Here are the headlines from Mondoweiss for 02/03/2011:

 

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Here are the headlines from Mondoweiss for 02/03/2011: 'The chant is يسقط يسقط حسني مبارك – Tell the world he is killing us' Neocons have abandoned Mubarak. Why? Ahmed Moor: The people are undaunted, they have held Tahrir, anything less than Mubarak's ouster means nighttime arrests by secret police Justin Bieber to play Israel in April Legendary spook says Hosni is history come Friday Israel maintained its average of killing 1 Palestinian every other day in January Exclusive: more of Biden's keen takes on world leaders left on cutting room floor Obama's greenlight to Mubarak brings bloodshed to Egypt Cairo twitter feed Throwing Mubarak overboard won't be enough to guarantee smooth sailing for Egypt 'The chant is يسقط يسقط حسني مبارك – Tell the world he is killing us' Feb 02, 2011 11:23 pm | Parvez Sharma Listen to Mona Seif (@monasosh) from Tahrir Square. Read a partial transcription on Jillian York's blog. Today was the day everything changed for the peaceful patriots of Egypt. It was the saddest day of what was a peaceful revolution and has now been attacked with unspeakable violence by a regime that has had three decades to finesse it.  As I write this gun-shots ricochet across the Ground Zero of this yet unfinished revolution, Tahrir Square-gun shots originating from snipers hired by the dictator who just refuses to go. Its 5 am and two people have been killed in just an hour, some think the number is even higher. Fragments of very disturbing conversations today gave me the following quotes from friends who had been again granted mobile phone access: They are asking to evacuate because they want to start shooting at us All those who took part in the  2 million people march need to rturn to Tahrir Square and fight Many non Egyptians attacking the patriots at Tahrir square (To this I added before tweeting "Folks this is Tehran2009 Part 2) This is no longer a peaceful revolution. The peoples revolution it still is but Mubarak is not a peaceful man. I just escaped being stabbed by a knife. Mubarak has let out his paid thugs to kill us. People are running towards Talat Haarb. He has decided to kill us My first conversation on the "restored"  internet happened with my friend Ibrahim who I have not been able to reach since all of this started. (This was at 8:48 am Eastern US time, Cairo is 7 hours ahead)-this was through Facebook chat. He had just returned to his apartment in Dokki.  Me: How are you? So worried. Glad we could finally get on!  I: I am so sad today…so depressed…They ruined our revolution…Eggyptian state TV is disgusting Me: I know—you back home? How unsafe outside? They have all kinds of killers on the loose now—paid upto 500 pounds apparently… I: I was there all morning and jsut got home. It's not safe there Parvez I cannot believe it is Egyptians who are raising up a Yes Mubarak sign…They stole our freedom and happiness…  Me: D told me that there were looters at your place in Dokki? I: Looters ha! They were escaped prison inmates--they were close to my family's place outside Cairo not mine…you know on the road to Alex---they did a citizen arrest 30 people and gave them to the army… Me: So you are in the Dokki apt?  I: Yes I am here now…closer to Tahrir Me: u think the revolution is over? I: I don't want to say that…he is sending people to kill people…We might have to do a strategic retreat for a few days but people will regroup and rise again I know for sure he paid people 50 pounds to raise his banner.   Me: Is Facebook and Twitter playing a role anymore? I: Facebook for sure, especially in beginning…Twitter stopped for most anyway Tuesday…so it was not used that much Me: Obviously its back now? I: Now everything is back Internet is back and I think they will try to use FB ad twitter to fight back. They know the rules of the game now…The majority in the country don't use it ofcourse…and now everyone knows where to go…but the early days of revolution were started by group of young people who are very active on FB…but anyway even if some if started on FB…for most it was people mobilized by watching TV…they knew what was happening and participated…It did start on FB but then FB didn't matter…after first day…after internet phones went down…it was people talking to neighbours and friends…It is a people revolution really…its about all of us…the momentum started and there was no holding back…  Me: What were chants today in Tahrir? I: Our people said Down with Mubarak and Mubarak's thugs said Yes Mubarak! I almost cried…Its like a war now… In Arabic the chant is يسقط يسقط حسني مبارك  Tell the world he is killing us  I have to go now Parvez—call my friends who are still there and make sure they are OK… Me: Will you go out? I: Not today I think so no…Its all about Friday now…I know I will go out on Friday…Thanks Parvez  Me: Bless you…please please take care  I: Yes. OK.  By 6 pm today—this revolution being broadcast live on Al-Jazeera, had shown us shocking and unprecedented scenes of thugs on horses with swords and whips lashing through the crowds. Molotov cocktails and Petrol Bombs were hurled at thousands of the revolutionaries by thugs hired by Hosni Mubarak—the going rate estimates on twitter chatter ranged from  a 100 Egyptian Pounds to 500 punds.  By 2 pm Eastern, friends were reporting that there were suspiscious new twitter accounts. I had no doubt that Mubarak's parallel crackdown would be monitoring whatever little social networking was still going on (and today was a huge spike given the return of the Internet).   Hosni Mubarak is using techniques similar to what Ahmadinejad used in Iran in 2009 in what was mistakenly being called a Twitter revolution. The regime in Iran cracked down on Internet dissent and regime insiders had set up online alibi's to monitor the social networking traffic. A terrible crackdown followed after that "revolution" failed.   I have been tweeting the following to the few that still tweet out of Cairo. Please re-tweet.  PLEASE BE CAREFUL if sending #tweets frm inside #Cairo. The Next #Mubarak crackdown might be on tweeps and FaceBook #Jan25   #Egypt Create alternative profiles please. Ahmadinejad did this in Tehran in 2009  Once again pls try & create alternative #twitter profiles in case of online crackdown if in #Cairo Remove yr own photos/names #Jan25#Egypt   Comment on this article >       Neocons have abandoned Mubarak. Why? Feb 02, 2011 10:49 pm | Philip Weiss [Photo by CodePink] Tomorrow's New York Times reflects clearlywhat was evident on television tonight: the American establishment and the Obama administration too have turned harshly on Mubarak. This is great news. It means that he will be gone soon with surprisingly little bloodshed (I have my fingers crossed); and Egypt has carved out a heroic chapter in history. Events never feel so good as this one, shattering and positive. On television, I saw the following figures condemning Mubarak's thugs tonight: Eliot Spitzer, Richard Haass of the Council on Foreign Relations, and neoconservative Robert Kagan, also Richard Engel and Brian Williams. And I saw that Elliott Abrams says something eloquent about democracy at Jeffrey Goldberg's blog. Bill Kristol is forextirpating Mubarak. So's Max Boot. I would just like to point out that several of these guys have made judgments-- that the thugs were sent out by Mubarak, and this in itself is dramatic evidence of tyranny in Egypt-- that they would never reach when it comes to the pogroms unleashed against Palestinians in the West Bank, including many Palestinians exercising the rights of assembly and free expression. Not a peep from the U.S. establishment.  Ok, but why are the neocons abandoning Mubarak when Israel obviously wants Mubarak around? Two reasons. The neocons have said they believe in democracy in the Middle East; and sometimes the rubber meets the road. Two, they are realistic enough to know that the king is dead; and they are fearful about what will eventuate in Egypt; they think about the Iran mistakes, and know that the U.S. will have more influence over the next leaders of Egypt if it can get on the people's good side now rather than alienating them. The neocons haven't stopped caring about Israel's interests, no way. But the smart ones know that the best way to serve those interests is to be out front on Egyptian change.   Comment on this article >       Ahmed Moor: The people are undaunted, they have held Tahrir, anything less than Mubarak's ouster means nighttime arrests by secret police Feb 02, 2011 08:45 pm | Ahmed Moor Ahmed Moor in Cairo spoke today to Phil Weiss. The people who started the violence today were secret police. We know this because often they were caught and their ids were found. The method was, they would try to start problems-- these muhabarat-looking guys--and the protesters set upon them very quickly Do pro-Mubarak protesters represent a real strand of public opinion? No. Their objective is to redirect the narrative. Most of these people are policemen, people with interests in the current regime. Some of these people were wearing civilian clothing for the first time. Convoys of these people were directed into Tahrir Square. I felt it was coordinated from the top, calculated. I don't think this is a legitimate segment of Egyptian society. Some rode in on horses, one on a camel, wielding sticks. They were subdued. It would have been a lynching if others hadn't intervened. People would step in and say, No you can't do that to them. There is a real effort on the part of lots of the protesters, to keep things peaceful. I'm happy to say that I don't think any of the animals were hurt. But we are galvanized by it. We got very scary reports today from Tahrir, including the word massacre. How bad was it? I just got back [at 8 p.m. Cairo time]. These clashes lasted from 3 to 6:30. There were lot of head wounds, caused by rocks, people throwing rocks at one another. But Tahrir square remains with the anti-government demonstrators. There are way more of us than there are of them. At the north end of the square there was a lot of action: that arcade was filled with skirmishers, and the army was near the museum, not participating. Pro-gov't forces climbed one of the buildings and threw down rocks, flower pots, miscellaneous items. And anti-gov't forces used the army trucks as barricade. You had a kind of front, and people at the back were bringing stones to the front. They brought them in boxes and crates. Or they had blankets, four men holding the ends, filled with rocks.  This was going on for several hours. We held Tahrir. There is anxiety on the part of people around the world who are on your side that these tough measures will break the democracy movement. These are tough people. You have to remember that the regime started clamping down last Wednesday, and we overturned the police force even when they were using rubber bullets, sticks and live ammo. These people are not about to relinquish this space due to a gang of motley thugs. You have to remember Tahrir Square was taken by force to begin with. Has the storyline changed? Is there doubt and demoralization?  The story line is not at all changed. What I've said is that this is a zero sum game. The moment that people decide we are going to play ball with Mubarak, the muhabarat will come back, the secret police will come back and seize people in the night. 'We saw you January 25, 26, 27, 28.' There will be a day of reckoning. That is the risk in anything other than Mubarak's ouster. Anyone on tv who has expressed an opinion or carried a sign is vulnerable. We're not talking about forgive or forget. There is no reason to expect Mubarak to forgive and forget. Last night we saw him contrite and conciliatory on tv. Those are generous words. In fact today we see again his forceful measures. He started the violence. You are saying that people are undaunted? People are undaunted in Cairo. Utterly undaunted. They've put all their eggs in this basket. They've put everything they've got into this movement, and there is no going back at this stage. What's next? Ok so what's next for the protesters is-- Mubarak get out. After that people want elections. I don't see this ending in any other way. Mubarak has to leave. It seems that he's very reluctant to leave in an undignified way. The protesters are aware of that and they don't want him to get a dignified exit. The time for forgiveness is past. Could Obama permit Mubarak to save face and leave? I don't see how. Mubarak set out his terms yesterday. He wants to stay until September. We know what this means. In period of intense social discontent, he pretends to make reforms, uses flexibility as a tool of his regime. He makes a token concession, and as soon as that crisis is surmounted, the concession is repealed immediately. People just don't trust him. Do people talk about a coup? I've heard nothing about a coup to be honest. Do they talk about Obama? Not so much. One of the difficulties, this is the first day with the internet back. Al Jazeera is blocked. The focus isn't really on the Americans. John Kerry's statement was positive. But I cant tell you what people think about obama. Is the joy and excitement still there? We've reverted to the rage of the early days, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday. Over the weekend, there was exuberance, the sense of confidence at taking the square, a million plus showed up. And this morning things seemed more normal, shops were open, there were carts in the street. Then at 2 or 3 o'clock it all broke down. People's perceptions are, if the regime can do this in such a sleazy and underhanded way-- it just got people angry all over again. I'd be astonished if we don't see masses of people on the street tomorrow. What about the army's position? There is confidence among people on the street that the military is committed to not playng an active role on the ground. And the feeling is, If you stay out of this, we can do this on our own. What about dragging Mubarak out of his palace? State institutions-- and we don't know if he's in Cairo or Sharm?-- but the state institutions are surrounded by tanks.There's no going in and breaking into the parliament or his palace. Saturday, when the ministry of interior was burned, I saw three bodies in the street from clashes, young men trying to break in. Well the police were very entrenched Saturday, and then the military took over Sunday. I don't think another institution will be taken again. Unless people decide to. How important is international opinion? International opinion is important to the extent that it impacts the regime. Look, there aren't many people in the world who thought of Mubarak very highly. We've known the west relies on him. Does the west rely on him any less now? Can he convince people that he's the best bet? We hear that Netanyahu is calling Europe and the U.S., do what you can to support Mubarak, we're not going to get anyone better. People are angry about that. Do you hear talk of the Israel/Palestine conflict in Egypt? I have an accent, and so people ask me where I'm from. I'm Palestinian, from Gaza. So I have been hearing a lot about it. They say, 'You know what, this is the first step to the liberation of Palestine, this is the first domino. Once Mubarak goes we're going to lead the Arab world again, and liberate Palestine.' There is a feeling that Egypt is going to be redeemed and take its historical role on the Arab stage as a leader, and through that, Arabs will be redeemed. This is the Egyptian national mythology-- Nasser, 1973-- Egypt as the cultural beacon for the Arab world, and the leader economically and militarily. That is part of Egyptian pride. So I've seen that on the street. Watch-- when we take our gov't back, the rest of you will also benefit. This is the first step.         Comment on this article >       Justin Bieber to play Israel in April Feb 02, 2011 08:33 pm | Philip Weiss Cute. Annie spotted this. 96 views at 8:34. Crank it.   Comment on this article >       Legendary spook says Hosni is history come Friday Feb 02, 2011 05:41 pm | Philip Weiss I want to believe Colonel Pat Lang. "Friday is likely to be the day": There are very strong rumors coming out of sources close to the Saudi government suggesting that King Abd'allah, who is now in Morocco, has convinced President Mubarak to step down to avoid a possible bloodbath during anticipated massive demonstrations on Friday.  Abd'allah has also reportedly offered Mubarak asylum in Saudi Arabia, but Mubarak has not yet accepted the offer.   Comment on this article >       Israel maintained its average of killing 1 Palestinian every other day in January Feb 02, 2011 05:10 pm | Kate and other news from Today in Palestine: Land, property, resources theft and destruction / Ethnic cleansing / Settlers UN joins PA in slamming Israeli water infrastructure destruction JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- "It is difficult to understand the reasoning behind the destruction of basic rain water collection systems," the UN's Humanitarian Coordinator in Jerusalem Maxwell Gaylard said Tuesday after PA officials condemned what ministers called an "escalation." ... Gaylard warned that the continued destruction of water infrastructure, particularly for Bedouin populations and farmers, would endanger their way of life. "Such deliberate demolitions in occupied territory are also in contravention of Israel's obligations under international law," his statement said. In 2010, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded the demolition of 27 water cisterns and other rain water collection systems in the West Bank. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356297 Eldar: 'Backward' American Jews maintain the settlement project Akiva Eldar in Haaretz says what no one can write here, partly because he frankly talks about who is Jewish. This is about Jewish political identity by the way. He is saying what I say: that Palestinian statelessness is an American Jewish achievement. Who will liberate the Jews? Irony alert in first paragraph. http://mondoweiss.net/2011/02/eldar-backward-american-jews-maintain-the-settlement-project.html Zionist 'ethnic cleansing' continues / Mohammed Watad The drive to empty the state of Israel of its non-Jewish population began in the run-up to the declaration of independence in May 1948. The Palestinians call that 'the Nakba', the Catastrophe, and with good cause. Since 1948, the Israelis have demolished almost 22,000 homes belonging to Palestinians in cities across the state, namely Jaffa, Lod and Ramla. House demolitions in Jerusalem are part of this process. Ten thousand more have been sold to wealthy Jews and so, despite having a Palestinian population of around 75,000 in these three cities, cultural signs of the Arab presence are being eroded. http://realisticbird.wordpress.com/2010/01/31/zionist-%E2%80%9Cethnic-cleansing%E2%80%9D-continues/ Ministry of religious affairs slams building of new settlement on Mukaber Mount OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- The Palestinian ministry of religious affairs strongly denounced the Israeli government for laying the foundation stone for a new settlement zone on Al-Mukaber Mount, southwest of occupied Jerusalem ... The committee warned that the IOA is racing against time to obliterate and change the Islamic identity of the holy city and taking advantage of the current unrest in the Arab arena to escalate its Judaization activities in the city. In a separate incident, Palestinians from Araqeeb village in the Negev region, on Tuesday rallied outside the Jewish national fund in Jerusalem in protest at the fund's decision to plant trees in place of their demolished homes in the village. MK Dov Khenin: Video of cops beating Dahmash family, shouting 'Go to Gaza', exists and must prompt investigation / Max Blumenthal 30 Jan - Following up on my reporting from the Abu Eid refugee camp in Lod, in which I referenced a video depicting police officers beating members of the Sha'aban family, who have resisted the demolition of their home in the nearby unrecognized village of Dahmash, the existence of the video has been confirmed. At a demonstration in Jaffa yesterday, MK Dov Khenin of Hadash told me he has seen the video and that it does indeed show members of the Lod police force beating the Sha'aban family and shouting "Go to Gaza!" He said he will demand that it be shown in the Knesset Interior Committee. Hopefully it will soon be available for public viewing as well. http://maxblumenthal.com/2011/01/mk-dov-khenin-video-of-cops-beating-dahmash-family-shouting-go-to-gaza-exists-and-must-prompt-investigation/ VIDEO Dahmash: Israeli police abuse of citizens in the unrecognized village not sure if this is the video mentioned above, but it's bad enough http://palestinevideo.blogspot.com/2011/01/dahmash-israeli-police-abuse-of.html Violence / Detention Rights group releases testimony from deadly settler attack RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- An Israeli settler with a light-complexion, blond hair, wearing a Kippa, carrying a black backpack and a pistol on the side of his waist was the gunman who shot and killed Uday Qadous, testimony from Ramallah-based rights group Al-Haq revealed Wednesday ... The testimony updated an earlier report from the group, which it said needed clarifications. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356546 Yousef is gone The following is a piece Bekah Wolf posted on Facebook about Yousef Fakhri Ikhlayl. Ikhlayl is a 17-year-old boy who was shot in the head and killed by Israeli settlers last Friday ... Yousef was the quiet one. As I look through photographs of the past few months' demonstrations in Beit Ommar, I can find only one with Yousef, though he was always there. He was the older brother who was always tagging along while his cousin Ahmed, and brother Mohammed were marching at the front of the demonstrations. The three of them were fixtures at our events, whether it was summer camp, English class, or marches against settlement expansion. Yousef was the goofy one, with the adolescent mustache and too-big feet. He usually hung in the back, but he was always there. http://mondoweiss.net/2011/02/yousef-is-gone.html Settlers clash with police outside Jerusalem court Police forces are clashing with dozens of settlers protesting at the Russian Compound, opposite the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court. The settlers are protesting the arrest of their friends following a shooting incident on Friday, which left a Palestinian teen [Yousef Ikhleil] killed from settler fire. Several of the protesters have been arrested, including Nadia Matar of the Women in Green organization. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4022790,00.html Israeli planes hit Gaza tunnels GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories (AFP) – The Israeli air force bombed a suspected smuggling tunnel on the Gaza-Egypt border on Wednesday in response to rocket attacks, the military said. No casualties were reported. "The site was targeted in response to the recent rocket fire from the Gaza Strip," a military statement said, referring to Grad rockets and mortar rounds fired from Gaza on Monday night, one of which exploded near a wedding in southern Israel, although nobody was injured. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110202/wl_mideast_afp/israelpalestiniansgazaunrest Report: 15 Palestinians killed, 200 kidnapped by the army in January The International Solidarity Institution For Human Rights issued a report revealing that Israeli soldiers shot and killed 15 Palestinians, including three children, and kidnapped more than 200 others during the month of January. The institution said that seven of the slain residents are from the West Bank and the rest are from the Gaza Strip. It stated that the army conducted dozens of arrests in January and abducted more than 200 residents, including 55 children, in addition to more than 200 workers who were kidnapped under the claim of entering Israel to work without a permit.  http://www.imemc.org/article/60554 IOF troops round up 14 Palestinians WEST BANK, (PIC)-- Israeli occupation forces (IOF) rounded up 14 Palestinians in the West Bank in storming operations that focused on northern and southern areas on Wednesday. The Israeli radio said that the detainees were wanted for interrogation, but would not mention locations of their arrest. Local sources said that two citizens were beaten up by IOF soldiers in Al-Khalil, adding that they were hospitalized in moderate condition. They reported that two were detained in Edhna village, north of Al-Khalil, and three others in Jenin refugee camp. The sources noted that the soldiers used stun grenades in the raids and searched homes. http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U Israeli soldiers conduct provocative searches on women ahead of prison visits BETHLEHEM, (PIC)-- Palestinians held in the Israeli Ofer prison say their relatives have been victimized by provocative and humiliating searches when visiting them.  They said Israeli soldiers conduct provocative and humiliating searches especially on Palestinian women who cross the Betunia checkpoint when visiting family members held in Ofer.  The detainees have threatened the prison's administration to cut off all visits if the practice goes on. In a separate context, the prisoners condemned Israel's exile of 14-year-old Islam Dar Ayyub from his village of Nabi Salih to Ramallah. http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq Report: Fatah security agencies detained 289 of Hamas's people in January WEST BANK, (PIC)-- Fatah security agencies operating in the West Bank arrested hundreds of Hamas supporters last month, a Hamas report says. The escalation was an apparent reflection of security cooperation with Israel. The report released Tuesday says Abbas agencies arrested 289 men, women and children across the West Bank and summoned about 750 more for questioning in January 2011.The "revolving door policy" saw that 157 of those detainees had previously been held in Israeli prisons, some being taken by Fatah before reaching home upon release, and others being taken only a few days following it. http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U Hamas MPs in Tulkarem hold reception for female detainee RAMALLAH, (PIC)-- Some of Hamas lawmakers gathered at the Israeli military checkpoint of Jabara, near Tulkarem city, to receive female detainee Muntaha Attawil after her release from am Israeli occupation jail. The detainee spent one year in Israeli jails and her husband Jamal Attawil, the head of Al-Beera municipal council, was also an ex-detainee. Many lawmakers expressed hope to see all Palestinian women released from Israeli jails. http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz War crimes IDF officer's career torpedoed over corruption but not over alleged war crimes / Roi Maor In Israel, reporting on the upheaval in Egypt has been sidelined by news that the appointment of Major General Yoav Galant to IDF Chief of Staff has been canceled ... During the 2008-9Operation Cast Lead, when the Israeli army invaded Gaza, Galant was the commander of Israeli forces, as head of the IDF Southern Command at the time. Despite the fact that this campaign was shrouded by accusations of war crimes, including some that were substantiated by the IDF's own investigators, no one in Israel even dreams of suggesting that Galant should be disqualified on these grounds. On the contrary, the war is counted to his credit, while building- and land-related infractions are his downfall. http://972mag.com/idf-officers-career-torpedoed-over-corruption-but-not-over-alleged-war-crimes/ Activism / Solidarity / Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions Protest in front of Jewish National Fund (with photos) Following the 11th demolition of the Bedouin village of Al Arakib yesterday (January 31), a protest was held outside the Jewish National Fund building in Jerusalem today. A group of upwards of 100 people gathered in the cold and rain at 2pm today with the message, in Hebrew, Arabic and English: "There is no such thing as an unrecognized village, there are only government lies."  http://972mag.com/protest-in-front-of-jewish-national-fund/ Report on recent activism / Ilan against the Wall We cannot predict which community will be among the first to be in the front of the struggle - and it was not Bil'in. We cannot predict which one will persists in the struggle week after week, year after year... like Bil'in. When it happen, we can often understand, like why the small village of Nabi Saleh - which even was not victim of the separation fence, joined the persistent struggle. The participant of each of the ongoing struggles like El Araqib, Beit Ommar, Bil'in, Dahamash, Jaffa, Lod, Ma'asara, Nabi-Saleh, Ni'ilin, Sheikh Jarrah, Tel Aviv expresses solidarity with the uprising of the masses in Tunisia and Egypt. http://ilanisagainstwalls.blogspot.com/2011/02/palestine-israel-at-time-of-mass.html BDS success: First ever Knesset discussion on combating cultural boycott of Israel Attended by representatives of the Ministries of Education and Culture, together with Israeli entertainment producers who have been financially harmed by the cultural boycott of Israel, the Education and Culture Committee discussed the topic of the boycott of Israel by international artists ... The discussion came in response to a wave of artist boycotts in recent months, among them Elvis Costello, Vanessa Paradis, Johnny Depp, Dustin Hoffman, and the Pixies. The organization Boycott from Within has played a large role in encouraging artists to follow their conscience and not perform in Israel. http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/topics/economy-of-the-occupation/3249-bds-success-first-ever-knesset-discussion-on-combating-cultural-boycott-of-israel News from Chelm: Knesset discusses ways to pressure performers not to cancel concerts in Israel 1 Feb - Today in Knesset, Ronit Tirosh of Kadima (the opposition party that almost never opposes racist and anti-democratic legislation, and often sponsors it) convened a discussion in the Committee on Education, Culture and Sport about compelling reluctant pop stars to perform in Israel. The legislators were joined by Shuki Weiss, a big time Israeli concert promoter who has lost thousands from last minute cancellations by artists like Elvis Costello. "The state must intervene," Weiss said, according to Achbar Ha'ir, an Israeli arts and culture publication (I am summarizing the Hebrew article). http://maxblumenthal.com/2011/02/news-from-chelm-knesset-discusses-ways-to-pressure-performers-not-to-cancel-concerts-in-israel/ Egypt and Palestine More detentions in Ramallah at rally for Egypt RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Palestinian Authority police beat back protesters with clubs and detained at least two at what witnesses described as a spontaneous rally and show of support for the Egyptian people as chaos hit Cairo streets ... Protesters said the event had been peaceful until police broke out batons and started pushing women at the front of the group back and away from the city center. "Our rally was simply in support of Egypt," one protester told Ma'an by phone, "we said nothing against the PA, we were not even out in the street." Earlier in the day, dozens of Fatah supporters had gathered in the same spot protesting in support of Mubarak. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356599 Hamas worried upheaval in Arab world will spill into Gaza Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip are concerned about the effects of the upheaval in the Arab world, as Facebook messages call on Gaza residents to demonstrate against Hamas rule on Friday.  Several thousand people have joined the Facebook group calling for a protest against Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip.  Another Facebook group is calling for protests against the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Far fewer people have expressed interest in that page, but Palestinian leaders in the West Bank also recognize that the protests in Tunisia and Egypt could spill over into Palestinian territory.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/hamas-worried-upheaval-in-arab-world-will-spill-into-gaza-1.340690 Journalists forced to pledge abstention from Gaza rallies RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Gaza government police ordered detained journalists to sign a paper pledging to "abide by law, order and conventions" following their arrest at a sit-in protest Monday showing support for Egypt rallies.  http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356572 Effects of Egypt's turmoil felt in Gaza Strip / Rami Almeghari The ripples of the popular uprising in Egypt that began on 25 January -- demanding the downfall of President Hosni Mubarak and his regime -- have made their way to occupied Gaza Strip ... The Gaza Strip, home to about 1.5 million Palestinians, borders and was once ruled by Egypt until Israel occupied the territory in 1967 ... Hamas authorities have maintained a studious silence about events in Egypt. This may be because Hamas wants to maintain their relationship with the Mubarak regime which has been closely involved in international Palestinian affairs, including efforts at reconciliation with the US-backed, Fatah-run Palestinian Authority in Ramallah. Egypt has also previously had a role in prisoner exchange and truce negotiations between Hamas and Israel. http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11774.shtml Egypt's revolution inspires Gaza's youth / Mohammed Rabah Suliman The revolution underway in Egypt is being closely watched by Gaza's youth who see it as a source of empowerment and inspiration. It has stirred our sentiments and has moved us to take to the streets to show our solidarity with our neighbors in Egypt. We attempt to absorb every minute event so as to carry it through the years when we will be able to tell our children how proud we were to have lived through one of the greatest and most inspirational events in the history of the Arab world. http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11769.shtml Egypt: How I escaped from prison Gaza, Asharq Al-Awsat – Sunday, 30 January 2011 proved to be one of the longest days in the life of Mutasim Quqa, one of the Palestinians being detained in Egypt's "Abu Zaabal" prison. Quqa managed to escape from the prison – along with a group of detainees – and return to the Gaza Strip, taking advantage of the state of chaos in Egypt and particularly the country's prisons ... As for why he had been sentenced to ten years imprisonment, Quqa ... revealed that he and his associates had been treated like terrorists coming to sabotage Egypt. However, Quqa clarified that he was arrested whilst accompanying a sick relative, traveling to Egypt for treatment. http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=24001 Egypt and Israel Fall of Mubarak means decision time for Netanyahu / Aluf Benn Egypt has taken advantage of recent unrest situation and redeployed their army in the demilitarized Sinai. No future government in Cairo will return this force to the other side of Suez. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/fall-of-mubarak-means-decision-time-for-netanyahu-1.340719 Egyptian revolution, Israeli exceptionalism / Michael Warshawski When listening to Israeli responses to the uprising of the Egyptian people, the most striking aspect is the huge chasm existing between these responses and those of the remainder of the world. It appears that Israel exists on a totally different planet. http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/blogs/michael-warschawski/3245-egyptian-revolution-israeli-exceptionalism- No, Egyptian uprising won't hurt the peace process (simply because there is no such thing) / Noam Sheizaf Yesterday, Politico's Laura Rozen posted this tweet: "On Isr/Egypt, official tells me while Egypt unrest demos status quo unstable, makes Isr hunker down, less willing to "take risks for peace." - Hey, wasn't that the Israeli reply to… just about any event in recent history? Turmoil in Lebanon? Further proof that Israel can't take risks. The publication of the Palestine Papers? PM Netanyahu concludes that he could go on building in East Jerusalem. Unilateralism? it' s bad for peace. International community's involvement? You guessed it: A disaster for Peace. Israeli racism / repression 'Admissions committees' bill set for approval Proposal Arab-Israelis call 'racist' referred to plenum for second, third readings after Knesset Speaker Rivlin's reservations accepted. El-Sana: People don't want to live with Arabs. They want to kill Arabs... National Union MK Michael Ben-Ari defended the proposal, saying "racism and fascism is yours (Arabs) alone..." http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4022832,00.html Demand up to obtain a [certificate] 'Clean of Arabs' [Google translation - Hebrew original available same page] Almost a week has passed since the project launched and dozens of businesses have been asking to receive a certificate attesting that they do not hire Arabs. Netanya pizzeria owner: I'm not a racist, I like more Jews ... The organization explained that according to testing them and most cases of marriages of Jewish young [women to?] Arabs take place following the employment of Arabs in stores that are Jewish areas.  http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://news.walla.co.il/%3Fw%3D/2/1785776%26ref%3Dfb_item_share_btn&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&twu=1 Jaffa, habibti, our relationship is complicated / Lisa Goldman (with photos of Ajami) Moving from Tel Aviv to Jaffa turned out to be about much more than lower rent and proximity to the sea. In a city plagued by ethnic, national and socio-economic divisions, there is no such thing as an apolitical decision that involves real estate ...Later I heard from Yossi, the head of the building committee, that my landlord had taken him aside and promised that he would never rent to Arabs. "Your landlord thought I was a racist just like him," said Yossi, who happens to sit on the board of a left-wing NGO with a bi-national agenda. While I was abroad the following month, my landlord came over and nailed amezuzah on my front door frame – without asking my permission. Clearly, it was important for him that people identified his property as a 'Jewish' apartment. Knesset committee approves probe into left-wing groups Plenum to make final decision on establishment of two separate panels to investigate 'foreign governments' involvement in funding of rights groups which delegitimize IDF'; opposition not represented by choice http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4022747,00.html Politics / Diplomacy Netanyanhu: Democratic Egypt no threat 2 Feb - 'Democratic Egypt will not endanger peace,' prime minister says as he changes previous tone http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4023078,00.html PLO urges Quartet to back Palestinian state RAMALLAH (AFP) -- Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat urged the Middle East Quartet on Tuesday to recognize a Palestinian state within 1967 borders when it meets later this week. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356285 Germany tells Israel not to hide behind Egypt chaos TEL AVIV (Reuters) – Israel should not let the chaos in Egypt halt efforts to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110201/wl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_germany Tunisian PM: Gaza source of inspiration GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Gaza's Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called newly installed Tunisian Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi on Wednesday, to congratulate him on his return to his homeland on behalf of the people in Gaza. A government statement said Ghannouchi expressed his thanks and gratitude for the call, praising the people of Gaza and calling its people a "source of inspiration and salvation for the Tunisian people." http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356526 Hamas will not participate in July vote GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Hamas will not participate in the municipal elections announced in the West Bank until a unity deal with rival party Fatah is signed and confidence between the factions is restored, a statement said Wednesday.  The Islamist movement said it would not recognize the results of any elections held without its participation, saying "The atmosphere in the West Bank does not allow fair elections under Salam Fayyad's government."  http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356475 Fatah official: PA wants elections this year BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Now that leftist Palestinian factions have a court mandate forcing the government in Ramallah hold elections, Fatah and Hamas are back to bickering about how the vote might be held. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356321 Other news Gaza health ministry exempts patients from paying for some medicines GAZA, (PIC)-- The Palestinian ministry of health decided to exempt the elder men and women over age 60, patients with chronic diseases and pregnant women from the costs of vitamins and minerals in all hospitals and health centers of the ministry in the Gaza Strip. http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.as Church unearthed may hole Zechariah tomb Israeli archaeologists unveiled on Wednesday the remnants of a newly discovered Byzantine-era church they suspect is concealing the tomb of the biblical prophet Zechariah. http://www.emirates247.com/news/world/church-unearthed-may-hold-zechariah-tomb-2011-02-02-1.350807 Analysis / Opinion When Israel's protective net of tyranny tears / Amira Hass We have not yet reached the stage in which the machinery of Israeli repression breaks up into its component parts - the people - who instead of obeying, begin to think ... Far from the barriers of transparency of a proper democratic society, Israel has created a complex and invisible bureaucracy that completely controls Palestinian freedom of movement, and hence freedom of employment, livelihood and studies, the freedom to fall in love and establish a family, to organize and other basic liberties. Any regime that does not respect these liberties is automatically categorized as "tyrannical." We have escaped this categorization because in our case it is a collective tyranny of Israeli-Jews (those who profit from the system ) over the Palestinians. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/when-israel-s-protective-net-of-tyranny-tears-1.340720 Interview: Matzpen founder Akiva Orr on Israel's wars with Egypt / Joseph Dana ...The topic was the history of Israel's wars but, as you will see, the current political situation was never far from the conversation. During our interview, Orr gave a detailed analysis of Israel's relationship to Egypt and discussed the dynamics of Israel's peace agreement with Egypt and Jordan ... Akiva Orr, along with Oded Pilavsky, Moshe Machover and Haim Hanegbi,  started Matzpen in 1962. Matzpen, an anti-Zionist Israeli-Palestinian socialist political party, was one of the first political movements in Israel to engage in direct action against the occupation.  http://josephdana.com/2011/02/akiva-orr-on-israels-wars/ Rape tests judiciary's credibility / Nahid Abi T'eima ...Why, they should be able to ask Fayyad, have we passed new laws for the economy, for a new currency, but neglected the rights of the family and utterly failed to make sure there are appropriate penalties for molesters, rapists and killers?  As it stands, the West Bank uses Jordanian family law from the 1950s. Under those laws, a rapist convicted will serve several months in prison. In some instances, a fine can be paid in lieu of some jail time. In the 1980s, Jordan changed its laws, mandating sentences of up to 20 years for convicted rapists and child molesters. No longer under Jordanian rule, the Palestinian Authority must now decide to take action.  http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356489 Jewish prayers for Egypt's uprising / Rabbi Michael Lerner Many Jews from around the world support Egyptian self-determination because of Judaism's own historic past with Egypt. So while the Jewish establishment expresses its concerns, most younger Jews rejoice at the flourishing of freedom. http://www.tikkun.org/article.php/20110202061440321 Iraq January Iraq death toll highest in four months BAGHDAD, (AFP) — More Iraqis were killed in attacks in January than any month since September, figures released Tuesday showed, after a surge in violence over a two week period shattered a relative calm in the country. Data compiled by the ministries of health, defence and interior showed that a total of 259 people -- 159 civilians, 55 policemen and 45 soldiers -- were killed in violence last month. http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=23987 Human Rights Watch: Iraq operating 'secret prison' BAGHDAD (AFP) -- Security forces linked to Iraqi premier Nuri Al-Maliki are operating a "secret detention site" and elite teams are torturing detainees at a separate facility, Human Rights Watch charged on Tuesday. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356393 Iraq urges approval of settlement for US victims BAGHDAD – The Iraqi government called on parliament Wednesday to approve a $400 million settlement for Americans who claim they were abused by Saddam Hussein's regime ... Saddam's regime held hundreds of Americans hostage during the run-up to the Gulf War, using them as human shields in hopes of staving off an attack by the U.S. and its allies. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110202/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq Other Mideast / Arab world (Egypt news in separate Today in Egypt newslist) Al-Jazeera says broadcasting disrupted DOHA (AFP) -- Al-Jazeera's broadcasting has been disrupted across the Arab region, said the Doha-based channel which has run round-the-clock coverage of the mass protests in Egypt for the past eight days. "Signals on the Nilesat platform were cut, and frequencies on the Arabsat and Hotbird platforms were disrupted continually... across the Arab world," the news satellite channel said in a statement late Tuesday. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356443 EU launches the 'Samir Kassem Award for Freedom of the Press' 2011 Beirut – PNN - The contest for the sixth edition of the "Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press" is open to candidates from the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Gulf until 30 March 2011. [The award], which is awarded since 2006 by the European Union in collaboration with the Samir Kassir Foundation, honours the Lebanese journalist and writer Samir Kassir who was assassinated in 2005. http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9490&Itemid=72 Tunisia government reviews tense security situation TUNIS (AFP) -- The new interim government met Tuesday to review Tunisia's tense security situation as the United Nations said 210 people died in the popular revolt that ousted strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. It was the first meeting of Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi's government since it was reshuffled on January 27 ... Tuesday, hundreds of people rallied in Kasserine to press authorities to end the wave of violence and punish hooligans who looted public buildings Monday, residents said. Several officials of the powerful General Union of Tunisian Workers said the violence was instigated by members of Ben Ali's former RCD ruling party. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356392 Yemen leader backs down on rule-for-life plan SANAA, Yemen (AFP) - Yemeni leader Ali Abdullah Saleh, facing demands that he quit, said Wednesday he will freeze constitutional changes that would allow him to be president for life and had put off a controversial April poll. "No to hereditary rule and no to life presidency," Saleh said during an emergency session of parliament and the consultative council ahead of a "day of rage" civil society groups and opposition leaders have called for Thursday. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356428 Yemen reinforces forces around capital amid fear of protest escalation SANAA, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Yemeni Interior Ministry said in a statement it had reinforced security forces around the capital Sanaa and blocked byways as precaution measures to prevent smuggling weapons into major cities ... The ministry's measures came following reports that opposition parties are preparing to organize an anti-government demonstration of million protesters in Sanaa on Feb. 3 and called for their members and armed tribal supporters outside the capital to join the march, an official of the ministry told Xinhua. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-02/02/c_13716611.htm Syrian Facebook group calls for peaceful uprising NICOSIA (AFP) -- A group of Syrian online activists are promoting a day of anger after prayers on Friday to call for a peaceful "2011 Syrian revolution" to end what they say is corruption and tyranny. The group has been using Facebook, which is officially banned but can easily be accessed through proxies, http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356296 Syria's Muslim Brotherhood threaten civil disobedience ... Asharq Al-Awsat spoke with former Syrian Muslim Brotherhood Secretary-General Ali Sadreddine Bayanouni who confirmed that the situation in Syria is far worse than that in Egypt ... Bayanouni told Asharq Al-Awsat that at the very least, the Egyptians have a media outlet and are able to talk about and demonstrate against the situation in the country, whilst it is dangerous for a Syrian citizen to even whisper such concerns. He also made reference to human rights lawyer Haitham al-Malih, aged 80, who has been imprisoned for more than a year in Syria for pursuing human rights cases. http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=24004 WikiLeaks (much more here at the Telegraph site) Amnesty urges help for WikiLeaks suspect, Bradley Manning LONDON – Amnesty International urged Britain to help ease the "harsh and punitive" detention conditions of Bradley Manning, the US soldier suspected of leaking information to WikiLeaks. The rights group put pressure on the British government Tuesday to ensure that the army private's detention conditions adhered to international standards after it emerged that the soldier's Welsh mother made him a British citizen. http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/02/02-5 WikiLeaks: Diplomats worry about who will succeed Gaddafi One of the biggest concerns reflected by US diplomats in the cables is over who is going to replace the ageing Colonel Muammar Gaddafi as Libyan leader. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/8294443/WikiLeaks-Diplomats-worry-who-will-succeed-Gaddaffi.html WikiLeaks: Yasser Arafat's widow punished by Tunisia after Gaddafi's intervention Suha Arafat, the widow of the former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, lost her Tunisian citizenship because Colonel Gaddafi chastised the country's then president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali for failing to look after her, according to a theory aired in a US diplomatic cable. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wikileaks-files/8296157/WikiLeaks-Yasser-Arafats-widow-punished-by-Tunisia-after-Gaddafis-intervention.html WikiLeaks: FBI hunts the 9/11 gang that got away The FBI has launched a manhunt for a previously unknown team of men suspected to be part of the 9/11 attacks, the Daily Telegraph can disclose. Secret documents reveal that the three Qatari men conducted surveillance on the targets, provided "support" to the plotters and had tickets for a flight to Washington on the eve of the atrocities.  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/8296860/WikiLeaks-FBI-hunts-the-911-gang-that-got-away.html U.S. Number of US-Muslim terror suspects down: study WASHINGTON (AFP) – The number of Muslim Americans involved in terrorist acts dropped by more than half last year compared to 2009, easing fears that the minority group is being radicalized, a study showed Wednesday. Twenty Muslim Americans committed or were arrested for terrorist crimes last year, down sharply from 2009 when the number was 47, found the study by the Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security. More non-Muslim Americans were involved in terrorist plots last year than Muslim Americans, according to the study. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110202/pl_afp/usattacksislam 'Jihad Jane' pleads guilty in US terrorism case WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Pennsylvania woman known as "Jihad Jane" pleaded guilty on Tuesday to plotting to kill a Swedish cartoonist, providing material support to terrorists, and other criminal charges, the U.S. Justice Department said ... LaRose, 47, who has been in U.S. custody for more than a year, could be sent to prison for life when she is sentenced March 3. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110201/us_nm/us_usa_security_jane Mosque plot suspect planted bomb in airport in '85 DETROIT (AP) – A California man accused of threatening to blow up a popular Detroit-area mosque has had several violent, unpredictable run-ins with the law dating back to the 1970s, including one in which he kidnapped his son from a foster home and crashed a plane while trying to get away. Roger Stockham, 63, has twice been committed for psychiatric treatment by the courts http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110202/ap_on_re_us/us_mosque_terror_threat House panel expands probe of information requests (AP) ...Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said he intends to interview the adviser, Chief Privacy Officer Mary Ellen Callahan, and other political appointees as part of a widening investigation into the department's practice of sidetracking hundreds of requests for federal records to top political advisers, who wanted information about those requesting the materials. In some cases the release of documents considered politically sensitive was delayed http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110201/ap_on_re_us/us_transparency_investigation   Comment on this article >       Exclusive: more of Biden's keen takes on world leaders left on cutting room floor Feb 02, 2011 05:04 pm | Chase Madar When asked by PBS Newshour host Jim Lehrer if Hosni Mubarak was a dictator, US Vice President Joseph Biden responded, "Mubarak has been an ally of ours in a number of things ... I would not refer to him as a dictator." The remainder of Lehrer's interview with Biden, containing more of the VP's candid assessments, is excerpted below. Darth Vader? Look, I know Darth well, and Jim, I just want to mention that Darth has overcome asthma, serious, serious asthma, and it's just a really inspiring story, he's written a children's book about it, I gave a signed copy to my granddaughter for Christmas. Anyway our position is that before Darth blows up the planet Alderaan with his so-called Death Star, which is really just a large weather satellite with a few dual-use components, Darth should, you know, take some of that planet's concerns into account, and it should be a peaceful process.  But it's a two-way street, and Alderaan shouldn't be vandalizing the Death Star's weapon systems, which, of course-- not that they exist. There's been a concern that some of the more radical elements, you know, the Wookie Street, might try to do this. So no, we don't think Darth Vader should resign, he's been very pro-American as well as a real friend to Israel.  Just remember, the Empire is a fragile beacon of democracy in a turbulent universe. Cruella de Ville? I haven't talked to Cruella for a few weeks, but, you know, we talk frequently. She's been a great friend, and I would definitely not refer to her as a woman who slaughters several dozen Dalmation puppy dogs at a time in order to make full-length fur coats for herself out of their pelts. Not at all. Ozymandias? Some may say he's just two vast and trunkless legs of stone standing in the desert in an antique land, but believe me, Ozymandias is still our guy in a very volatile region and we feel it's just way premature to cut off our annual $1.3bn military aid package, especially seeing as how effective he's been at advancing American interests, not to mention the dynamic way he's been able to move things forward for his own people. Ozymandias-- I talk to him on the phone, you know, frequently, and I would definitely not refer to him as a decaying colossal wreck round which, boundless and bare, the lone and level sands stretch far away. Mr. Kurtz? Now Mr. Kurtz, I think he's one of the few businessmen who's realized the enormous untapped potential of Africa and, you know, should that be held against him? Kurtz is a big supporter of free trade, he's been a real innovator with population control and he's just been a great, great friend of both America and central Africa. Do I think he should get rid of that ring of skulls around his hut? Of course I do, Jim, or at least turn the skulls so they're facing outward away from the hut, I'm not gonna lie. But you know, at the end of the day, Mr. Kurtz is a valuable force for human rights and stability in a very troubled part of the world. And you know, as for this agitator calling himself "Joseph Conrad", I think—and so, frankly does General Petraeus—that this guy, he has blood on his hands! I mean this "Heart of Darkness" stuff is really putting our troops and our allies' troops at risk. That's why we've put Conrad in solitary at Quantico while we figure out what to charge him with, it's the only way. But Kurtz, God bless him. Anton Chigurrh? Look, what people often forget is that Anton's been this incredible force for stability on the US-Mexico border. So we will continue to arm Anton Chigurrh, just like we have for the past thirty years, that relationship is rock-solid, and we think it's the key to our highly successful approach to law and order along the border, peace and stability too. And one thing everyone in Washington agrees on about Anton, his hair always looks great! Pope Benedict XVI? Pope Benedict XVI is of course an immensely popular spiritual leader with a following of hundreds of millions people. But Jim, you ask, is the Pope Catholic? I really don't think so Jim. No, I would definitely not refer to the Pope as Catholic. Chase Madar has also channelled Newt Gingrich, Victor Davis Hanson, and Bernard-Henri Lévy.   Comment on this article >       Obama's greenlight to Mubarak brings bloodshed to Egypt Feb 02, 2011 10:45 am | Seham From Protests in Cairo turn violent: Female anti-government protester telling Al Jazeera that they cannot leave the square even if she wanted to - she is crying on air and sounds very scared and emotional. Telling Al Jazeera not to refer to the pro-government group as "demonstrators" because they are actually "violent thugs". The thuggery scenario A Western correspondent in Cairo told me that Mubarak goons targeted many reporters and that they also sexually harassed female protesters.  Those goons and criminals are the linchpin of Obama's Middle East policy. When the book is written about what he did to save Mubarak, it should be titled: it is all for you, o Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. More of the latest news from Egypt: Obama to Mubarak: License to Murder the Egyptian people As soon as I saw the defiant tone and substance of Mubarak's speech, I realized that he is not speaking for himself but for the US/Israeli sponsors.  Israel erred before the Arab people by exposing her intense panic and fear from the prospect of an Arab democracy next door.  Of course, Obama would take note and he consulted with his key adviser on the Middle East, Netanyahu.  I just read the speech by Obama: it confirmed my suspicion, that basically Mubarak was permitted by the US to do with the Egyptian people as he would like.  Every drop of blood that is spilled in Egypt from this day onwards should be blamed on Obama because he has embraced this new strategy of letting Mubarak defy the popular will of the Egyptian people.  I don't trust the Egyptian army: the top brass is hand picked by the US/Israel and can be easily bought off by a combination of bribes, gadgets, and perks.  They could care less about the Egyptian people.  This is part of the ruling group of this tyrant.  The speech by Obama was a not-so-coded language that let Mubarak do what he wish: the talk about transition means that he was basically told to stay in power, because Israel really freaked out at the prospect of Egypt without Mubarak.  How dare Obama talk about technology for the Egyptian youth when his speech did not utter one word about how Mubarak is silencing and restricting the technology of the youth of people. Make no mistake about it: this could be like the 1953 Operation Ajax in Iran.  The US is now arranging for a coup against the will of the Egyptian people.  It requires utmost vigilance and steadfastness and thus far those qualities have been abundant among the Egyptian people.  This move by Obama towards Egypt can be described as criminal because it will lead to blood on the streets.  I wonder if Obama during his talk with Mubarak discussed numbers like: just don't kill more than 50 or 60 a day, or something like that. His unprincipled cynicism reminds me of the conspiracies of the 1950s.  I am so glad that I resisted all efforts by my liberal and leftist friends who were urging me to vote for this personification of the Bush Doctrine. http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/obama-to-mubarak-license-to-murder.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter Bloodbath When the pro-Mubarak protestors appeared on the streets yesterday they were a comical sight. The small crowd near the Egyptian TV building (so obviously a propaganda set-up) were surrounded and outnumbered by police. It was as if they were trying to remind Egyptians what a traditional demonstration should look like. It was a vision from a previous age, but not quite authentic because the police didn't break any heads. Clashes break out in Tahrir Square More than 100 injured as pro-Mubarak supporters attack protesters seeking president's ouster in Egyptian capital. Anderson Cooper 'punched in the head' 10 times by pro-Mubarak thugs CNN's Anderson Cooper said Wednesday that he and his crew were violently attacked by pro-Mubarak forces as they tried to make their way through the streets of Cairo. "Anderson Cooper punched 10 times in the head as pro-Mubarak mob surrounds him and his crew at Cairo rally," Maan News Agency's George Hale tweeted. Egypt army urges end to protests Egypt's army calls for protesters to return to their homes and allow the country to return to normal after nine days of huge anti-government protests. Mubarak 'holed up' in Sharm el Sheikh ready to be airlifted out of Egypt ".... A worker walking home from the hotel said: "You are not safe here.Everyone says he is here and so they are watching for people taking photographs."I think he is there because otherwise in Cairo he will be killed."The crowds will not get him in Sharm because the roads all the way from Cairo are heavily guarded by roadblocks. "There are not enough people here to cause him harm, and too many police." A tourist shuttle bus driver claimed to have seen Mubarak's entourage arrive on Wednesday, and that his official plane was at Sharm-el-Sheikh airport but nobody at the airport would confirm if this was true. A number of military aircraft were visible from the perimeter fence, but the airport is frequently used by the armed forces for operations and for public airshows. Politics pervade Cairo's streets Egyptians air different views on their hopes for the future but all of them agree it is time for Mubarak to go. http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2011/02/20112112719651683.html  Mubarak concessions 'insufficient' Egypt protesters continue to demand president's immediate ouster, as US calls for urgent transition and reforms plan. Egypt Protesters Deride Mubarak's Speech As Not Enough CAIRO - President Hosni Mubarak defied a quarter-million protesters demanding he step down immediately, announcing Tuesday he would serve out the last months of his term and "die on Egyptian soil." He promised not to seek re-election, but that did not calm public fury as clashes erupted between his opponents and supporters. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/01/egypt-protests-mubarak-speech_n_817263.html  Unmoved by Mubarak's speech, Egyptian protesters insist: 'He must leave.' Responding to Egyptian President Mubarak's offer to not run for reelection in September, one protester in Cairo's Tahrir Square said: 'Thirty years of injustice is enough. We don't need eight more months.' http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/iS7t742q7m4/Unmoved-by-Mubarak-s-speech-Egyptian-protesters-insist-He-must-leave . Egyptian Activist's Rebuttal of Mubarak's Speech http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/latest-updates-on-day-8-of-protests-in-egypt/?src=twt&twt=thelede#egyptian-activists-rebuttal-of-mubaraks-speech  Egyptians vow to oust Mubarak Hundreds of thousands, perhaps a million people gathered at the Tahrir Square on Tuesday, chanting insults to a leader they lived in fear of for much of the past 30 years. Tuesday attracted the largest and the most diverse crowd of a week of demonstrations, men and women, young and old, workers and unemployed, all camped in the heart of the city demanding the ouster of Husni Mubarak. Al Jazeera's Dan Nolan reports from Tahrir Square. Army chief candidate for Egypt president A member of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood said Tuesday the armed forces chief of staff could be an acceptable successor to President Hosni Mubarak while a coalition of opposition groups said they would only begin talks with the military on a transition to democracy once the president stands down.  Kamel al-Helbawy, a prominent overseas cleric from Egypt's main opposition movement, told Reuters that armed forces chief of staff Sami Enan, who has good ties with Washington, was a liberal who could be seen as suitable by the coalition. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=124418#axzz1Ckxnh96R  ElBaradei calls Mubarak move a trick to retain power WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Long-time Egyptian diplomat Mohamed ElBaradei does not believe President Hosni Mubarak went far enough to meet the demands of protesters on Tuesday, calling his moves "a trick" to try to remain in power, CNN reported.  CNN, which interviewed ElBaradei but did not immediately air his comments, said the former head of the U.N. arms control agency indicated he would consider running for president in Egyptian elections in September but added that was not currently his main focus. CNN said ElBaradei told an interviewer he preferred that Mubarak step down immediately and hand over power to a caretaker government until elections can be held. http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/elbaradei-calls-mubarak-move-a-trick-to-retain-power  U.S. ambassador meets with Egypt pro-democracy leader ElBaradei U.S. state department spokesman says the meet is part of U.S. outreach to convey support for an 'orderly transition in Egypt.' http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/u-s-ambassador-meets-with-egypt-pro-democracy-leader-elbaradei-1.340623?localLinksEnabled=false 'Talks only after Mubarak leaves' Opposition coalition says they will hold talks with military on transition only after president stands down. http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/201121161525971840.html  Mubarak promise comes after private Obama message * Special envoy for Obama urged transition in power * Analysts question if Mubarak vow will satisfy clamor * Influential U.S. lawmakers added to pressure on Mubarak (New throughout with more details) http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/us-envoy-tells-mubarak-to-prepare-for-transition Copts say Egypt regime change trumps Islamist fears * Mubarak has portrayed self as bulwark against Islamism * Some Copts still worry Islamists could gain more power http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/copts-say-egypt-regime-change-trumps-islamist-fears Obama: Change in Egypt 'must begin now' President Barack Obama called in a televised address Tuesday night for an "orderly transition" in Egypt to "begin now," signaling the administration's acceptance that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's days are numbered.  The president's call for immediate change may have been a challenge to Mubarak, who announced in a speech several hours earlier that he would not seek another term in office, but would remain as president until the election in September. http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/02/obama-change-egypt-must-now/  Josh Rogin, "Top House Appropriator: U.S. Aid to Egypt Not Stopping Any Time Soon" Secretary of State Hillary Clinton walked that back on Jan. 30, telling ABC News, "There is no discussion as of this time about cutting off any aid. We always are looking and reviewing our aid." And on Monday, House Appropriations State and Foreign Ops subcommittee chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX) also indicated that aid to Egypt would not be cut off anytime soon. "While there are calls for eliminating Egypt's economic and military aid, I urge caution when deciding what the U.S. response will be," she said. "It is critical that we are deliberate about the actions we take. Egypt has been a moderate influence in the Middle East and has a peace agreement with Israel." http://bit.ly/eBcCHh  WikiLeaks: U.S. Concerned For Years Over Power Succession In Egypt After Mubarak WASHINGTON  The protests rocking Egypt could change the political landscape of the entire Arab world and beyond. Possible outcomes range all the way from pro-democracy forces taking charge in Cairo to in a worst case an all-out war bringing in Israel and Iran. In between, there could be a long period of instability that could breed economic chaos across the region and derail economic recoveries in the U.S. and Europe. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/01/wikileaks-us-concerned-fo_n_817244.html  Turkish PM calls for Mubarak to stand down Recep Erdoğan, the Turkish prime minister, has called on Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's president, to listen to the calls for change from Egyptian people. Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught in Istanbul speaks about the Turkish PM's forceful remarks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L6SnqyDros&feature=youtube_gdata  Egypt protests: Five world leaders jump into the fray Concerned about ending up on the wrong side of history, world leaders have appeared hesitant to vocally support either the Egyptian government or the growing number of protesters in Cairo. Below are the reactions from five regional and world players to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, his government, and the protests. http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/FkpTFvPvKSk/Egypt-protests-Five-world-leaders-jump-into-the-fray  Mitt Romney calls for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down Sounding more like a potential GOP presidential contender, Mitt Romney says Hosni Mubarak 'needs to move on.'  WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney became, on Tuesday, the first of the potential 2012 GOP presidential contenders to call for the exit of Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak. http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/qUKeDHmX60Q/la-pn-romney-egypt-20110202,0,5226923.story  Palestinians join Egyptians to defend properties JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Palestinians in Egypt say they have been forced to join vigilante groups to protect their property as huge anti-government protests rage for an eighth day.  "We, like everyone, are holding sticks and defending our homes here," said Marcell Lahham, a first year student in Cairo. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356238  Thousands escape Egypt prisons Egypt's anti-government uprising has also seen lawlessness and looting in several cities. As the police abandoned their posts, thousands of prisoners were set free across the country, in a series of mass jailbreaks. More in this report from the Abu Zaabal prison, on the outskirts of Cairo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fZx_Bm9WwM&feature=youtube_gdata  Egyptians feel the economic pinch of protest CAIRO: There is no money at the banks. Fuel is scarce. Tourism is evaporating. As a popular uprising to oust President Hosni Mubarak enters its second week, Egyptians are feeling the economic pinch.  Banks have been shut since Sunday, and they remained so Tuesday, the day that protesters hope will see a million-strong demonstration in Cairo to demand an end to Mubarak's regime. http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=3&article_id=124404#axzz1Ckxnh96R  EGYPT: Cairo residents grapple with food shortages, security threats CAIRO 02 February 2011 (IRIN) - It is 6.00am and Rida Mansur feels she is running late. The 57-year-old mother of five has to get to the vegetable market early to buy food for her family before things run out. But she was not lucky today: All she could get were a few expensive tomatoes and cucumbers. The Protests A million Egyptians united against Mubarak CAIRO (IPS) - Organizers called it Egypt's "million man march." Whether they achieved that targeted head count is unclear, but their message was unequivocal. http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11772.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+electronicIntifadaPalestine+%28Electronic+Intifada+%3A+Palestine+News%29 Egypt: A New Spirit of National Pride  While Egyptians battle for their political future, social change is already sweeping the country. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5GSfSRY2PQ  Khalid Nasser supports the protesters in Egypt The son of the former Egyptian president Gamal Abdul Nasser joins the protesters in Tahrir Square. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkqmFegnfMQ&feature=youtube_gdata  Cairo protesters to march on the presidential palace Anti-government protesters in Egypt say they will stage a march from the focus point of the recent demonstrations, Tahrir Square. They will head to the presidential palace, and some are even threatening to storm it. Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher reports. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urCtnefeguE&feature=youtube_gdata  Scenes from Tahrir Square Video from the massive protest in Cairo's Tahrir Square. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FQHFSfMRxA&feature=youtube_gdata  Scenes from Tahrir Square, part 2 Another round of images from Tuesday's historic protest in Tahrir Square. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZO-Zr3gqg8&feature=youtube_gdata  Millions rally to oust Mubarak More than a million protesters flooded into central Cairo, turning Tahrir Square in the Egyptian capital, into a sea of humanity as massive protests against President Hosni Mubarak swept across Middle East's most populous nation. Packed shoulder to shoulder in and around the famed Tahrir Square, the mass of people on Tuesday held aloft posters denouncing the president, and chanted slogans "Go Mubarak Go" and "Leave! Leave! Leave!" Similar demonstrations calling on Mubarak to step down were also witnessed across other cities, including Sinai, Alexandria, Suez, Mansoura, Damnhour, Arish, Tanta and El-Mahalla el-Kubra. For the latest on Egypt go to: http://english.aljazeera.net http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zFPUdY5EPo&feature=youtube_gdata  Alexandria protest attracts more than 100,000 Jubilant crowds form a mile-long procession. A small counter-demonstration shows support for President Hosni Mubarak.  In the ancient seaside city of Alexandria, more than 100,000 people took to the streets Tuesday in protest, so many that there was no place large enough in Egypt's second-largest city to accommodate the crowds. http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/b5s2HGL4QCs/la-fg-egypt-alexandria-20110202,0,5476413.story  The Foreign policy connotations of the Egyptian Uprising: a message to Netanyahu http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/foreign-policy-connotations-of-egyptian.html Photos Courtesy of Arabs48.com http://palestinianpundit.blogspot.com/2011/02/photos-courtesy-of-arabs48com.html In Pictures: Revolt on the Nile Images of the thousands of Egyptian protesters that defied a curfew in the capital Cairo and other cities taken throughout the week. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj3hjdcbF98&feature=youtube_gdata  Revolution spreads to Egypt's deprived Sinai SINAI (IPS) - A Bedouin youth casually spreads out a piece of cloth before a police headquarters in Sheikh Zwayyed town in Sinai, the vast desert area to the east of Cairo across the Suez. "I will leave when Mubarak leaves," he says. http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11770.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+electronicIntifadaPalestine+%28Electronic+Intifada+%3A+Palestine+News%29  Egyptian actor supports the protesters  Khalid Abo al-Naga, an Egyptian actor and pro-democracy activist, told Al Jazeera "I decided to be part of this years ago when young Egyptian in twitter said that they can't live like this, they [Mubarak regime] are trying to hijack the country. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydsi_zm57-o&feature=youtube_gdata Millions Against Mubarak: Democracy Now!'s Sharif Abdel Kouddous Reports Live from Tahrir Amid Massive Protest One week after the unprecedented popular uprising began in Egypt, more than two million people descend on Tahrir Square in Cairo, defying the military curfew, to demand regime change in the country. The Egyptian army has declared they will not use force and have recognized the "legitimate grievances" of the people. We speak to Sharif Abdel Kouddous, senior producer at Democracy Now!, live from Tahrir Square. "I am standing in an ocean of people... They are demanding with one voice for the President Mubarak to step down," Kouddous says. [includes rush transcript] http://www.democracynow.org/2011/2/1/millions_against_mubarak_democracy_now_s  Ahmed Moor from Cairo: 'The people here are determined and have reached the point of no return' I just spoke with Ahmed Moor who has been reporting from Cairo since the beginning of the protests last week. He was in Tahrir Square today for the "march of a million people" and has this update. http://mondoweiss.net/2011/02/ahmed-moor-from-cairo-the-people-here-are-determined-and-have-reached-the-point-of-no-return.html  Egypt's youth ready for the future, protester says in moving interview A young female protester at Cairo's Tahrir Square told filmmakers that the widespread rallies against President Mubarak show the Egyptian people "can take this country forward." The interview was part of the upcoming documentary "Zero Silence" by filmmakers Jonny von Wallström and Alexandra Sandels.  http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/02/egyptian-protester-country-future/  Quiet Acts of Protest on a Noisy Day CAIRO — The retired general in the blue suit walked alone, with a cane, as hundreds of Egyptian protesters surged past him, chanting and holding signs. He stopped to catch his breath, grabbing the railing of a bridge so he could look out at the Nile.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/02/world/middleeast/02scene.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss Egyptian-Americans hold rallies Standing in solidarity with those back home, people across the US organise protests against the Egyptian president. http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2011/02/20112119402452716.html  Witness - Blogging on the Nile All over Egypt thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest against Hosni Mubarak's government. Blogs, twitter, Facebook and mobile phone footage have all played some part in mobilising the crowds and getting messages to the wider world. And this despite a draconian crackdown on media and an unprecedented blackout of the internet by the authorities. In today's Witness we look back at a film made four years ago, when bloggers were relatively few and new in Egypt. They claimed the Egyptian government was nothing better than a dictatorship, using torture, intimidation and corruption to maintain its hold on power, and they were attracting a growing audience. Back then they were already making waves - and paying a high price. But they were sewing the seeds of today's multi-media uprising. We are also joined in the studio by two guests who have been following the development of media in Egypt - Sharif Nashashibi from Arab Media Watch and researcher Ramy Aly who experienced blogging in Egypt in 2006 and 2007. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMfbr3Fkciw&feature=youtube_gdata  Scenes from Egypt's uprising For years, Egyptians fearful of their country's pervasive secret police apparatus would reflexively lower their voices and glance around before daring to speak a word against President Hosni Mubarak. During these heady days in Tahrir, or Liberation, Square, they've felt free to speak their minds, and vent their anger. http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/__Ho2dF6c-M/la-fg-egypt-vignettes-20110202,0,702658.story  Egypt: "The People / Demand / the Fall of the Regime" -- Eyewitness Account It was a new slogan. I don't recall ever hearing it before in a demonstration. It is rhythmic, in proper Arabic in fact, but most of all -- it is a slogan that started with "the people demand." One that all could agree on. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mohamed-el-dahshan/egypt-the-people-demand-t_b_816058.html In Tahrir Square, Egyptians sense they are part of a turning point in history CAIRO - As thousands upon thousands of demonstrators converged Tuesday on Tahrir Square, and spilled over onto the streets that flow into it, the chants and signs were about their desire to be rid of President Hosni Mubarak. But the mood at times seemed to be one of surprise as much as anything ... http://feeds.washingtonpost.com/click.phdo?i=d74a8426d047967cfba08932c9848e07  Robert Fisk: Secular and devout. Rich and poor. They marched together with one goal It was a victory parade which started without the victory. They came in their hundreds of thousands, joyful, singing, praying, a great packed mass of Egypt, suburb by suburb, village by village, waiting patiently to pass through the "people's security" checkpoints, draped in the Egyptian flag of red, white and black, its governess eagle a bright gold in the sunlight. Were there a million? Perhaps. Across the country there certainly were. It was, we all agreed, the largest political demonstration in the history of Egypt, the latest heave to rid this country of its least-loved dictator. Its only flaw was that by dusk – and who knew what the night would bring – Hosni Mubarak was still calling himself "President" of Egypt. http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-secular-and-devout-rich-and-poor-they-marched-together-with-one-goal-2201504.html  Media & Repression Internet service restored in Egypt Partial service back up after unprecedented five-day blackout aimed at stymieing savvy, anti-Mubarak protesters. Google searching for executive missing in Egypt SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Google Inc <GOOG.O> on Tuesday began a public search for an executive missing in Cairo, where the Internet company has offered tools to help Egyptians communicate amid chaotic protests.  Google, which launched a way for Twitter users to communicate without Internet access, said on Tuesday that Wael Ghonim, head of marketing for the Middle East and North Africa, has not been seen since late Thursday in central Cairo. http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/google-says-executive-missing-in-egypt  Al-Jadeed yields after NileSat threatens action BEIRUT: Lebanese television station Al-Jadeed faced being taken off the air in Egypt Tuesday after Egypt's second biggest satellite provider, NileSat, threatened to cut off coverage.  NileSat made the warning after Al-Jadeed suspended regular broadcasting Tuesday, replacing its programs by Al-Jazeera coverage of the Egyptian protests. Live feeds from Al-Jazeera first appeared on air at around 5 p.m. with Al-Jadeed announcing it was interrupting its scheduled programming out of "solidarity with Al-Jazeera television and the Egyptian revolution." http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=124427#axzz1Ckxnh96R  Egypt: Al Jazeera Signal Disrupted, Arab Channels Band Together In Support Al Jazeera's signal is being disrupted in "unprecedented ways" as it covers the Egyptian revolution, the New York Times' Brian Stelter reports. "We have been working round the clock to make sure we are broadcasting on alternative frequencies," an Al Jazeera spokesman said in a statement to the Times. "Clearly there are powers that do not want our important images pushing for democracy and reform to be seen by the public."  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/01/al-jazeera-signal-disrupted-egypt_n_817042.html Egypt's Internet shutdown, visualized Google Transparency Report's traffic numbers provide a stark illustration of the impact of the Egyptian government's Internet shutdown that began last week. http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/L7xmUwZ8NKY/Egypt-s-Internet-shutdown-visualized Media Blackout in Egypt and the U.S.: Al Jazeera Forced Off the Air by Mubarak, Telecommunications Companies Block Its Expansion in the United States Reporters from Al Jazeera, the Arabic-language news network, have been arrested and forced off the air by President Hosni Mubarak. "This regime, which couldn't find the time to protect Egypt's priceless relics in the National Museum in Cairo, found the time to drag journalists through the streets ... and found time to shut down Al Jazeera," says Mohamed Abdel Dayem of the Committee to Protect Journalists. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera English is broadcast to more than 200 million homes around the world, but it's hardly available in the United States. Critics have called it a media blackout by U.S. cable and satellite providers. We speak to Tony Burman of Al Jazeera English. http://www.democracynow.org/2011/2/1/media_blackout_in_egypt_and_the Digital Darkness: U.S., U.K. Companies Help Egyptian Regime Shut Down Telecommunications and Identify Dissident Voices Doing the regime's bidding, British-based Vodafone shut down Egypt's phone and internet service. The American company called Narus — owned by Boeing — sold Egypt the surveillance technology that helped identify dissident voices. We are joined by Tim Karr of Free Press and CUNY Professor C.W. Anderson. Karr outlines how communications was shut down in Egypt and discusses the Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act, a proposed Senate bill that could lay the foundation for blocking communications in the United States in the case of a "national threat." Anderson traces the activist roots of Twitter to U.S. protests at the 2004 Republican and Democratic conventions. [includes rush transcript] http://www.democracynow.org/2011/2/1/digital_darkness_us_uk_companies_help  Egypt's State TV Reacts To Uprising CAIRO -- As hundreds of Egyptian protesters filled Tahrir Square on Monday, many calling for their president to go into exile, one of the two state-owned television stations had its cameras focused elsewhere, capturing the steady flow of traffic on a Cairo bridge. It was one of two scenes Nile News has favored over the last few days. The other was a static shot of the street below the offices of the station, empty except for some tanks. The channel's viewers did not see the thousands of people fleeing the country or the hundreds of thousands of protesters, including one in the square on Monday holding up a sign saying "No to the lying Egyptian media." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/01/egypts-state-tv-reacts-to_n_816793.html  Washington Embraces Al Jazeera Cowardly US cable providers refuse to grant the channel a distribution platform, largely for fear of being perceived as supporting or enabling a network that for years has been portrayed negatively by US officials. http://www.thenation.com/blog/158183/washingtons-sudden-embrace-al-jazeera-wont-erase-past-us-crimes-against-network Witness - A multi-media uprising? From Tahrir Square in Cairo to the corniche in Alexandria, all over Egypt thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest against Hosni Mubarak's government. Blogs, twitter, Facebook and mobile phone footage have all played some part in mobilising the crowds and getting messages to the wider world. And this despite a draconian crackdown on media and an unprecedented blackout of the internet by the authorities. Witness presenter Samah El-Shahat is joined by two guests who have been following media developments in Egypt. Sharif Nashashibi is the chairman and co-founder of Arab Media Watch, an independent, non-profit watchdog, set up in 2000 to strive for objective coverage of Arab issues in the British media. And Ramy Aly is a researcher who has written about social networking in Egypt. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ERS26tLS_k&feature=youtube_gdata  An Egyptian revolution, unplugged WASHINGTON (IPS) - Despite the Hosni Mubarak regime's attempts at muzzling communication and dissent, and the reportedly government-sanctioned shutdown of Egypt's last standing Internet service provider to individual users Monday, Egyptians are still managing to get their voices heard and mobilize -- both through advanced technical workarounds and older, traditional technologies. http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11771.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+electronicIntifadaPalestine+%28Electronic+Intifada+%3A+Palestine+News%29  'Egypt state TV anchor resigns' President Hosni Mubarak speaking to the nation in Cairo. Mubarak said he will CAIRO (Ma'an) -- An Egyptian news anchor has resigned from state television after 20 years for what she said was a "lack of ethical standards" in its coverage of Egypt's mass protests, news reports said.  Soha El-Nakash told Reuters she presented five programs for state news channel Nile News on Jan 26, the second day of the protests, and was dismayed the streets of Cairo were portrayed as calm when in fact thousands of people were demonstrating. As`ad Abukhalil's Commentary  The Egyptian Army Of course, the primarily responsibility for the blood in Tahrir Square is that of cynical Obama who decided to heed Israel's advice regarding what is happening in Egypt.   The imperial power that is the US requires the existence of one region--the Middle East--ruled largely like colonial settlements of the 19th century.  Obama has given license to Mubarak and the Egyptian Army is executing the plan.  The dumbest view by the Egyptian protesters is to regard the Army as their protectors or even as being neutral.  The Army was a tool for Mubarak and will remain his tool to the last day, unless ordered otherwise by the US.  This is not the same Army that overthrew Faruq--and many in that Army were with Faruq which explained the secrecy that Nasser required for his plan prior to the revolution. Mubarak's propagandist `Imad Ad-Din Ad-Dib, the chief propagandist for Mubarak, is on Al-Arabiyyah TV (the news station of King Fahd's brother-in-law), and he is saying that the lousy Egyptian Army (famous for its humiliating defeats at the hands of Israel) will now issue a statement to ban demonstrations altogether.  They sent goons to the square and now they will say that the clashes in the square require the intervention of the Army.  We have seen those scenarios in 1960s CIA coups in Latin America.  I did not enjoy the film the first time around, and doubt that Arabs will enjoy it now in 2011. Israel is freaking out "According to the media, Israel engaged in backstage efforts to get the West to tone down rhetoric against Mubarak, whose regime it credits with keeping stability and peace. On Tuesday, the U.S. dispatched an envoy to Egypt, Frank G. Wisner, veteran diplomat and former ambassador to Cairo in the 1980s.  Israeli media described his mission as negotiating a "dignified way out" for Mubarak with Vice President Omar Suleiman, whose appointment was "too little but mostly too late," according to one commentator. There was little negotiation and the U.S. proposal was rejected.  Israel's having -- or thinks it is -- one of those "told you so" moments, which it's trying to be rather mature about. But these are short-lived and one can't bask -- or wallow -- in them for long. Sooner or later, you need to get back to work." Another Zionist is freaking out: the dictatorship of Mubarak as the model "For Israel, then, peace with Egypt has been not only strategically but also psychologically essential. Israelis understand that the end of their conflict with the Arab world depends in large part on the durability of the peace with Egypt — for all its limitations, it is the only successful model of a land-for-peace agreement...Israelis now worry that this fragile opening to the Arab world is about to close."  Oh, yeah. It was a great opening.  The Egyptian people never accepted peace with Israel and it required the preservation of a bloody dictatorship to maintain it.  Opening? Did you see the Arab people "opening up" to Israel?  And notice how this writer basically flippantly justified all of Israeli wars, massacres, and murders from 1982 to now: "Since then all of Israel's military conflicts — from the first Lebanon war in 1982 to the Gaza war of 2009 — have been asymmetrical confrontations against terrorists." Bastille in Egypt The Egyptian protesters now need the equivalent of the storming of the Bastille. http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/bastille-in-egypt.html Mubarak defiant: it is Israel (and US), stupid He has just given his speech.  He is bizarrely defiant.  Says that he won't seek another term, as if this was the issue.  He hit hard against the protesters and even addressed the "peasants and workers of Egypt" (like when Trotsky gave his first speech in New York City and addressed the crowd in the Bronx as "workers and peasants of the Bronx").   He is so weird: he talks like he is still in control and talks about a process that will last for months.  The man is going to leave but with Egypt in flames behind them.  The situation only got more tense and more potentially explosive.  But I will say this: this defiance does not come out of nowhere.  I can't believe that this is the same leader who is rejected by his own people before TV cameras.  He even reminded us of his military role: yes brag of the defeats of 1967 and 1973.  But I speculate this: Israel so freaked out, and it was so clear and blatant.  They realized that peace with Egypt won't survive.  So the US scrambled: sent an envoy to Cairo: realized that there is no US puppet to lead the country so the scenario of defiance was adopted. His tone and stance of defiance is matched by the rhetoric of the Obama administration which is clear in its avoidance of the issues of democracy in Egypt.  And don't forget that many racists lead the US policy making in the Middle East (people like Feltman at State and Shapiro at NSC) and they concur with Kaplan's racist dictum about the Arabs and democracy.   US is digging itself in a bigger hole, as we speak.  Aljazeera is now silent: in the sense it is showing the protesters at Tahriri Square and they are in a state of rage that is even scary from my living room.  The man is asking for trouble: they will physically push him out if he does not leave.  Israel wants him to fight to the last Egyptian.  But that won't work. http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/mubarak-defiant-it-is-israel-and-us.html  Two scenarios 1) people would storm that the presidential palaces and TV station and government headquarters; 2) the Army would take over and oust him.  He clearly adopted the Netanyahu-Obama option of disregarding the will of the Egyptian people and staying in power at all cost.  It is all for you, Israel.  I want to see Arab public opinion vis-a-vis the US after this.  The US is cooking a dirty plot reminiscent of the 1950s plot, but this time it is much more clumsy.   http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/two-scenarios.html  Frank Wisner This will be mocked for a long time: that the Obama administration chose this guy to negotiate with Mubarak.  This is akin to Ernst Hanfstaengl being sent by the US to negotiate with Hitler.  (Of the course, the Nazi Hanfstaengl later worked for the US government as expert on Germany).  http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/frank-wisner.html  Obama's envoy to Egypt: Frank Wisner I received this: "I'd like to remain anonymous on this one.  In addition to being close to Mubarak as mentioned in the piece you linked to, Frank Wisner is very close to many of Egypt's oligarchs and his brother Graham, a lawyer, has represented the business interests of several of them.   Which is why I chuckled when I read that the State department had said that Wisner "will meet Egyptian officials to urge them to embrace broad economic and political changes that can pave the way for free and fair elections." http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/obamas-envoy-to-egypt-frank-wisner.html John Kerry's priorities in Egypt: from 2004 "On Egypt, Kerry said that he would not tie foreign aid to greater openness and reform. "I would first want to link it to the warmth of the relationship with Israel and the effort to secure general stability in Middle East," he said. "You have to put your priorities first." http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/john-kerrys-priorities-in-egypt-from.html Sen. John Kerry on Mubarak Nothing in the piece, of course. What do you expect from Kerry.  But one thing stood out: Israel was not mentioned.  Not once.  That is the impact of the Egyptian uprising already.  But lest John Kerry thinks of himself as a champion of the Egyptian uprising, I would like to ask my readers to send me past praise by Kerry for Husni Mubarak.  Oh, and I want them NOW.  NOW. http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/sen-john-kerry-on-mubarak.html They are fleeing Egypt Lebanese News Agency is report that a member of Mubarak's puppet parliament has fled Egypt with his family on a private jet and has just arrived in Beirut.   http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/they-are-fleeing-egypt.html Randa Abu Al-`Azm (III) Randa Abu Al-`Azm (a chief but competent propagandist for the Mubarak regime) covered extensively a small demonstration by Mubarak goons.  If you watch it on Mubarak state TV, you can even see a guy leading the goons before the cameras and choreographing the affair.  So Abu Al-`Azm covered that and then the goons started cheering to Al-Arabiyya TV and said that they love it.  I bet they do.  I bet.  I just worry about the safety of Al-Arabiyyah TV correspondents once the regime is overthrown. http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/randa-abu-al-azm-iii.html the journalists of the new Egypt Write down those two names. You will hear about them.  Hamdi Qandil is a principled long time Arab nationalist.  He has been close to Baradi`i and served as the spokesperson of this movement.  Has been banned by Egyptian State TV and Saudi TV.  I met him once in Beirut: he is married to famed Egyptian actress, Najla' Fathi (I only mention that because I had a strong adolescent crush on her).  Also, write down the name of `Abdul-Halim Qandil, a secular Arab nationalist.  This man is a hero. Has been the most vociferous critic of Mubarak.  Once, Mubarak goons kidnapped him, beat him up, and then left him naked near the pyramids. http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/journalists-of-new-egypt.html  This fanatic Zionist who leads the Inter Rel committee in the House tells Arabs who can qualify to lead them "The U.S. should learn from past mistakes and support a process which only includes candidates who meet basic standards for leaders of responsible nations – candidates who have publicly renounced terrorism, uphold the rule of law, recognize Egypt's international commitments including its nonproliferation obligations and its peace agreement with the Jewish state of Israel, and who ensure security and peace with its neighbors," she said in a statement." http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/this-fanatic-zionist-who-leads-inter.html Here is another Zionist freaking out "The ugly facts are that the two peace treaties that Israel concluded so far - the one with Egypt and the other with Jordan - were both signed with dictators: Anwar Sadat and King Hussein."  http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/here-is-another-zionist-freaking-out.html  Another Zionist is freaking out "A truly worst-case outcome of the unrest in Egypt is frightening to contemplate. It might go something like this: The current situation leads, through a process of resignations, external pressures and interim governments to free elections in which the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest and best-organized opposition group, wins the day. The Brotherhood, which opposes Israel's very existence, cancels Egypt's peace treaty with the Jewish state, declares Hamas (an offshoot of the Brotherhood) an ally, denounces the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, demands that international forces leave the Sinai Peninsula and asserts Egypt's right to send heavy forces into the presently demilitarized territory. The Suez Canal is abruptly closed to passage of Israeli naval ships that have been disrupting Iranian-Hezbollah-Sudanese arms smuggling in the Red Sea."  Le me think.  For Israel, I cant think of far worse scenarios than this one.  Oh, ha ha ha. http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/another-zionist-is-freaking-out_3178.html  Jamal and `Ala' Mubarak have blood on their hands Those two are not innocent.  For me, they committed a terrible crime last year when they both incited the Egyptian people along racist lines against the Algerian people following a defeat by Egypt in a soccer match.  Their racist incitement resulted in the death of injury of people, in Egypt and in Algeria.  http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2011/02/jamal-and-ala-mubarak-have-blood-on.html Palestinian Reaction The people: Egypt's revolution inspires Gaza's youth The revolution underway in Egypt is being closely watched by Gaza's youth who see it as a source of empowerment and inspiration. It has stirred our sentiments and has moved us to take to the streets to show our solidarity with our neighbors in Egypt. We attempt to absorb every minute event so as to carry it through the years when we will be able to tell our children how proud we were to have lived through one of the greatest and most inspirational events in the history of the Arab world. http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11769.shtml?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+electronicIntifadaPalestine+%28Electronic+Intifada+%3A+Palestine+News%29  Hamas:  Gaza Strip: Police Prevent Egypt Solidarity Demonstration (Jerusalem) - Hamas authorities in the Gaza Strip prevented Gazans from demonstrating in solidarity with protesters in Egypt, according to witnesses who spoke to Human Rights Watch. http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/01/31/gaza-strip-police-prevent-egypt-solidarity-demonstration  Palestinian Authority:  Disrupts Egypt Solidarity Protest in Ramallah (Ramallah) - Palestinian Authority security forces shut down a demonstration on January 30, 2011, in front of the Egyptian embassy in Ramallah, after calling in one of the organizers for questioning multiple times on January 29 and ordering him to cancel the event notice that he had created on Facebook. Human Rights Watch monitored the demonstration and spoke with participants.  http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2011/01/30/palestinian-authority-disrupts-egypt-solidarity-protest-ramallah  Zionist Reactions Anxious Israel Egypt's neighbour fears what might follow Mubarak. http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-middle-east-12338222  Israel places resources at Suleiman's disposal "to protect the Egyptian regime" Well-placed Israeli sources have disclosed that the Zionist state has offered to place "all its capabilities" at the disposal of General Omar Suleiman, the recently appointed Vice President of Egypt, for the "protection of the regime in Egypt". This offer includes the implementation of "various operations to end the popular revolution". Israel has also asked Suleiman to work on preventing arms being smuggled into the Gaza Strip. http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/news/middle-east/2009-israel-places-resources-at-suleimans-disposal-qto-protect-the-egyptian-regimeq  Bolton: Mubarak's downfall would mean we'd have to bomb Iran ...quick HANNITY: Do you think that the Israelis are going to have to strike — they are going to have to take action. … As you pointed out, El Baradei, you know, ran cover for the Iranians for all those years that he was with the IAEA. And, I just don't think the Israelis have much longer to wait…they're going to have to act in fairly short order.  BOLTON: I think that's right. I don't think there's much time to act. And I think the fall of a Egyptian government committed to the peace agreement will almost certainly speed that timetable up. http://friday-lunch-club.blogspot.com/2011/02/bolton-mubaraks-downfall-would-mean-wed.html  When Egypt shakes, it should be no surprise that Israel trembles | Jonathan Freedland Given the region's history, Israelis are bound to fear democracy in the Arab world. But that alone can bring real peace. They fear they've seen this movie before. In the first reel, the world watches with awe as the streets of a distant capital fill with the young and the angry, brave enough to shake their fist at a hated dictator. In the second, the statues fall, the tyrant flees and all hail a triumph for democracy. But in the final reel there's a twist: the original street rebels are pushed aside, replaced by a tyranny just as ruthless as the one it toppled – and much more menacing to its neighbours. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/01/egypt-israel-democracy-arab-world-peace  Analysis/Op-ed A look at Mubarak's rule of Egypt Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian president has announced that he will not run for a new term in office but for the moment he has refused to stand down. After running the country for three decades he is one of the region's longest ruling leaders. Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher reports on Mubarak's political career. Everybody Loves Loved Hosni For 30 years the world welcomed Egypt's president -- they shook his hand and looked the other way. But the time for photo ops is likely over. Susan Abulhawa: Mubarak: Destroying Egypt to Stay in Power Mubarak's latest cynical tactic is to send in armed gangs, mostly from his notorious police force, to ignite riots, thus making his hold on power all the more necessary for the sake of restoring security and order. By switching on the internet and rocks, Mubarak seeks to make violence the face of the revolution Everyone is now running from Tahrir, so something major is happening there, Tighe Barry reports from north of Tahrir Square. He is watching a dozen Mubarak thugs beating a kid with a metal pole.  Now going after a man who tried to protect him.   How can he survive?  More people piling on all the time.  The human shields of Tahrir Square have given up and are now defending themselves with stones as well. Barry: One guy here has been shooting video through a tiny crack in the steel shutter.  We see five or six men beating a boy lying on the ground.  Suburban demonstrations and handmade signs show that democracy movement is organic The internet has come back up, largely I think so that financial transactions can be processed.  People are lined up at ATMs everywhere.  Also out are pro-Mubarak forces, vastly smaller than the anti-Mubarak forces.  The first rally I saw this morning was about 200 people in Talat Harb Sq. about 1/4 mi. from Tahrir Square.  All men and very threatening.  They had nothing to say other than, "We love Mubarak.  He gives Egypt everything."  Mubarak Exit: Egypt President Misses Chance For Dignified Departure WASHINGTON — Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak missed his cue for a dignified exit from 30 years of iron-fisted rule.  By saying he would leave later instead of now, Mubarak infuriated the crowds numbering hundreds of thousands massed to demand his immediate resignation. Mubarak promised Tuesday not to run again for the presidency in September, but the crowds want him out immediately. Egyptian Labor Unions Lead the Way, DAVID MACARAY Let's give Egypt's labor unions some credit.  According to a report presented at a symposium hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in February, 2010, there have been more than 3,000 labor protests by Egyptian workers since 2004.  That's an astounding number. The report declared that this figure "[dwarfs]  Egyptian political protests in both scale and consequence."  http://www.counterpunch.com/macaray02012011.html  Inside Story - New faces, same old policies? After 30 years of resistance, why has Hosni Mubarak , the Egyptian president, chosen to appoint a vice president now? Is this appointment and the appearance of other new members of the cabinet a sign for real change? And what is the West looking for if Mubarak falls? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jpSJw4AbAk&feature=youtube_gdata  Every Square is a Tahir Square, AHMAD BARQAWI Amman, Jordan.  For thirty years; generations of Arab people were deliberately spoon-fed a fallacious reality about themselves; a reality of passiveness, instinctive capitulation and quiet submission; a reality that seemed to contradict –and indeed often wrestled with- their true identity, their heritage and honorable history of rising against social injustices, rule of force and corruption; from the Great Arab Revolt against the Ottoman rule to the 1936 Palestinian Revolution against the British, from the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 to the two blessed Intifadas in Palestine in 1987 and 2000, still oddly enough; for thirty years we've found ourselves admiring the history of the French revolution instead, romanticizing the American War of Independence and cheering –from afar- for the fall of the Berlin wall. http://www.counterpunch.com/barqawi02012011.html  Egypt on the Brink: The Arab World at a Tipping Point? Hosni Mubarak is still President of Egypt but his days in power are numbered. There will be no Mubarak dynasty either. The authoritarian order in Egypt and throughout the Arab world has been profoundly shaken. The ousting of Ben Ali in Tunisia, a remarkable event in itself, now appears to have been the trigger for a far broader upheaval that is shaking regimes across the region.   Since Muhammad Bouazizi set himself alight in Tunisia on December 17, self-immolations have taken place in Egypt, Algeria, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Unprecedented demonstrations have since spread to Algeria, Jordan, and Yemen.  Remember too that all this was taking place against the backdrop of a tense regional environment: the dangerous paralysis in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, a simmering crisis in Lebanon, continuing uncertainties over Iraq, and the Iranian nuclear issue.  http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/518/egypt-on-the-brink_the-arab-world-at-a-tipping-point- Why Mubarak is Out The "March of Millions" in Cairo marks the spectacular emergence of a new political society in Egypt. This uprising brings together a new coalition of forces, uniting reconfigured elements of the security state with prominent business people, internationalist leaders, and relatively new (or newly reconfigured ) mass movements of youth, labor, women's and religious groups. President Hosni Mubarak lost his political power on Friday, 28 January. On that night the Egyptian military let Mubarak's ruling party headquarters burn down and ordered the police brigades attacking protesters to return to their barracks. When the evening call to prayer rang out and no one heeded Mubarak's curfew order, it was clear that the old president been reduced to a phantom authority. In order to understand where Egypt is going, and what shape democracy might take there, we need to set the extraordinarily successful popular mobilizations into their military, economic and social context. What other forces were behind this sudden fall of Mubarak from power? And how will this transitional military-centered government get along with this millions-strong protest movement? http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/516/why-mubarak-is-out-  Hicham Safieddine, "Tomorrow's Tunisia and Egypt: Reform or Revolution?" On the economic front, high rates of growth and prosperity in both countries reported by the World Bank and other so-called world bodies masked the ugly truth of unequal development and unproductive capital. In Tunisia, unemployment soared to an 18 per cent (reaching a whopping 32 per cent in Sidi Bouzid, the site of the first protests in Tunisia). Uneven investment in tourism and other global-market-oriented industries along the narrow coastal strip captured over 80 per cent of total investment. In Egypt, close to 40 per cent of Egyptians are estimated to live under the poverty line. http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2011/safieddine010211.html  Rami G. Khouri: Tunisia Was the Trigger, Egypt Is the Prize Five important developments Sunday combined to mark the beginning of the end of the Mubarak era. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rami-g-khouri/tunisia-was-the-trigger-e_b_816880.html Tunisia's spark and Egypt's flame: The Middle East is rising, Phyllis Bennis Is this how empires end, with people flooding the streets, demanding the resignation of their leaders and forcing local dictators out? Maybe not entirely, but the breadth and depth of the spreading protests, the helplessness of the U.S.-backed governments to stop them, and the rapidly diminishing ability of the United States to protect its long-time clients, are certainly resulting in a level of revolutionary fervor not visible in the Middle East in a generation. The legacy of U.S.-dominated governments across the region will never be the same. The U.S. empire's reach in the resource-rich and strategically vital Middle East has been shaken to its core. http://mondoweiss.net/2011/02/tunisias-spark-and-egypts-flame-the-middle-east-is-rising.html  Raffi: Cairo Sunshine All Around -- Reflecting on the Rebirth of My Birthplace Egypt's revolution is humanity's. And as a revolution enhanced by social media before the state silenced them, the Cairo scenario begs a question. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/raffi/cairo-sunshine-all-around_b_817241.html  Mona Eltahawy Should Be Careful What She Wishes For Mona Eltahawy has been touring the media circuit as the champion of freedom and democracy in Egypt and the Arab world, but what would a free and democratic Arab world look like? And what would it mean for those few who share Eltahawy's views.  Now that Mona Eltahawy is posing as the voice of the oppressed Arab masses, and an advocate of democracy, we think it would be helpful to compare her political outlook to the well-known, and repeatedly verified views held by a vast majority of the Arab public. Mubarak gives go-ahead to his goons This afternoon (U.S. Eastern time) we were waiting anxiously for the statement that, Egyptian state TV promised, was coming "shortly" from-- or on behalf of-- Pres. Mubarak. Would it contain notice of his resignation or his departure from the country? In the end, no. He promised only that he "would not run again" in the presidential elections scheduled for September... And he vowed that... http://justworldnews.org/archives/004144.html  The Making of Egypt's Revolution, ESAM AL-AMIN On April 21, 2008, an assistant high school principal placed an advertisement in Al-Ahram, the largest daily newspaper in Egypt, pleading disparately with President Hosni Mubarak and his wife to intervene and release her daughter from prison.  It turned out that her 27 year-old daughter, Israa' Abd el-Fattah, was arrested 10 days earlier because of her role in placing a page on Facebook encouraging Egyptians to support a strike in the industrial city of al-Mahalla that had taken place on April 6. http://www.counterpunch.com/alamin02012011.html The ugly American: 'This is an American grenade. American! American!', Alex Kane The Obama administration has not taken a strong and unequivocal stand against Hosni Mubarak's regime yet, and has instead opted for calling for an "orderly transition" to a new government. The latest news on the administration's reactions to the Egyptian uprising is that the U.S. ambassador to Egypt "spoke today with Mohammed El-Baradei." http://mondoweiss.net/2011/02/the-ugly-american-%e2%80%98this-is-an-american-grenade-american-american%e2%80%99.html The Egyptian revolution is coming– to the U.S.A., Philip Weiss The Egyptian revolution is sure to have a great victory within days: the ouster of Mubarak. But a greater victory even than that will be the liberation of American thinking from the crude paradigms about the Middle East that have held our political imagination in such thrall for 50 years. I speak as someone who for all my liberalism was also captured by those paradigms, who so doubted the Arab world I would never have dared to imagine what is happening in Cairo. http://mondoweiss.net/2011/02/the-egyptian-revolution-is-coming-to-the-u-s.html  Obama and Egypt: Some History The recent remarkable and revolutionary unrest in the Arab world and particularly in Egypt has created an awkward dilemma for the Obama administration. Despite his campaign rhetoric of "change," Barack Obama has continued the basic George W. Bush policy of encouraging an anti-Iran alliance between Israel and so-called moderate Arab states. These "moderate" states include Egypt's atrocious police-state dictatorship and Saudi Arabia's misogynist theocracy, which is perhaps the most reactionary government on earth. All of these states have continued to be lavishly funded by the United States under Obama—ironically enough given Obama's following comment in his (not-so) anti-Iraq war speech in Chicago in the fall of 2002: "You want a fight, President Bush? Let's fight to make sure our so-called allies in the Middle East, the Saudis and the Egyptians, stop oppressing their own people, and suppressing dissent, and tolerating corruption and inequality and mismanaging their economies so that their youth grow up without education, without prospects, without hope…" Six and a half years later, Obama as U.S. president refused even to call Egypt's dictator Hosni Mubarak "authoritarian" (much less a dictator). He praised the Egyptian government as "a force for stability and good in the region." He claimed to have been "struck" by the "wisdom and graciousness" of Saudi king Abdullah, the head of state in a nation that regularly practiced public beheadings. These comments amounted to a clear endorsement of torture, martial law, secret police, and worse in the Middle East. http://dissidentvoice.org/2011/02/obama-and-egypt-some-history/  Hosni Before Bros:Tony Blair's Unapologetic Policy of Wretchedness, Nima Shirazi Former British Prime Minister and current unpunished war criminal Tony Blair has been on a roll lately. On January 21, 2011, Blair revealed to the Iraq Inquiry, led by Sir John Chilcot, that he felt no personal responsibility for the millions of lives affected and destroyed by the 2003 invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq. "I regret deeply and profoundly the loss of life, whether from our own armed forces, those of other nations, the civilians who helped people in Iraq or the Iraqis themselves," Blair told the panel, as if the majority of the dead had lost their lives due to a smallpox outbreak or polar bear attack rather than an unprovoked, illegal, calculated, and devastating military assault. Time for another Obama "envoy" to Egypt? Following Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's announcement he will not run for president again and the Egyptian protesters' apparent rejection of that concession, it's clear is that even if "envoy" Frank Wisner's mission to Cairo was a success, the Obama administration isn't out of the woods yet on this crisis.  Whose Side Are We On? The current crisis in Egypt represents a profound dilemma for the United States, as Brookings Fellow, Shadi Hamid, notes in The Atlantic. For thirty years, the U.S. has been the largest supporter of the Mubarak dictatorship. The United States has struck that same devil's bargain repeatedly all over the world, supporting regimes which abuse the human rights of their own citizens, but which offer regional "stability." We pay governments to support American political and economic interests over and against the popular will of their own people. http://dissidentvoice.org/2011/02/whose-side-are-we-on-2/  Obama and the Despots of the Middle East, CORINNA MULLIN Karl Marx, in his famous treatise on Louis Bonaparte's 1851 coup d'état, which shared much in common with the late 18th century coup undertaken by his uncle, Napoleon Bonaparte, remarked that history has the tendency to repeat itself, 'the first [time] as tragedy, then as farce'.  As with many other aspects of the dramatic developments unfolding in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region in recent weeks, Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak's midnight 28 January speech, and the various White House statements that preceded it, prove just how relevant the ideas of the German political theorist and revolutionary are today. http://www.counterpunch.com/mullin02012011.html American Hypocrisy in the Middle East, PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS The hypocrisy of the US government is yet again demonstrated in full bore force. The US government invaded Iraq and Afghanistan, laid waste to much of the countries including entire villages and towns, and massacred untold numbers of civilians in order "to bring democracy" to Iraq and Afghanistan. Now after days of Egyptians in the streets demanding "Mubarak must go," the US government remains aligned with its puppet Egyptian ruler, even suggesting that Mubarak, after running a police state for three decades, is the appropriate person to implement democracy in Egypt. http://www.counterpunch.com/roberts02012011.html Why Washington Clings to a Failed Middle East Strategy, GARETH PORTER The death throes of the Mubarak regime in Egypt signal a new level of crisis for a U.S. Middle East strategy that has shown itself over and over again in recent years to be based on nothing more than the illusion of power.   The incipient loss of the U.S. client regime in Egypt is an obvious moment for a fundamental adjustment in that strategy. http://www.counterpunch.com/porter02012011.html   Comment on this article >       Cairo twitter feed Feb 02, 2011 10:32 am | Philip Weiss Here is a live stream for the latest from Egypt:     Comment on this article >       Throwing Mubarak overboard won't be enough to guarantee smooth sailing for Egypt Feb 02, 2011 10:06 am | Marc J. Sirois It's hard to watch the goings-on in Egypt and not worry that if and when the protesters get their way by driving Hosni Mubarak out of office, their troubles in some respects will have only just begun. Far be it from me to rain on what has been a truly inspiring parade: having lived and worked in this part of the world since 1997, I have a very good idea of the courage it must have taken for Egyptians to stand up against the only regime that most of them have ever known. In addition, it has been gratifying to see how little violence and destruction have been meted out despite the demonstrators' well-deserved anger. And this is not to mention the pluralistic flavor that the budding revolution has thus far evinced, attracting as it has a broad cross-section of Egyptian society, including left-wing students, middle-class shopkeepers, and deeply conservative Islamists. And therein lies my trepidation, for I've also been here too long to retain any confidence that – regardless of what happens to Mubarak and his sclerotic administration – Egyptians will be allowed to freely select and independently pursue their own destiny. Their country, after all, has for decades been viewed as a crucial linchpin for the policies of the superpower that ultimately presides over the Middle East, namely the United States. Were it not for the latter's bizarre relationship with Israel, a measure of indispensability would not necessarily be a bad thing: after all, various peoples around the world have spent decades trying to attract the attention of Uncle Sam and his 300-odd million consumers. But that relationship informs virtually everything America does in the region, and since 1967, the strategy has been to ensure Israel's dual ability to militarily dominate its neighbors and diplomatically defy the will of the entire international community (minus America and a revolving coterie of stooges). Maintaining that level of politico-military imbalance (it is no longer quite so easy for tiny colonies of Europeans to impose their will on native populations of incalculably greater size) is no easy feat, and by some reckonings the so-called "special relationship" with Israel has cost the US government well over $100 billion in direct subsidies alone. Even that figurepales by comparison, however, to the countless other costsmade necessary by Washington's insistence on keeping the Middle East safe for Zionism. For example, even apart from the enormous expense incurred since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the United States has long maintained a major military presence in the region, especially the Gulf, and much of the "need" for this disposition of forces stems from the repercussions of Israelis transgressions and American participation therein. In addition, US support for Israel begets a constant flow of negative sentiment that undermines everything from the sales of some American companies to, yes, the stability of "friendly" regimes. All told, the bill easily amounts to several trillion dollars. If money is no object when it comes to US backing for Israel, it should come as no surprise that similar indifference governs both the rights of indigenous populations and America's own dwindling credibility as a champion of things like freedom, democracy and justice. The United States meddles shamelessly in the affairs of Middle Eastern countries, and almost always on the side of a decidedly undemocratic status quo – unless, of course, the status quo is not sufficiently detrimental to the interests of the people involved. So it was, for example, that when late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat reached his limit and refused to sign away his people's future, Washington imposed its own interpretation of the Palestinian Constitution, which held that a prime minister should really be in charge. But when Arafat's successor was more quiescent than a democratically elected prime minister, the United States didn't just change its "position" 180 degrees: it also joined Israel in inflicting collective punishment on the electorate and, for good measure, inciting a botched coup d'état that led to the current separation between the West Bank and Gaza. The Palestinians' experience with American duplicity is probably more concentrated than that of most Arabs and Muslims, but it is in no way unrepresentative. Across the region, America has made a habit of installing and/or cultivating compromised ruling cliques that will keep a low profile on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. And over the past three decades, nowhere has that tactic been more important or (until now) more successful than in Egypt, whose massive population, widespread cultural influence, and proximity toPalestine make it the single greatest prize for any policy of preventing challenges to Israeli hegemony. Whatever becomes of Mubarak, that status will not go away. The only real inevitability, therefore, is not that the dictator will decamp (although that seems very likely); it is that whoever rules over Egypt will do so in the shadow of US determination to keep Egypt "off the board" when it comesto the struggle over Palestine. In the face of such pressures, the very diversity that has made the anti-Mubarak uprising so refreshing figures also to provide the fault-lines at which America will take aim in hopes of bringing about another subservient government in Cairo. Already we hear "concerns" about the substantial role that the Muslim Brotherhood – easily Egypt's largest and best-organized opposition movement precisely because it espouses a decidedly non-radical form of fundamentalism – would presumably play in any post-Mubarak government. I could be wrong, and I sincerely hope that I am, but I see no reason for optimism. For all his pretty rhetoric, US President Barack Obama has given no indication that he is willing (or even seriously inclined) to break with the policies of his predecessors. He remains committed to an untenable equation in which the region's stability is held hostage to the ability of undemocratic, unpopular, and unrepresentative thugs to remain in power. In so doing, he continues to dash what remain of America's democratic credentials on a rock of sheer folly, particularly since a surer formula has been within easy reach for years: demand, at long last, that Israel repay some of the myriad gifts and favors lavished on it over the years by agreeing to a full and fair peace. Marc J. Sirois is an independent analyst in based in Beirut, where he was managing editor of The Daily Star from 2000-2003- and 2006-2009.   Comment on this article >       Your donation to Mondoweiss ensures we will continue to cover the most important issues surrounding Israel/Palestine and US foreign policy. Please donate today.   Follow Mondoweiss on Twitter and Facebook   Buy our book The Goldstone Report: The Legacy of the Landmark Investigation of the Gaza Conflict, includes an abridged copy of the UN report accompanied by a dozen essays, exploring the political, legal and social legacy of the report and the Israeli attack on Gaza in the winter of 2008-2009. Learn more and buy it atgoldstonereportbook.com.

Peace.

Michael Santomauro 

@ 917-974-6367 

What sort of TRUTH is it that crushes the freedom to seek the truth?

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