dagblog - Comments for "In Egypt It's The Military That Now Faces Tens of Thousands Protesting in Tahrir Square"

Egypt detains Mubarak and

artappraiser — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:58:58 +0000

In reply to In Egypt It's The Military That Now Faces Tens of Thousands Protesting in Tahrir Square

Egypt detains Mubarak and sons
Al Jazeera, 13 Apr 2011

Top prosecutor says ex-leader and two sons will be held 15 days pending a probe into abuse of authority and corruption.

Egypt's prime minister

artappraiser — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 19:54:18 +0000

In reply to In Egypt It's The Military That Now Faces Tens of Thousands Protesting in Tahrir Square

Egypt's prime minister imprisoned in anti-corruption crackdown
By Damien McElroy in Cairo, Telegraph.co.uk, 6:34PM BST 11 Apr 2011

Egypt's former prime minister has been held for questioning in an anti-corruption crackdown targeting the inner circle of Hosni Mubarak, the country's ousted ruler, in an effort to placate a renewed surge of popular anger.

Violent army crackdown on

artappraiser — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 22:56:31 +0000

In reply to In Egypt It's The Military That Now Faces Tens of Thousands Protesting in Tahrir Square

Violent army crackdown on Cairo protesters shocks Egyptians
Tahrir Square, a scene of celebration two months ago when Hosni Mubarak fell, became a battlefield as soldiers beat protesters and tore down tents. One demonstrator was shot dead; 71 others were hurt.

By Jeffrey Fleishman and Amro Hassan, Los Angeles Times, April 9, 2011, 3:28 p.m.

Reporting from Cairo—
Morning broke on a scene that wasn't supposed to be in the new Egypt: burned military trucks, skeins of barbed wire, blood in the dirt, one protester dead.

In a predawn raid Saturday that stunned the nation, Egyptian soldiers stormed Tahrir Square to disperse about 2,000 protesters....

The capital's central square....became a surprise battlefield as soldiers beat protesters and tore down tents. One demonstrator was shot dead and 71 others were injured. The military said its troops fired only blanks, but protesters said the air was peppered with live ammunition.

The city echoed with sustained gunfire as soldiers swept into the crowd shortly after 3 a.m. Many protesters were dragged toward trucks, and hundreds of others scattered as troops closed ranks and demonstrators hurled stones. Tensions were further heightened as protesters formed a line to protect at least eight junior military officers who had switched sides and joined the demonstrations hours earlier.

"We are starting to realize that unfortunately the military is our enemy," said Mohamed Wagdy, a protester and unemployed engineer who witnessed the raid. "They were an integral part of Mubarak's regime, and now their mask has fallen off. Now we can't say that the army and the people are one hand anymore."

In a news conference, Gen. Adel Omara said the army cleared the square after demonstrators refused repeated warnings to obey a 2 a.m. curfew. The confrontation, he said, lasted until 5 a.m. but skirmishes erupted again at 5:30 a.m. when "counterrevolutionaries" carrying two rifles and Molotov cocktails arrived. Omara said the death of a protester was reported around this time. Arab media reported that two protesters were killed.

Omara said the military was investigating whether the soldiers who had stood with the protesters were imposters in stolen uniforms. The army has grown increasingly sensitive about dissension in its ranks after soldiers have appeared on YouTube videos denouncing the military leadership......

No revolution has ever

acanuck — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 18:39:04 +0000

In reply to While I appreciate your

No revolution has ever occurred in the way you think revolutions occur.

While I appreciate your

Beetlejuice — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 08:07:13 +0000

In reply to Totally wrong, Beetle. The

While I appreciate your points, you have to admit they created a political vacuum in the process of conducting their grassroots revolution. And vacuums can't exist as a stand-alone entity...it must be filled with something. This opens Egypt to whatever unscrupulous scoundrels have what it takes to harness the dilapidated political machinery of the Mubarak regime, the military, the financial sector, and industrial and agricultural base. Well-known names and established parties are what revolutions are about...that's what the people are rebelling against. It's all about an idea being brought out into the light that the public agrees needs to be implemented and those who, with public support, bring the concepts to fruition. There's too much rambling talk about singular concepts with raged edges that can't be melded together and no one person or group is taking the lead to steer the formation of a constitutional congress much less a new governing entity that is responsible to the wants, desires and needs of the public. I have no doubt Egypt will get a new government. It won't be like the one under Mubarak and it won't be anything near what they think they're going to get either. It might even be worst simply because the format the public chose opens the process to those with ulterior motives that could very well undermine what the public wants, needs and desires. They've left too much to chance to fate rather than formulate what they wanted and the steps necessary to achieve their goals.

Totally wrong, Beetle. The

acanuck — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 05:17:57 +0000

In reply to The difference between a

Totally wrong, Beetle. The western media talked about this as a leaderless uprising because it lacked well-known names and established parties. The meme was: all these people have known is one-man rule; who will step into that role? They were all "ElBaradei returns in triumph; Amr Moussa announces candidacy; could Wael Ghonim be the leader these people lack?"

Meanwhile, the people who put together this improbable grassroots revolution kept beavering away, and continue to beaver away. Did you notice they just filled Tahrir Square to capacity again -- in a "Day of Warning" to the military. Right, their program was not very detailed: Just Mubarak's ouster, an end to the emergency law and the repression and torture it allowed, a new constitution, free elections. Fairly ambitious, doncha think? Not all accomplished yet, but the revolution isn't over.

The difference between a

Beetlejuice — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 02:18:21 +0000

In reply to In Egypt It's The Military That Now Faces Tens of Thousands Protesting in Tahrir Square

The difference between a revolution and an angry mob is the revolution knows where they want to go while the angry mob knows they're angry with the current state of affairs. A revolution can do something whereas the angry mob is venting their frustration. The revolution is comprised of leaders whereas an angry mob is a rag-tag bunch without any sense of purpose or direction. Egypt wasn't a revolution...just an angry mob venting its frustration. Since nature abhors a vacuum, so too does politics. Egypt will get the government they deserve because they let their anger rule instead of their minds. Mubarak will just be replaced by another chameleon and the old order will re-emerge with a new coat of paint and decorated with flowers, but still the same meat-grinding food processor as it was before.

Everyone in the pro-democracy

acanuck — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 01:19:51 +0000

In reply to In Egypt It's The Military That Now Faces Tens of Thousands Protesting in Tahrir Square

Everyone in the pro-democracy movement knew a confrontation with the army was inevitable; the military is just too integrated into the corrupt old order. "The army and the people are one" was a convenient lie for both sides: the protesters needed Tantawi to dislodge Mubarak and Soleiman for them, the brass needed the revolution's backing if they hoped to retain their privileges.

The question was how far down the road they could kick that can of worms. Maybe till after the legislative and presidential elections? Apparently not. Unless some younger, less hidebound members of the Supreme Military Council elbow Tantawi aside (some are in their 50s or 60s; I have no idea if they're democratically inclined).

Egyptians want an end to the old order. Even the Muslim Brotherhood is seeing key defections by members tired of its internal authoritarianism.

The biggest problem with any

cmaukonen — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 22:42:11 +0000

In reply to In Egypt It's The Military That Now Faces Tens of Thousands Protesting in Tahrir Square

The biggest problem with any revolution is that people far too often do not know what they want to replace what they got rid of.

All they really know for sure is that they hate what they had.

And it's simply not practical or even possible to try out new governments until you find one you like. Like hats at the department store.

Massive Cairo Protest Calls

artappraiser — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 22:15:28 +0000

In reply to In Egypt It's The Military That Now Faces Tens of Thousands Protesting in Tahrir Square

Massive Cairo Protest Calls for Mubarak's Prosecution
VOA News, April 8, 2010
Ilustration for the above:

Photo: AP
Caption: Thousands of Egyptians protest in Cairo's central Tahrir Square, the focal point of Egyptian uprising, to demand the prosecution of ousted president Hosni Mubarak and his regime, April 8, 2011

Egypt protesters demand Mubarak trial
Thousands gather in Cairo's Tahrir Square, calling for prosecution of the ousted president and his regime.

EGYPT: Protesters call on military to try Hosni Mubarak and his cronies
By Amro Hassan in Cairo, Babylon & Beyond @ Los Angeles Times, April 8, 2011 | 10:03 am

Tens of thousands of demonstrators returned to Tahrir Square in Cairo on Friday to demand the prosecution of former President Hosni Mubarak and accuse the ruling Supreme Military Council of not acting quickly enough to bring corrupt members of the old regime to justice.

Frustration among millions of Egyptians has risen after a number of former ministers in the Mubarak government were arrested but have yet to be indicted on corruption and other charges. While Mubarak and his family members have had their financial assets frozen and are banned from leaving the country, the ex-president has not been charged with any crimes.

A special panel set up by the current interim government headed by Prime Minister Essam Sharaf is expected to question Mubarak’s oldest son, Gamal, next week....