Re: Egypt Revolts!

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Re: Egypt Revolts!
Posted by SMAZ* on Mon Jan 31 02:01:46 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts!, posted by JayZeeBMT on Sun Jan 30 11:39:36 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Britain was broke and tired of war. They didn't care about India or Empire. They cared about getting a universal health care system at home. So India and Pakistan gained independence. End of story.
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Re: Egypt Revolts!
Posted by SMAZ* on Mon Jan 31 02:06:40 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts!, posted by ClearAspect on Sun Jan 30 14:43:39 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d You can be the US will ensure that ElBaradei will be a front runner or future leader of Egypt. What planet do you live on? The US can't even guarantee Mubarak and any overt support for anyone else = political death for that person amongst Egyptians. Put away the Sartre books, the Cat Stevens records and your Amnesty International card and please come join the real world.
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Re: Egypt Revolts!
Posted by SMAZ* on Mon Jan 31 02:15:47 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts!, posted by SelkirkTMO on Sun Jan 30 20:54:09 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Doubtful. Apart from Persian Shiites having very little in common with North African, mainly Sunni Arabs, it would be a step up if Iran had a regime even as open as generally laissez-fare as Mubarak's. We too often tend to conflate events in this place we simplistically call the "Middle East" when they have nothing in common. Tehran is further from Cairo than Miami is from Belize and just as different from an ethnic, historical, religious, cultural and geopolitical standpoint..
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Re: Egypt Revolts!
Posted by Fred G* on Mon Jan 31 02:22:30 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts!, posted by SelkirkTMO on Sun Jan 30 20:43:16 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Saudi Arabia's not a democracy so people haven't had anything taken away from them, in terms of loss of rights. your pal, Fred
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Re: Egypt Revolts
Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com* on Mon Jan 31 02:27:19 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts, posted by SMAZ on Mon Jan 31 01:34:10 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d might be true
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Re: Egypt Revolts!
Posted by Fred G* on Mon Jan 31 02:32:48 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts!, posted by SMAZ on Mon Jan 31 02:01:46 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d They were only a couple years out of a very costly war, too. your pal, Fred
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Re: Egypt Revolts!
Posted by Fred G* on Mon Jan 31 02:33:37 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts!, posted by Fred G on Mon Jan 31 02:32:48 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d I meant that to emphasize the short amount of time since the war ended. your pal, Fred
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Re: Egypt Revolts!
Posted by Fred G* on Mon Jan 31 02:38:31 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts!, posted by SMAZ on Mon Jan 31 02:06:40 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Not that....not the Cat Stevens records...not out there on the edge of darkness... your pal, Fred
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Re: Egypt Revolts!
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Mon Jan 31 03:12:26 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts!, posted by Fred G on Mon Jan 31 02:38:31 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Nah ... Moonshadow did it for me ... KILL HIM! Heh.
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Re: Egypt Revolts!
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Mon Jan 31 03:15:54 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts!, posted by SMAZ on Mon Jan 31 02:15:47 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Absolutely ... it's bigger than any ethnic or religious thing ... the real motivator behind this for the young as well as the middle-aged is that these "Arab states" have produced no future for them and they're noticing. Even the repressiveness of the regimes doesn't do it as much for them as they're tired of not having work, being poor as dirt, and then getting kicked in the balls for it. Al Jazeera is more of an influence than many expected ... certainly not for the reasons they expected either ... that area of the planet is finally seeing how the rest of it lives, and they're pissed that they've been lied to all this time ...
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Re: Egypt Revolts!
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Mon Jan 31 03:22:36 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts!, posted by Fred G on Mon Jan 31 02:22:30 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d FWIW, at last Saudi is making an effort to show youth that they might have a future ... Saudi is the biggest "welfare state" there is ...
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Re: Egypt Revolts!
Posted by SMAZ* on Mon Jan 31 03:27:51 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts!, posted by SelkirkTMO on Mon Jan 31 03:15:54 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Because of the internet, they've come to see these kinds of lies that in the past they had no clue about. Even putting aside the widely known protocol where the host leads the way, the fact that Mubarak and/or his handlers would be stupid enough to think that this could fly in this day and age shows how out of the loop they are.
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Re: Egypt Revolts!
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Mon Jan 31 03:42:20 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts!, posted by SMAZ on Mon Jan 31 03:27:51 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d That's all well and good, and while there are internet cafe's all over the Middle East, many don't have computers much less internet. But there's bird baths all over. Seriously ... Al Jazeera is the major pipe of info over there ... and those who have data service on their cellphones. Al Jazeera shows, twitter and ICQ are merely comms channels.
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Re: Egypt Revolts!
Posted by ClearAspect* on Mon Jan 31 06:42:59 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts!, posted by SMAZ on Mon Jan 31 01:36:01 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Simple, Stupidity... next... now with ElBaradei becoming the face of the opposition things are moving as I predicted... Might wanna turn on the Bob Marley
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Re: Egypt Revolts!
Posted by Fred G* on Mon Jan 31 07:08:53 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts!, posted by ClearAspect on Mon Jan 31 06:42:59 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Keep your fingers crossed and let's not open champagne bottles just yet. Things do look a lot different than they did 24 hours ago. your pal, Fred
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Re: Egypt Revolts!
Posted by f179dj* on Mon Jan 31 08:04:30 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts!, posted by SMAZ on Mon Jan 31 02:06:40 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Cat Stevens! We used to like him until he became Yusuf Islam. Then we stopped listening to him. Sartre on the other hand?
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Re: Egypt Revolts!
Posted by clearaspect* on Mon Jan 31 08:57:14 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts!, posted by Fred G on Mon Jan 31 07:08:53 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Its evolving rapidly..I'm keeping my fingers so tightly crossed they're losing blood ciculation.
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Re: Egypt Revolts!
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Mon Jan 31 16:59:25 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts!, posted by f179dj on Mon Jan 31 08:04:30 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d As DJ required to play his stuff, I can vouch that we couldn't stand him in the studio long before his conversion. :)
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Re: Egypt Revolts, seeks freedom to "Destroy Israel"
Posted by Olog-hai* on Mon Jan 31 18:06:12 2011, in response to Egypt Revolts!, posted by JayZeeBMT on Fri Jan 28 16:01:55 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d From CNN. Admission at 0:48. Yes, they are Islamic.
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Re: Egypt Revolts, seeks freedom to ''Destroy Israel''
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Mon Jan 31 18:32:49 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts, seeks freedom to "Destroy Israel", posted by Olog-hai on Mon Jan 31 18:06:12 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Meanwhile in Gaza and the West Bank, they're shitting pickles between PA and Hamas because the people over there are threatening to do the same thing to them. Hmmm ... obviously this is all a Hamas plot because CNN found someone in Egypt who didn't get the memo.
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Re: Egypt Revolts, seeks freedom to ''Destroy Israel''
Posted by Fred G* on Mon Jan 31 18:35:57 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts, seeks freedom to "Destroy Israel", posted by Olog-hai on Mon Jan 31 18:06:12 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Based on one person's comments Do you know who that guy is? your pal, Fred
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Re: Egypt Revolts, seeks freedom to ''Destroy Israel''
Posted by JayZeeBMT* on Mon Jan 31 18:37:55 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts, seeks freedom to ''Destroy Israel'', posted by SelkirkTMO on Mon Jan 31 18:32:49 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Also as per CNN, political opposition groups in Syria are organizing a march for Saturday...on Facebook. The same article also, still, characterizes the revolt in Egypt as a "popular uprising". Olog didn't get the memo.
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Re: Egypt Revolts, seeks freedom to ''Destroy Israel''
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Mon Jan 31 18:41:51 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts, seeks freedom to ''Destroy Israel'', posted by Fred G on Mon Jan 31 18:35:57 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d The editor of Germanforeignpolicy.com. :)
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Re: Egypt Revolts, seeks freedom to ''Destroy Israel''
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Mon Jan 31 18:46:03 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts, seeks freedom to ''Destroy Israel'', posted by JayZeeBMT on Mon Jan 31 18:37:55 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d A few other nations, including our own "experts" apparently haven't either. Too much propaganda claiming that radical Islam is the only alternative that can play. Now of course, like the copycat callers after a bomb goes off claiming responsibility, all of these nutballs are trying to wedge through the crowd to get on camera, but it's quite clear that what's going on has nothing to do with them and their influence, if any, will be marginal at best. The problem for the extremists is that they've been dealt out entirely this time and are irrelevant. People are just tired of the shit, theirs included.
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Re: Egypt Revolts, seeks freedom to ''Destroy Israel''
Posted by JayZeeBMT* on Mon Jan 31 18:50:51 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts, seeks freedom to ''Destroy Israel'', posted by SelkirkTMO on Mon Jan 31 18:46:03 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Terrorists don't Tweet their plans. Also, those evil "Islamic terrorists" have had more than a week to stir the pot in Egypt, and still not a peep out of them. The Muslim Brotherhood, so lately talked about, hasn't run a terror op in decades, and is actually the opposition political party in Egypt. Now, I'm not saying they'd be any better than Mubarak if they were to gain power, in fact, they are marginal players in this uprising. I'm just saying, Al-Qaeda has had an extended time to blow something up, but they aren't, apparently, interested.
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Re: Egypt Revolts, seeks freedom to ''Destroy Israel''
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Mon Jan 31 18:58:53 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts, seeks freedom to ''Destroy Israel'', posted by JayZeeBMT on Mon Jan 31 18:50:51 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d They are a formidable threat, and they definitely are under the influence of outsiders such as Iran and others. But the Egyptians are not the Palestinians and even in Iran, the populace is getting pretty tired of others speaking for them. But in the end, MB has power only because they're not the other guys. With the other guys gone, and them having little to nothing to do with it, if Mubarak is gone, their influence can only fade ... but try to explain that to propagandists with their own agenda.
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Re: Egypt Revolts, seeks freedom to ''Destroy Israel''
Posted by ClearAspect* on Mon Jan 31 19:30:02 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts, seeks freedom to "Destroy Israel", posted by Olog-hai on Mon Jan 31 18:06:12 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d You won't quit will you, you want more articles, and or interviews, or would you like comments from people in Israel that (quietly) support the people in Egypt? I'll keep shutting you down until you get the hint that your rabble isn't wanted.
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Re: Egypt Revolts (Yet More from Stratfor)
Posted by Olog-hai* on Mon Jan 31 22:35:54 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts (More from Stratfor), posted by Olog-hai on Sun Jan 30 23:17:16 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d They got a report from one of their sources on the ground. (link) An On-The-Ground Report from Egypt January 31, 2011 It’s been quieter over the past couple days. Civilians here are setting up checkpoints, checking everyone’s driver’s licenses and identification. Since prisoners do not have identification, the popular committees then tie them up and turn those suspected of being criminals over to the military police. A lot of cars full of weapons stolen from the prison break-ins have been stopped and detained. We are not seeing many regular police at all. For example, we saw one police car circling our neighborhood and everyone started cheering and welcoming the officers back. Still, where are the rest of the police? Why have they all disappeared at once? The police themselves may be scared. Some police were getting attacked before. Organized groups went to prisons to set the prisoners free but no one knows who they were. They were wearing ski masks; no one could see who they were. I think people will come out to protest, but it’s not clear how large the demonstrations will be. Tahrir Square could become a disaster tomorrow. If there is a fire or gunshots, there could be a stampede. It could be really dangerous. No trains are coming or going from Cairo, so they can’t bring in people from other cities for the demonstrations. Plus it’s getting really cold here and people are trying to stay indoors. People haven’t been working for seven days, not getting their daily wages. We want stability now. The stock market lost 70 billion pounds. President Hosni Mubarak will leave anyway in September. Why not just wait until September? We waited 30 years, why not wait nine months? I think there are a lot of people thinking like this. Those people protesting in Tahrir Square have other intentions. I feel like there is another force driving them — mostly from the Muslim Brotherhood and maybe from Mohamed ElBaradei. They want their political power but it’s coming down more and more to these groups with a political agenda. Bread prices are not yet increasing. We bought bread today. But the issue is we are only allowed to buy stuff from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Everyone is trying to stock up for a month, not just a week. No one wants to take a chance on a week. So you have 150 people in front of each bakery trying to get as much bread as possible. The bread itself is old because they haven’t been able to produce fresh. ElBaradei doesn’t have credibility. He’s been living a luxury life out of the country. He is also seen as ineffective on the Iranian nuclear issue when he was International Atomic Energy Agency chief. He doesn’t have real support here.
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Re: Egypt Revolts (Yet More from Stratfor)
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Mon Jan 31 23:33:19 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts (Yet More from Stratfor), posted by Olog-hai on Mon Jan 31 22:35:54 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Such a formidable foreign policy shaper and they can't even find a reporter who can perform even the most basic analysis and composition. Heh. I remember a time when Stratfor was semi-competent. Wow. :(
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Re: Egypt Revolts, Iran's Supreme Leader calls for Islamic regime there
Posted by Olog-hai* on Sat Feb 5 02:20:54 2011, in response to Egypt Revolts!, posted by JayZeeBMT on Fri Jan 28 16:01:55 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d AFP via Yahoo News Iran's Khamenei calls for Islamic regime in Egypt by Jay Deshmukh Fri Feb 4, 3:38 pm ET TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday called for an Islamic regime to be installed in Egypt, saying the wave of Arab revolts is an "earthquake" triggered by the 1979 Iranian revolution. The all-powerful Khamenei said the Arab uprisings, if successful, would lead to failure of US policies in the region and that the revolts were the most worrying for the Islamic republic's arch-foe Israel as its alliance with Egypt could be broken. The White House said Tehran was in no position to make such comments after crushing its own uprising last year. "Do not back down until the implementation of a popular regime based on religion," said Khamenei, Iran's commander-in-chief, who switched from Persian to Arabic during his Friday sermon directed at Egyptians. "The clergy should play a role. For example, when people come out of mosques and chant slogans, they should support. Inshallah (God willing), part of the Egyptian army will join the people. The main enemy of the Egyptian army is the Zionist regime and not the people," he said. The sermon was the first time in seven months Khamenei had addressed the weekly Friday prayers and came as protesters massed in Egypt for sweeping "departure day" demonstrations to force President Hosni Mubarak to quit. Tehran, which severed diplomatic ties with Cairo in 1980, has backed the revolt in Egypt and warned Washington against "interfering" in what it says is a movement of the people. "Today's events in North Africa, Egypt and Tunisia and some other countries have different meanings for us," Khamenei said in Persian to thousands of worshipers at Tehran university. "This is what was always talked about as the occurrence of Islamic awakening at the time of the Islamic revolution of the great Iranian nation and is showing itself today," he said. Khamenei told the cheering crowds who chanted "Death to America! Death to Israel!" that the Iranian revolution has been "inspiring (to Arab uprisings) and a model because of perseverance, stability and its insistence on principles." "Today in Egypt one can hear your voice echoing there. The American president who was in power during the (Iranian) revolution has said in an interview that what you hear in Egypt is familiar. What is heard in Cairo today was heard in Tehran during his days," Khamenei said referring to former US president Jimmy Carter. He called the Arab revolts "a real earthquake" that if successful would lead to "failure of American policies" in the Middle East. Washington reacted by pointing to mass protests in Iran following the June 2009 re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in an election opponents said was rigged. "It is remarkable that Iran would make a statement given their actions when it came to their people exercising the same rights that people are exercising now in Cairo," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. Khamenei on Friday called Mubarak the "servant" of Israel and the United States. "For 30 years, this country (Egypt) has been in the hands of someone who is not seeking freedom and is the enemy of those seeking freedom," he said. "Not only he is not anti-Zionist, but he is the companion, colleague, confidant and servant of Zionists. It is a fact that Hosni Mubarak's servitude to America has been unable to take Egypt one step towards prosperity." He lashed out at former Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, saying Iran had reports that he was a "US puppet and linked to the CIA." Khamenei also said that Israel had cause to be concerned about the Arab revolts. "Today more than the fleeing Tunisian and Egyptian officials, Israelis and the Zionist enemies are the most worried about these events as they know if Egypt stops being their ally and take its rightful place, it would be a great event in the region," he said. Khamenei said the West's calculations for the region have gone wrong and cited Tehran's nuclear controversy as an example of a "political mistake" made by Western powers. Washington and other world powers suspect Iran is making weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear program. Iran denies the charge.
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Re: Egypt Revolts, Iran's Supreme Leader calls for Islamic regime there
Posted by PHXTUSbusfan* on Sat Feb 5 02:32:04 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts, Iran's Supreme Leader calls for Islamic regime there, posted by Olog-hai on Sat Feb 5 02:20:54 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Figured that this would happen.
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Re: Egypt Revolts, Iran's Supreme Leader calls for Islamic regime there
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Sat Feb 5 02:41:41 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts, Iran's Supreme Leader calls for Islamic regime there, posted by PHXTUSbusfan on Sat Feb 5 02:32:04 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Heh. You know how when a bombing occurs, dozens try to take credit for it? This is what's going on there. Yes, Iran has some influence over some Muslims, but of course what Olog's propaganda ministry isn't bothering to tell you is that Egypt is 90% SUNNI ... Iran is Shia. The two get along like Train Dick and libruls ... Watch for assholes with their own agendas spotting "Muslin" in their woodpile!
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Re: Egypt Revolts, Iran's Supreme Leader calls for Islamic regime there
Posted by Olog-hai* on Sat Feb 5 03:17:19 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts, Iran's Supreme Leader calls for Islamic regime there, posted by PHXTUSbusfan on Sat Feb 5 02:32:04 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Yup; no surprise there. This certainly won't lead to peace, but more war.
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Re: Egypt Revolts, Iran's Supreme Leader calls for Islamic regime there
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Sat Feb 5 03:20:36 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts, Iran's Supreme Leader calls for Islamic regime there, posted by Olog-hai on Sat Feb 5 03:17:19 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Why not take a break and do some REAL research? Did you know that Shia comprise about ONE PERCENT of the populace of Egypt? Or are you going to depend on stratfor for your bullshit?
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Re: Egypt Revolts, Iran's Supreme Leader calls for Islamic regime there
Posted by Fred G* on Sat Feb 5 05:46:59 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts, Iran's Supreme Leader calls for Islamic regime there, posted by Olog-hai on Sat Feb 5 02:20:54 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d What did you expect from them? Install a Tea Party candidate? your pal, Fred
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Re: Egypt Revolts, Women Sexually Assaulted
Posted by Olog-hai* on Thu Mar 10 03:11:28 2011, in response to Egypt Revolts!, posted by JayZeeBMT on Fri Jan 28 16:01:55 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Fruits of an Islamic revolution, I'd say. Forget about women's rights over there. Washington Post Women's rights marchers in Cairo report sexual assaults by angry mob By Richard Leiby Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, March 8, 2011; 11:13 PM CAIRO — Women hoping to extend their rights in post-revolutionary Egypt were faced with a harsh reality Tuesday when a mob of angry men beat and sexually assaulted marchers calling for political and social equality, witnesses said. "Everyone was chased. Some were beaten. They were touching us everywhere," said Dina Abou Elsoud, 35, a hostel owner and organizer of the ambitiously named Million Woman March. She was among a half-dozen women who said they were repeatedly groped by men — a common form of intimidation and harassment here that was, in fact, a target of the protesters. None of the women reported serious injuries. The demonstration on International Women's Day drew a crowd only in the hundreds to Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the popular revolt that drove President Hosni Mubarak from power. Gone, organizers said, was the spirit of equality and cooperation between the sexes that marked most of the historic mass gatherings in the square. As upwards of 300 marchers assembled late Tuesday afternoon, men began taunting them, insisting that a woman could never be president and objecting to women's demands to have a role in drafting a new constitution, witnesses said. "People were saying that women were dividing the revolution and should be happy with the rights they have," said Ebony Coletu, 36, an American who teaches at American University in Cairo and attended the march, as she put it, "in solidarity." The men — their number estimated to be at least double that of the women's — broke through a human chain that other men had formed to protect the marchers. Women said they attempted to stand their ground — until the physical aggression began. "I was grabbed in the crotch area at least six times. I was grabbed in the breasts; my throat was grabbed," Coletu said. She and several others said they eventually took refuge in a tourism agency office protected by Egyptian army personnel. The sexual assault of CBS News reporter Lara Logan during the Tahrir Square protests last month brought the problem to wider Western notice, but Egyptian women say that sexual harassment has long been rampant here and that they grow up expecting to be fondled in public by men with impunity. Nagla Rizk, also a professor at American University in Cairo, said she went to the march Tuesday full of hope but left within an hour after sensing the ugly mood of the counterdemonstrators. "The whole event was not successful, and I am very disappointed," she said. "This is totally alien to the spirit of Tahrir."
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Re: Egypt Revolted, Iran Courted
Posted by Olog-hai* on Wed Apr 20 21:41:52 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts, Iran's Supreme Leader calls for Islamic regime there, posted by Olog-hai on Sat Feb 5 02:20:54 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Yeah, this story ain't going away, is it. Arab spring? How did they jump all the way to winter and skip summer and fall . . . ? Wall Street Journal MIDDLE EAST NEWS \| APRIL 19, 2011 Egyptians Court U.S. Foes By MATT BRADLEY CAIRO—Iran and Egypt's new government signaled Monday they were moving quickly to thaw decades of frosty relations, worrying the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia that the overtures could upset the Mideast's fragile balance of power. Iran said it appointed an ambassador to Egypt for the first time since the two sides froze diplomatic relations more than three decades ago, the website of the Iranian government's official English-language channel, Press TV, reported late Monday. Also Monday, officials at Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that new foreign minister Nabil Elaraby is considering a visit to the Gaza Strip—an area controlled by Hamas, a militant Palestinian Islamist group backed by Tehran and until now shunned by Cairo. The announcements follow a rare meeting earlier this month between a high-level Iranian diplomat and Mr. Elaraby, after which the foreign minister told reporters that Egypt has "opened a new page" with Iran. American officials said they are concerned that Egypt's apparent determination to re-establish relations with Iran is part of a broader reordering of its foreign policy. They worry that such a turn could empower Iran and its regional clients Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both of which are labeled terrorist groups by the U.S. Egypt's outreach has also extended to Syria, a close ally of Iran. In early March, Egypt's new intelligence chief, Murad Muwafi, chose Syria for his first foreign trip. It remains unclear what was discussed at the meeting, previously reported by The Wall Street Journal. For decades, Egypt was a vital player in a Middle East balance of power: With its large population, U.S.-financed military and diplomatic ties with Israel, it was a counterweight against Israel's foes, primarily Iran and Syria. But as Iran's power in the region has grown and the Middle East has become more defined by political Islam, Egypt's reliably anti-Iranian stance cost it significant diplomatic capital. With Cairo unable to engage Tehran, it lost its position as one of the region's chief diplomatic brokers, eclipsed by Qatar, Syria and Saudi Arabia. Egyptian officials and several foreign-policy analysts say the new diplomacy isn't so much an expression of affinity with Iran as it is a broader effort to reclaim lost diplomatic prestige. Egypt's new government presents the policy shift as part of a general diplomatic reopening, rather than a reordering, of its regional relationships. "Egypt's role cannot be underestimated. But that role over the last few decades, I think 30 years or so, has diminished," said Menha Bakhoum, spokeswoman for Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "If there's anything happening now, I think that will be regaining that position that we've had for years and years and years." Western reactions to Egypt's entreaties to Iran were exaggerated, Ms. Bakhoum said Monday. Later, Iran's Press TV reported Ali Akbar Sibouyeh, a career diplomat, was appointed ambassador following negotiations between Mr. Elaraby and Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi. An Iranian official at the United Nations couldn't immediately confirm the report. Concerns over Iran's regional influence flared anew Monday. The Gulf Cooperation Council, a grouping that includes Saudi Arabia and Qatar, asked the United Nations Security Council to stop what it calls "flagrant Iranian interference" in Bahrain and other GCC countries. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have accused Shiite Iran of aiding Bahrain's predominantly Shiite anti-government protesters. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman said the criticism was surprising "while the military forces of some members of the council have…cracked down on defenseless men and women." Iran's post-revolutionary Islamist government cut diplomatic ties with Egypt in 1980 when Egypt became the first Arab country to grant diplomatic recognition to Israel. In the decades after Hosni Mubarak assumed office in 1981, he treated Tehran with deep suspicion because of its support for Hamas, a Palestinian Islamist militant group with ties to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, Mr. Mubarak's most powerful political opponents. Concerns about Iran as a destabilizing force haven't necessarily evaporated since the fall of Mr. Mubarak, who was ousted by countrywide protests in February. "I know from some Egyptians in the government that they still have security concerns about what Iran is doing in the region," said a Western diplomat. Throughout Mr. Mubarak's rule, Egypt maintained high-level diplomacy with Iran that stopped just short of normal relations. The Egyptian ministry of foreign affairs maintained an "Interests Section" in Tehran and an ambassador who worked out of Dubai, said Ms. Bakhoum. The change in tone toward Iran is incremental, said Ms. Bakhoum. But it could have implications for another of Mr. Elaraby's stated foreign policy priorities—resolving the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Helping to resolve that conflict was one of the Mubarak regime's most significant foreign policy goals; failing to do so contributed to Egypt's moribund diplomatic stature, analysts say. Engaging Iran may help Egypt proceed with negotiations with Hamas, which has governed the Gaza Strip under an Israeli blockade since the group seized power from the more moderate Fatah in 2007. Any headway toward resolving the seemingly intractable Middle East conflict would be hugely popular among Egyptians, said Mohammed Abdel Salam, an expert on Iran at the government-financed Al Ahram Center for Political Strategic Studies, a Cairo think tank. Amr Moussa, the former Secretary General of the Arab league, owes his front-runner status in Egyptian presidential elections later this year to his forceful statements against Israel when he was Egypt's foreign minister during the 1990s. Islamist groups in particular have been empowered by Egypt's abrupt shift to democracy, and analysts expect that Egypt's next government will have to answer to growing calls that it break with U.S. foreign-policy objectives. Some Islamist political voices within Egypt have already begun their own sort of diplomacy. Magdi Hussein, the chairman of the Islamist Al Amal (Labor) Party, met with Iranian foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi earlier this week in Tehran. Both sides encouraged a quickening of the diplomatic thaw between the two countries. Egypt appears to be following a foreign relations pattern set by Turkey in the past decade—a strong American ally whose foreign policy has nevertheless decoupled from American interests. Regardless of its final position on Iran, the country is likely to be significantly less beholden to U.S. interests, American officials said, if only because Egypt was such a reliable ally under Mr. Mubarak. "It's hard to imagine a change that would improve on what we had" with the previous Egyptian regime, one U.S. official said. But the officials caution that they haven't yet seen any indications of a radical shift away from the U.S. by Egypt, or moves toward a markedly closer relationship with Iran. The Egyptian military remains pro-American, U.S. officials say, and they expect Egypt's generals to provide a moderating influence. "Opening an embassy isn't saying 'we want to be allies' or anything like that," the official said. Another official said the U.S. expects "more noise" from Egypt, especially when it comes to Israel. The official also said the U.S. is probably going to have less influence over Egypt, and thus less influence in the region at a crucial time. But the broad thrust of the Egypt's relationship with the U.S. and Egypt's foreign policy in general is expected to remain "more or less the same," the official said. Also anchoring Egypt firmly in the pro-West camp is the military's close relationship with Saudi Arabia, which remains firm, the official said. But the Saudis are also looking warily at the political changes unfolding in Egypt, unsure whether they will be able to count as much upon the emerging government there as they could with Mr. Mubarak as a check against Iran's expansionist goals in the region. Riyadh wasn't happy with the passage of an Iranian warship through the Suez Canal earlier this year. The move appears to be part of an Iranian strategy to expand its military presence around the Middle East, even as sectarian tensions rise. Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry spokesman declined to comment on the developments, which he said were the sovereign affairs of foreign states. —Matthew Rosenberg, Joe Lauria and Margaret Coker contributed to this article.
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Re: Egypt Revolts, Foreign Policy becomes Radicalized
Posted by Olog-hai* on Sat Apr 30 13:12:16 2011, in response to Egypt Revolts!, posted by JayZeeBMT on Fri Jan 28 16:01:55 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d This piece from Stratfor is actually dated, even though it came out yesterday. The rapprochement between Fatah and Hamas has already been brokered, and Egypt is really showing its true colors. Egypt's Changing Foreign Policy Attitudes April 29, 2011 \| 0540 GMT Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil al-Arabi said in an interview with Al Jazeera on Thursday that Cairo was working to permanently open the Rafah border crossing with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Al-Arabi told the Qatari-owned channel that within seven to 10 days, measures would be adopted to assuage the “blockade and suffering of the Palestinian nation.” The Egyptian foreign minister added, “It is the responsibility of each country in the world not to take part in what is called the humiliating siege. In my view, this (siege) was a disgraceful thing to happen.” These statements reflect a shift in Egyptian policy toward the Palestinian territory ruled by the Islamist movement since mid-2007. Although occasional openings were allowed, Egypt, under the ousted Mubarak regime and in conjunction with Israel, maintained the blockade of Gaza in an effort to weaken Hamas’ standing among Gazans through economic hardships. So, the question is why is Egypt making such a radical change in policy? This is the latest of radical foreign policy moves on the part of the new provisional military authority: There is a push toward reviving diplomatic ties with Iran, and the brokering of a rapprochement between Hamas and its arch secular rival, Fatah, toward the creation of a new Palestinian coalition government. There is also talk of allowing Hamas to open up an office in Cairo. The common element in these developments is that they are against what Israel has to come to expect of Egypt. It is true that the collapse of the Mubarak government had created fears that it could elevate the Islamists (Muslim Brotherhood) to power, which could in turn lead to the undoing of the 1978 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. Despite the fall of former President Hosni Mubarak’s family and friends, regime change has not happened in Egypt. The only difference now is that the military is directly ruling the country and is in the process of changing the Egyptian political landscape to a multiparty system. For the foreseeable future, however, Egypt is to be ruled by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). Yet, we see shifts in the attitudes toward Israel that one does not expect from the Egyptian military, which has long done business with Israel. These changes have to do with both domestic and foreign policy concerns of Egypt’s military rulers. On the domestic front, SCAF is well aware of the popular sentiment toward the Palestinians and Israel and is therefore adjusting its behavior accordingly. In an effort to manage a new era of multiparty politics, the military is appropriating the agenda of groups like the Muslim Brotherhood to contain their influence and placate popular sentiment. Domestic politics, however, is not the only factor informing the shift in Egypt’s foreign policy attitude. The new military rulers also wish to see their country regain its status as the preeminent player in the Arab world. From their perspective, this can be achieved by engaging in radical moves vis-a-vis the Palestinians, Israel and Iran. It is unlikely, however, that Egypt is about to truly reverse its position toward Israel. The Egyptians do not wish to create problems with the Israelis. Opening up Rafah is one thing, but breaking the peace treaty with Israel is another. Were Cairo to abandon this aspect of the relationship with Israel, it would dramatically alter Israel’s national security considerations and create massive tension between the two countries. It is hard to envision a military government in Egypt openly opting for such a scenario. Easier to imagine is for the SCAF-controlled Egypt to behave like Turkey — maintaining relations with Israel yet retaining the ability to criticize it.
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Re: Egypt Revolts, Seeks End to Peace Treaty with Israel
Posted by Olog-hai* on Sat Apr 30 13:20:19 2011, in response to Egypt Revolts!, posted by JayZeeBMT on Fri Jan 28 16:01:55 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Would Carter finally acknowledge his utter failure and how wrong he is if that happens . . . ? Daily Telegraph Over half of Egyptians want to end peace treaty with Israel By Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent 4:44PM BST 26 Apr 2011 More than half of Egyptians want to end the peace treaty with Israel, according to an opinion poll, which will worsen the West's fears about a shift towards conservative Islamic politics in the country. The survey, the fullest to be conducted on any of the Middle East countries that have undergone uprisings in the "Arab Spring", found 54 percent of Egyptians wanted to end the treaty, signed in 1979, compared to 36 percent who wanted to keep it. The survey also found a high degree of support for Islamic law and for a prominent role for the Muslim Brotherhood, which was banned before the February revolution. But at the same time most would vote for secular parties if an election were held today, with a Brotherhood-led government winning the support of only 17 percent of the vote, lower than most recent estimates. Two liberal parties, the New Wafd, which has roots in the colonial era, and al-Ghad, whose leader was jailed by the former president, Hosni Mubarak, each won similar or higher support. The Muslim Brotherhood was seen as one of the big winners from the democratic uprising which toppled Mr Mubarak. Islamists were appointed to a constitutional committee to plan the next steps for Egypt's fledgling democracy. Meanwhile, the military council temporarily in charge has moved to improve relations with Iran, broken off altogether after the Islamic revolution there in 1979. Thirty percent of those asked said they agreed with the views of Islamic fundamentalists, with a similar number opposing them. Most people — 62 percent — thought Egyptian laws should "strictly follow the Koran" and 27 percent that it should follow Islamic principles and values. In contrast to the popular image in the West, support for fundamentalist Islam was greatest in upper income groups and lowest among the poor. The survey also demonstrated the contradictory attitudes of a country emerging suddenly from decades of dictatorship. The most unpopular figure in the country was Mubarak, for example, but the most popular was the head of the military and acting president, Field Marshal Mohammed Tantawi. Yet for years, Field Marshal Tantawi was so close to his former boss that he was popularly known as "Mubarak's poodle". That may reflect the success with which the military council has deflected blame for years of corruption and repression on to the police and civilian political figures. The hated former interior minister, Habib al-Adli, went on trial on Tuesday accused over his role in ordering police to open fire on demonstrators in the uprising. According to official figures, 846 people were killed in the unrest.
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Re: Egypt Revolts . . . and the "secularists" and "youth movement" are radicals
Posted by Olog-hai* on Wed May 11 01:51:22 2011, in response to Egypt Revolts!, posted by JayZeeBMT on Fri Jan 28 16:01:55 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d O rly. Who woulda thunk it even after all those polls showing what the popular sentiment was. Courcy's Intelligence Brief Courcy's Intelligence Brief — 4 May 2011 Israel facing strategic squeeze The Arab Spring, it is argued by many, demonstrates that for most Arabs the Palestinian cause is a red herring. What they most want is democracy and prosperity. There is some truth in this, but post-Mubarak Egypt is also demonstrating that the Palestinian cause is very far from dropping off the pan-Arab agenda. Amongst the millions of words written about the slaying of Osama bin Laden and its significance, the comment that most caught our attention was made by Zakaria Mohammad on the Palestinian arabs48.com website. He said: “Bin Laden died notionally the day that Mubarak fell. The people in Tahrir Square pushed him aside before Obama announced his victory against him. Since January 25^th he was no longer a necessity for ordinary Arabs. What he advocated was no longer a necessity.” Zakaria Mohammed’s point was this: Bin Laden flourished because President Hosni Mubarak adhered to the Camp David treaty signed with Israel by his assassinated predecessor. Now, with the ouster of Mubarak, Egypt is reverting to its pre-Camp David anti-Israel orientation — and so the need for bin Laden has evaporated. We would not go so far as to agree with Mohammed’s implied assertion that al-Qaeda is finished, but we do agree that Egypt’s dramatic anti-Israel shift is of huge significance. Almost from the first day of the post-Mubarak era, Cairo has been moving strongly away from Israel and the moderate Palestinian tendency towards Hamas. For instance, in March the new government immediately allowed a Gaza delegation led by the senior Hamas figure Mahmoud al-Zahar to travel from Gaza on a trip to Khartoum, Damascus, and Ankara. This would not have been allowed by the Mubarak regime. In a statement posted on the Hamas Government website, Youssef Rizqa, political advisor to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, said: "For the first time in the history of the relationship, Palestinian and Egyptian ministers are communicating. This is a substantial development that did not take place in Mubarak's era." At a meeting on 30 March between al-Zahar and secular opposition figures in Egypt, strong support was expressed for the Palestinian cause. Egypt’s secular Al-Wafd Party leader Dr Al-Sayyid al-Badawi said that he was the first party leader to declare his party’s stance on the Camp David treaty. According to the Palestinian Information Centre, he said that Israel was violating its terms and that “treaties do not last forever”. The meeting was also attended by representatives of the 25^th January Revolution movement who “affirmed that Egypt’s youth support the people of Gaza and the whole of Palestine with their entire hearts and souls, until liberation”. Since then, the rapprochement has continued apace despite the strongly expressed concerns of Israel. Last month Zahar again visited Cairo for talks with Egyptian intelligence and military officials. And then on 28 April, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Nabil Abdallah al-Araby announced that the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza would be reopened on a permanent basis. Now Cairo’s latest move has been to engineer a rapprochement between Hamas and Fatah. Hamas represents the Islamist trend in Palestinian affairs, and it controls the Gaza Strip. Fatah is the mainstream secular faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and dominates the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank. Hamas is supported by Syria and Iran and is treated as a terrorist organization by the United States. It is, of course, totally anathema to Israel. In addition to the post-Mubarak reorientation of Egyptian policy, two other factors have been at work to bring about the Hamas-Fatah reconciliation. The first is the upcoming attempt in September to gain UN General Assembly recognition of a Palestinian state. The PA’s President Mahmoud Abbas knows that this attempt would be undermined if opponents were able to say that the PA is not in control of the Gaza Strip. The second is that Hamas may be feeling vulnerable because of events in Syria, where it is by no means certain that President Assad will survive. The Egyptian-brokered Fatah-Hamas deal agrees to an interim unity government, combining security forces, and a general election to be held within a year. It does not include any provision for negotiations with Israel. The immediate response of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was that the Palestinian Authority needed to chose between peace with Hamas or peace with Israel. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman was even more forthright, saying: “This is the situation: Hundreds of armed terrorists will flood Judea and Samaria. I don’t think we need to go into details of what this means...Hamas is a terror group.” In one sense, the move is a bonus to Israel as it can now resist pressure for an immediate restart of talks with the Palestinians on the grounds that it must wait at least until the outcome of the new Palestinian elections. In all other senses, however, it is a negative development — and the most worrying aspect for Israel is the confirmation it provides of Egypt’s new orientation. The London-based pan-Arab al-Quds al-Arabi is in no doubt. Writing on 28 April, the paper’s editor-in-chief Abdelbari Atwan argued: “Egypt has returned forcefully to playing its leading role in the Arab region in support of the central Arab cause [Palestine]...The inter-Palestinian reconciliation agreement will stand its ground. This is not only because it embodies the Palestinian people’s aspirations; it is also because it relies on the solid ground provided by revolutionary Egypt, the new Egypt, the Egypt of dignity and honor, the Egypt of the youth of Tahrir Square for which we have waited for over 40 years. It is now returning to us, young and fit, rising like a giant from amidst the ruins of corruption and slavery to Israel and the US.” What Atwan didn’t mention, but is equally significant to Israel, is that Egypt is matching this strong move back into the Palestinian arena with a rapprochement with Iran. Israel’s strategic squeeze All of this confirms our view, most recently expressed in our Special Alert on the killing of Osama bin Laden, that Israel faces a strategic squeeze. Broadly speaking, the danger is that Egypt is turning hostile (or, at the very least, unfriendly) while the Iranian regime looks certain to survive the Arab Spring unscathed but with increased influence in the Gulf, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. Jordan could also be forced into a less friendly orientation by popular demand, while further afield post-bin Laden al-Qaeda could find space to regroup in Yemen, Libya, and Afghanistan. The old Middle East dictum is that the Arabs cannot make war without Egypt or peace without Syria. For the moment, whether Assad is ousted or not, it is a stretch of the imagination to see Damascus joining the peace camp. Egypt, on the other hand, is continuing to move away from its Camp David commitment to Israel. Much has been written about the threat of Egypt coming under the sway of the Muslim Brotherhood, but the notable point about the present shift in Cairo’s orientation is that it has taken place under an interim secular administration, before the transition from the Mubarak era is completed. It would seem that the peace treaty with Israel could be under threat with or without the Muslim Brotherhood — and if that is so, then Zakaria Mohammad is probably right: Osama bin Laden’s time had already passed and what really matters is what's happening in Cairo. JdeC. Note: Commenting on the death of bin Laden, the head of the Hamas in Gaza, Ismael Haniyeh said: "We condemn the assassination and the killing of an Arab holy warrior. We regard this as a continuation of the American policy based on oppression and the shedding of Muslim and Arab blood."
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Re: Egypt Revolts . . . and the ''secularists'' and ''youth movement'' are radicals
Posted by SelkirkTMO on Wed May 11 02:43:07 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts . . . and the "secularists" and "youth movement" are radicals, posted by Olog-hai on Wed May 11 01:51:22 2011. edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Heh. The fooking idjits you read ... anything about what Turkey is doing now that they've analyzed the madness surrounding them? Nope. Bet not.
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Re: Egypt Revolted . . . and they're permanently opening their border with Gaza
Posted by Olog-hai* on Thu May 26 01:48:18 2011, in response to Egypt Revolts!, posted by JayZeeBMT on Fri Jan 28 16:01:55 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Radicals galore. Arab spring or Jihadist early winter? National Public Radio (AP) Egypt To Open Rafah Border Crossing Permanently by The Associated Press May 25, 2011 Egypt's decision Wednesday to end its blockade of Gaza by opening the only crossing to the Hamas-ruled Palestinian territory this weekend could ease the isolation of 1.4 million Palestinians there. It also puts the new Egyptian regime at odds with Israel, which insists on careful monitoring of people and goods entering Gaza for security reasons. The Rafah crossing will be open permanently starting Saturday, Egypt's official Middle East News Agency announced. That would provide Gaza Palestinians their first open border to the world in four years, since Egypt and Israel slammed their crossings shut after the Islamic militant Hamas overran the Gaza Strip in 2007. During the closure, Egypt sometimes opened its border to allow Palestinians through for special reasons such as education or medical treatment. But with Israel severely restricting movement of Palestinians through its Erez crossing in northern Gaza, residents there were virtual prisoners. MENA's statement said the old rules will be reinstated, allowing Palestinians with passports to cross into Egypt every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. except for Fridays and holidays. Entry into Gaza was more complicated. Palestinians ran their side of the crossing. European monitors had a role at the crossing, and they have been waiting to resume that function. Also, Israel was supposed to have a monitoring role from afar, theoretically to stop weapons and militants from entering Gaza. Mohammed Awad, the Hamas minister of foreign affairs, said he "highly appreciates the decision by the Egyptian brothers to ease the process of travel at Rafah terminal. This reflects the deep relation between us and Egypt, and it will contribute to ease the lives of the Palestinians in Gaza." Col. Ayoub Abu Shaer, Gaza director of the Rafah terminal, said the two sides have been discussing the changes in recent weeks. Under the proposal, women would be able to leave Gaza without restrictions, while men between the ages of 18 and 40 would have to obtain visas for Egypt at the border. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor refused to comment. The decision reflected a change in Egypt's attitude toward Israel since the fall of President Hosni Mubarak in February. The military council running the country until parliamentary and presidential elections is less concerned about its relations with Israel and has shown more interest in the Palestinians. Last month, the Egyptian regime successfully brokered a reconciliation between Hamas and rival Fatah, which runs the West Bank government. The two had been at odds since the brief 2007 conflict, when Hamas expelled Fatah forces from Gaza. Repeated efforts by the previous Egyptian government to heal the rift failed. MENA said the decision to open the Rafah crossing was part of efforts "to end the status of the Palestinian division and achieve national reconciliation." Before the Gaza conflict, the Palestinian Authority under President Mahmoud Abbas ran the Palestinian side of the Gaza crossing, and Israel always objected to Hamas having a role there. Egypt's Foreign Minister Nabil Elaraby told the Arabic satellite channel Al-Jazeera last month that the closure of Rafah crossing was about to end, calling the decision to close it "a disgusting matter." Egypt was the first Arab nation to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. There have been polls that indicate many Egyptians would favor canceling the treaty. But that subject is not high on the agenda of Egypt's new rulers who are concerned with internal crises, including unemployment and weeding out corruption. Besides trapping more than a million Palestinians in Gaza, the Rafah border closure has been largely ineffective. Gazans have circumvented the blockade by operating hundreds of smuggling tunnels under the nine-mile Gaza-Egypt border. The tunnels have been used to bring in all manner of products, as well as people. Israel charges Hamas has used the tunnels to import weapons, including rockets that can reach main population centers in Israel's center. The tunnel industry is a semi-official Gaza enterprise, with Hamas collecting taxes on goods smuggled in. Over the past year, the tunnels — and the blockade itself — have lessened in significance as Israel eased its import restrictions, banning weapons and materials it feels could be used for military purposes by Hamas, including many types of construction materials. Israel cut back on its restrictions following world outcry from Israel's violent interception of a flotilla heading for Gaza on May 31, 2010, when nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed. Israel has complained often about Egypt's inability to stop the smuggling. In recent months, Palestinian militants in Gaza have fired rockets at Israeli cities, indicating that that have graduated from the homemade, wobbly short-range projectiles to factory-made, longer-range rockets. Israel charges that Iran is among the suppliers, and weapons merchants have been secreting the rockets and other ordnance through Egypt's Sinai desert to the tunnels, and then into Gaza. Rafah is impractical as a cargo crossing, however, because goods would have to be transported across the 130 mile- (210 kilometer-) wide Sinai desert in Egypt. It also means a long, hot bus trip for Palestinians crossing into Egypt through Rafah.
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Re: Egypt Revolted . . . and they're permanently opening their border with Gaza
Posted by orange blossom special on Thu May 26 11:20:07 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolted . . . and they're permanently opening their border with Gaza, posted by Olog-hai on Thu May 26 01:48:18 2011. edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d It's an unusual story, as the AP refuses to ever acknowledge that Gaza even borders with Egypt else it would have to admit that border is almost always shut. On orders by Egyptian Military.
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Re: Egypt Revolted . . . and they're permanently opening their border with Gaza
Posted by Mitch45 on Thu May 26 13:34:45 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolted . . . and they're permanently opening their border with Gaza, posted by orange blossom special on Thu May 26 11:20:07 2011. edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d I think the border will still be closed overnights and weekends. Thought I read that somewhere.
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Re: Egypt Revolted . . . and they're permanently opening their border with Gaza
Posted by orange blossom special on Thu May 26 14:09:17 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolted . . . and they're permanently opening their border with Gaza, posted by Mitch45 on Thu May 26 13:34:45 2011. edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Obivously a result of the Egyptian Tea Party cutting back on services even at Rafah!
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Re: Egypt Revolts, forms Nazi Party
Posted by Olog-hai* on Wed Jun 1 17:44:23 2011, in response to Egypt Revolts!, posted by JayZeeBMT on Fri Jan 28 16:01:55 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Secularists and youth movement, eh. Jerusalem Post Egyptian activists 'to form Nazi party', newspaper reports By YAAKOV LAPPIN 05/26/2011 16:41 'Al-Masry Al-Youm' report says Facebook pages launched to attract followers; Nazi parties operated secretly in Egypt during Mubarak regime. A group of Egyptian political activists have announced plans to set up a local version “of the Nazi party,” an Egyptian newspaper reported on Thursday. Citing a leftist Egyptian news portal, the Al-Masry Al-Youm daily said that “the party’s founding deputy is a former military official,” and that the party would be aimed at bringing “together prominent figures from the Egyptian society.” The report cited founding member Emad Abdel Sattar as saying that the unestablished party “believes in vesting all powers in the president after selecting him or her carefully,” and that “preparations are under way to choose the most competent person to represent the party.” Almasry Alyoum added that an Egyptian Nazi party “operated secretly under former President Hosni Mubarak, whose regime prevented party leaders from carrying out their activities freely.” The newspaper said it could not verify the report, but said it found two Facebook pages that appeared recently under the title of “the Egyptian Nazi Party,” which have so far attracted 70 followers. Members are “increasing at an unexpected rate, and several people came to ask about the nature of the party and its plans,” the report said. The party has a one-year plan to develop Egypt – unlike the “marginalized liberal parties, which are like dead bodies,” a source was quoted as saying. The idea to start it came after some fundamentalist-religious waves emerged, which, according to the source, created a state of chaos, and led to the burning of churches, the destruction of shrines and assaults on unarmed civilians. Responding to the report, Dr. Mordechai Kedar, of Bar-Ilan University’s Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, said Egypt was going through a highly turbulent period, adding that all manner of bizarre individuals were launching Facebook groups and attracting members. Historically, he said, the German Nazi party saw three attempts to copy it in the Arab world in the 1930s in Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt. The Egyptian party of that time was led by former president Anwar Sadat, who went on to sign a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. “They were copying the extreme nationalism of Germany, before the Second World War, and before the word ‘Nazi’ became a coarse word,” Kedar said. Irrespective of the unconfirmed report on “the Egyptian Nazi party,” Egyptian activists opposed to army rule in Egypt are planning to hold demonstrations on Friday, Kedar noted. “Egypt is a country of 85 million people. Some activists want a second and a third revolution. No one knows where things are heading yet,” he said.
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Re: Egypt Revolts, forms Nazi Party
Posted by Fred G* on Wed Jun 1 17:59:32 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts, forms Nazi Party, posted by Olog-hai on Wed Jun 1 17:44:23 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d The newspaper said it could not verify the report, but said it found two Facebook pages that appeared recently under the title of “the Egyptian Nazi Party,” which have so far attracted 70 followers. oooohhhh Im shakin. I think the US has more than that, but not sure. your pal, Fred
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Re: Egypt Revolts, forms Nazi Party
Posted by SMAZ* on Wed Jun 1 18:04:46 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts, forms Nazi Party, posted by Fred G on Wed Jun 1 17:59:32 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d oooohhhh Im shakin. I think the US has more than that, but not sure. Yeah but that's in America. Olog says : "Why should I care about that country?"
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Re: Egypt Revolts, forms Nazi Party
Posted by SelkirkTMO* on Wed Jun 1 18:10:25 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts, forms Nazi Party, posted by SMAZ on Wed Jun 1 18:04:46 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Not enough Germans here. :)
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Re: Egypt Revolts, forms Nazi Party
Posted by Olog-hai* on Wed Jun 1 18:31:49 2011, in response to Re: Egypt Revolts, forms Nazi Party, posted by Fred G on Wed Jun 1 17:59:32 2011.* edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d On Facebook? How many people in Egypt do you think really have access to FB? This movement has an armed forces bigwig as its leader. Far more than the seventy FB followers detected thus far. If you want to branch out beyond photography, it takes more work than that . . .
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