al-Jazeera English reports that the curfew is being ignored.
As many as 10 protestors may have been killed and more than 1,000 wounded Friday, bringing the death toll of police and protestors to around 17 since clashes began throughout the country on Tuesday.
The sustained and intensifying demonstrations raised serious questions about whether Mubarak can keep his grip on power.
Egypt is Washington's closest Arab ally, but Mubarak may be losing U.S. support.
In the strongest sign yet that the violent suppression of the largest anti-government protests in decades is costing Egypt the support of its key ally in Washington, the U.S. demanded an end to the crackdown and an administration official said America will review its stand on providing aid to Egypt based on unfolding events.
The hated dictator fires everyone but himself and promises to appoint new people. I don't see that as real progress.
In other news America knew this was going to happen for years. Egypt says that the US govt was backing the protests but the document linked to just makes it seem like US officials met with one of the leaders.
The New York times had an article accusing Al Jazeera of deliberately fermenting this series of riots.
The death toll is near 100.
AJE has a summary of the events in pictures:
http://english.aljazeera.net/photo_galleries/africa/2011125192646189116.html
This is not good. This is Iran, 32 years later. Muslim extremeists will take control of Egypt (and thus the Suez Canal) and possibly Jordan, and even Saudi Arabia. Oil will shoot to $250 a barrell. Any peace agreement that Egypt had signed with Israel will be moot. This could destablize the already fragile global economy and who knows, spark a major war.
This isn't good.
Originally posted by The Dark Cloud
This is not good. This is Iran, 32 years later. Muslim extremeists will take control of Egypt (and thus the Suez Canal) and possibly Jordan, and even Saudi Arabia. Oil will shoot to $250 a barrell. Any peace agreement that Egypt had signed with Israel will be moot. This could destablize the already fragile global economy and who knows, spark a major war.This isn't good.
Actually it's different. The Shah, with the backing of the US wiped out all liberal, socialist, and communist opposition to his rule leaving only the extreme right wing to take power. In Egypt, it's kind of the opposite with certain right wing extremists also having tacit government support. This is why in the mix of all this rioting and confusion, the coptic christians are taking part while the Muslim Brotherhood makes generic statements and doesn't know what to do. Israel is just kind of standing back and commenting on the fact that the borders are all peaceful and Hamas is afraid to get involved. Most of dictators and terrorist groups are coming out in favor of Mubarak which isn't helping their cause at all and if any country is next, it's probably Iran. Hell, if the people weren't afraid of a US or Israeli attack, they could have had Ahmedinejad and the Mullahs hanging from the gallows 5 years ago. It seems like the destiny of many of these presidents is the same as Ceausescu and Mussolini. I'm more worried that if the democrats don't grow a spine and/or if the republicans get their way, this is going to be happening in New York and Washington with deputized minutemen and tea partiers working crowd control with fully automatic weapons.
Also, Saudi Arabia is already controlled by extremists and controls by proxy nearly all Sunni extremists on the planet to some degree. If protests broke out and the royal family ended up being wiped out, Al Qaida would solve the middle east's unemployment problems because they would need a lot of grant writers and financial planners.
Very informative! Watched the ongoings on the news with interest but without an awful lot of background knowlegde, thanks for a bigger picture.
With the defiance and rioting spreading this fast (and bringing down 2 governments already), the suppressed 'fertility' for great public unrest in many other nations and the currect election of the dictatorial president of Equatorial Guinea as chairman of the African Union combined, can we expect a large scale revolution that might have a global impact?
Originally posted by Quiero Mota
Perhaps in flimsy Ay-rab countries. That shit wouldn't fly in China, the commie army would totally supress any "we want peace" demonstrators.
These 'low profile uprisings', if I had to translate your perspective, still carry notable weight. Those people are standing up in protest while knowingly risking their lives. Can you imagine what it takes to go there and that it's real people we're talking about?
Although China has indeed made itself almost immune to such public rebellion, indirectly by international support I'm afraid, you cannot deny the possibility that this trend will spread over to more countries with questionable ethics and eventually hit nations among these that you might deem less 'flimsy'.
Originally posted by The Dark Cloud
This is not good. This is Iran, 32 years later. Muslim extremeists will take control of Egypt (and thus the Suez Canal) and possibly Jordan, and even Saudi Arabia. Oil will shoot to $250 a barrell. Any peace agreement that Egypt had signed with Israel will be moot. This could destablize the already fragile global economy and who knows, spark a major war.This isn't good.
Originally posted by King Kandy
For someone who complains so much about the establishment, i'd think you'd find it exciting to see things shaken up.
I am looking at that part of the world's track record. The only majority muslim country on earth to ever have anything resembling democracy is Turkey and there are the rumblings of radical Islam there as well. I think Egypt is in real danger of becoming an Islamic theocracy and that should scare the hell out of everyone. As bad as Egypt's current regime is it would be better for both the world, and the people of Egypt, for it to stay in power than for a bunch of fire breathing Imans or Mullahs to come to power.
Originally posted by The Dark Cloud
I am looking at that part of the world's track record. The only majority muslim country on earth to ever have anything resembling democracy is Turkey and there are the rumblings of radical Islam there as well. I think Egypt is in real danger of becoming an Islamic theocracy and that should scare the hell out of everyone. As bad as Egypt's current regime is it would be better for both the world, and the people of Egypt, for it to stay in power than for a bunch of fire breathing Imans or Mullahs to come to power.
Are the rioters Muslim fundamentalists or is that just pessimism?