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News

Shit, it's really kicking off in Egypt....

270 replies

headfairy · 28/01/2011 12:22

watching reuters footage coming in, they've got tear gas and the police are shooting protesters now. Bloody terrifying!

OP posts:

Report

LittleMissHissyFit · 05/02/2011 21:59

The MB have categorically said that they will not field a presidential candidate in the elections.

The top guy, or someone pretty hugh up, I forget who, said ONLY if there is a CRUSHING majority that wants an islamic state will there be one. Unless this happens, with Egypt the way it is, to impose an islamic state upon a mix of people would be a form of oppression itself.

Have a read of the Economist article here

"If Mubarak does not leave soon, this may descend into civil war"

Erm, only if a real live opposition to the Pro-Democracy Movement actually exists!

The Pro-Mubarak movement were PAID! They were mostly policemen in plain clothes or National Petroleum Employees threatened with the sack if they didn't support Mubarak. They were promised an extra month salary or else.

Surely if you as a PRO-Govt supporter believed you were right and a bunch of people were trying to bring down your president, you wouldn't all wait to meet at the end of the day?

Why were there no appeals by the Govt for the Pro-Mubarak supporters to show restraint, or not to appear. They simply did'nt show up until the President's curfew was almost starting. There were a couple of thousand at the very most, and they all went to the same gate, where incidentally the Army were waiting all day for them and 'held them off'.

Only chance you have of a civil war in this case is if there really are people and we are talking millions that really want to carry on living under Mubarak. There simply is not the evidence to support that.

The other thing to mention is that if anyone was to say anything disparaging even up to a couple of weeks ago, they would have been arrested. There are many that would be too scared still to say anything.

'H' has a friend who commented over 15 years ago that there ought to be elections in Egypt. he was taken off the streets and was never seen again.

LittleMissHissyFit · 05/02/2011 21:37

Wisner is the one that has done the U-Turn apparently.

Link here

LittleMissHissyFit · 05/02/2011 21:35

erm who ARE they then mee2?

Been watching too much NileTV have you?

CrosswordAddict · 05/02/2011 20:27

Surprised at the news this evening - Obama is now supporting Mubarak to stay until the Autumn. Rather a U turn from his speech yesterday? Are there some ulterior motives for this or am I too cynical?

mee2 · 05/02/2011 17:19

"They're not bad by Arab standards but very poor by western standards."

It wil get a whole lot worse if mubarak is deposed. these are not pro-democracy demonstrators folks.

LittleMissHissyFit · 05/02/2011 11:21

Link to Explosion story

Be wary of terminology of Govt, and state reporting, notoriously propagandtastic at the moment! The deputy head of Nile TV resigned and was absolutely scathing of the Govt and their threats towards her over the past few years and increasingly over this period of revolution.

Also reading between the lines the Bedouin link is more likely to be them making their presence felt as they have staged protests in the past against discrimination etc.

mummiehunnie · 05/02/2011 08:08

The bbc is reporting possible terrorist act on a pipeline in the Sinai region! They say the Bedouin (?sp) are also struggling with the loss of tourism income and are making it clear they are unhappy.

LittleMissHissyFit · 04/02/2011 13:34

how does one spell sycophantic?...

Ah, there it is!

PRO-Mubarak supporters trying to get in now, at the end of the day, near the beginning of the curfew...

Choreographed, much?

LittleMissHissyFit · 04/02/2011 13:33

No I only saw the top line - what happened?

slim22 · 04/02/2011 13:17

did anyone watch christianne amanpour's sorry exercise on abc?
Lowering standards to that point?

LittleMissHissyFit · 03/02/2011 20:46

MH, the MB is a banned organisation in Egypt, active membership of it under the old regime was enough to have you picked up, arrested and held for a few days.

High ranking members were often arrested for fraud, drug possession and lord knows what else could be pinned and planted on them.

They stood as independents as the MB wouldn't ever have been allowed to participate officially in politics as it is outlawed.

So as you understand the MB situation. If I were to email 'H' with an article critical of the regime, if he were ever picked up and his email gone through it could have serious consequences.

If he even went onto a MB site, he could be tracked down. If his texts, or phone conversations were critical of the regime, sooner or later he may be picked up.

If found to be dangerous, he could quite simply disappear 'behind the sun'.

It is true, there are deeply fanatic and fundmentalist members of the MB, and I have long been wary of them. I do wonder how much of that was propaganda and how much is real... judging by their behaviour during these times, I have to say I am heartened. I remain wary, but that is because it'll take an awful lot more than 9 days for me to see that they mean what they are saying at the moment.

People from these cultures can play a very long game.... like Camels, they can hold a grudge for years, without even a flicker of anything untoward until one day, when you least expect it, they reveal the response to the slight you may have shown them all that time ago.

I wouldn't like MB to gain majority power, I don't see a reason, based on their behaviour why they ought not be involved, have a say, and have their interests and requests considered, but ultimately I don't believe politics and religion should mix at all, the 2 are counter productive IMHO.

I believe that the management of the country can be perfectly well run without involving religion, leaving people to live their daily lives as they personally wish to.

The army generally do as they are told. They are defying the Pres in some ways, but they have a job to do and are taking orders. Once a credible Opposition team presents itself and dumping Hosni is not as precarious as it is at this moment, there may be a change of heart.

I for one can't WAIT for the day that a democratically elected Govt holds the purse strings and the military and the police have to come begging for their budget....

'H' has police officer friends. He has been advised not to associate with them in future as it could be dangerous.

slim22 · 03/02/2011 15:37

most of my egyptian friends now say army ultimately sides with mubarak.
one questio is where is amr moussa?

MumInBeds · 03/02/2011 15:02

Among those captured is an Amnesty International delegate.

twitter

EldritchCleavage · 03/02/2011 14:55

International Herald Trib suggests the Americans are baldly telling Mubarak to go now.

He was only worth putting up with in exchange for reasonably non-violent stability. Now he can't deliver that, Mubarak has no purpose.

Which doesn't mean an equally cynical arrangement would not be reached by the US with a sucessor. I fear it may be a case of plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose, with the regime/oligarchy and Army finding another strongman to act as figurehead.

MummieHunnie · 03/02/2011 14:54

dooh independants

MummieHunnie · 03/02/2011 14:54

I really don't get why there are posters and journo's that are scared of the Muslin brotherhood, they sound like a political party that has had many members stand as indepdants in parliament with experience. It is extremists who brainwash or are brainwashed that cause the problems imho. Egyptians have the right to choose who they want to lead them in their own country!

FerdieAddis · 03/02/2011 14:47

I really hope not. Also, did anyone see Robert Fisk in the Independent this morning talking about how as the violence increased, there was a higher Muslim Brotherhood presence among the protesters. By cracking down, Mubarak could drive the rebellion towards the fringes.

Ripeberry · 03/02/2011 14:34

If Mubarak does not leave soon, this may descend into civil war

begonyabampot · 03/02/2011 14:00

was watching this morning as people were starting to gather again, not knowing what the day would bring for them. I was really moved - this is their lives, their future and they are taking a stand even though it might get rough. God, we take so much for granted here - best of luck to them!

FerdieAddis · 03/02/2011 12:20

Things are looking really scary in Egypt right now. I've been following the situation on Twitter and the messages coming from journos and protesters are really amazing. There's a really inspiring interview with a protester here. It was recorded a few days ago so I hope she's alright now.

Don't know if anyone's interested but I've also been building a webpage (I work for an educational news provider) to try to get young people interested in this story. It's the most important thing that's happened all year and Egypt really needs the world to understand what's going on there! Worth checking out maybe if you have time - would be really grateful to know what people think...

Anyway - exciting but frightening times. Really hope not too many more people have to die for their freedom!

firstforthought · 03/02/2011 11:02

overnight clashes, mubaraks militia shooting people now. situation spiraling out of control..
protests were peaceful for 7 days whilst mubarak rounded up a few peeps he could pay to cause trouble/ hurt protesters.

slim22 · 03/02/2011 00:23

No not my family, friends. Yes it's all for the best and with such vast crowds some violence was to be expected.
Same scenario as Tunisia. Mubarakka sent a little militia to stir it up and instill fear.

MmeLindt · 02/02/2011 21:40

Slim
Ah, I missed that you have family out there. God, you must be frantic.

DH's colleague was very relaxed, positive that it would all blow over soon and there was no danger to his family.

slim22 · 02/02/2011 21:15

Yes mrs lindt, same feedback here.
but very edgy. Imagine knowing your dh and teenage son out at night doing neighborhood watch in this atmosphere.

MmeLindt · 02/02/2011 20:25

It is strange to read this, and see the reports on TV about the violence, when DH's colleague is telling us that everything is calm, and that it is only a small amount of protesters.

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