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Sunday, February 6, 2011
"Egypt Protest Leaders Meet With Prime Minister" and related posts
CAIRO - Leaders of Egypt's unprecedented wave of anti-government protests have held talks with the prime minister over ways to ease President Hosni Mubarak out of office. Under one proposal, the 82-year-old leader would hand his powers to his vice president, though not his title immediately, to give him a graceful exit.
Mubarak has staunchly refused to leave, insisting on serving out the rest of his term until September, and his aides have repeatedly said in recent days that the country's leader of nearly 30 years must not be dumped in a humiliating way.
The protesters, in turn, say they will not stop their giant rallies or enter substantive negotiations on democratic reform until Mubarak quits. Thousands continued to gather Saturday in Cairo's central Tahrir Square, a day after some 100,000 protesters massed there demanding Mubarak leave power immediately.
A self-declared group of Egypt's elite -- called the "group of wise men" -- has circulated ideas to try to break that deadlock. Among them is a proposal that Mubarak "deputize" his Vice President Omar Suleiman with his powers and, for the time being at least, step down in everything but name.
The "wise men," who are separate from the protesters on the ground, have met twice in recent days with Suleiman and the prime minister, said Amr el-Shobaki, a member of the group.
Their proposals also call for the dissolving of the parliament monopolized by the ruling party and the end of emergency laws that give security forces near-unlimited powers.
Late Friday, a delegation from the protesters themselves meet with Shafiq to discuss ways out of the impasse, said Abdel-Rahman Youssef, a youth activist who participated in the meeting.
Youssef told The Associated Press on Saturday that the meeting was not a start of negotiations. "It was a message to see how to resolve the crisis. The message is that they must recognize the legitimacy of the revolution and that president must leave one way or the other, either real or political departure," he said.
The protesters are looking into the proposal floated by the "wise men," said Youssef, who is part of the youth movement connected to Nobel Peace laureate and prominent reform advocate Mohamed ElBaradei.
"It could be a way out of the crisis," Youssef said. "But the problem is in the president...he is not getting it that he has become a burden on everybody, psychologically, civicly and militarily."
Israa Abdel-Fattah, a member of the April 6 group, another of the youth movements driving the demonstrations, said there is support for the wise men's proposal among protesters. Youssef underlined that the 12-day-old protests will continue in Tahrir Square until Mubarak goes in an acceptable way.
"There is no force that can get the youth out of the square. Every means was used. Flexibility, violence, live ammunition, and even thugs, and the protesters are still steadfast," he said, referring to an assault by regime supporters on Wednesday that sparked 48 hours of heavy street fighting until protesters succeeded in driving off the attackers.
On Saturday, soldiersutted vehicles that protesters used as barricades during the fighting, but protesters argued with them for the vehicles to remain. Rumors also circulated in the square that the military -- which has surrounded Tahrir for days -- was preparing to withdraw, so some protesters lay on the ground in front of tanks to prevent them. The protesters see the military as a degree of protection from police or regime supporters they fear will attack again, though the government promised Friday not to try to eject the protesters by force.
The emergence of various talks and players marked a new stage in the evolution in the crisis as all sides try to shape the post-Mubarak transition.
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Hundreds gathered to protest Mubarak's regime across the United States today, the AP reports:
About 150 people gathered outside the New Orleans federal building to demand that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak step down. Meanwhile, about 180 people demonstrated in Atlanta outside the headquarters of CNN. In Washington, more than 100 marched from the Egyptian Embassy to the White House, following protests in that city on Tuesday and last Saturday. Rallies were also held in New York and Seattle.
The New York Times posted a news analysis about the White House's complicated policy in Egypt:
The latest challenge came Saturday afternoon when the man sent last weekend by President Obama to persuade the 82-year-old leader to step out of the way, Frank G. Wisner, told a group of diplomats and security experts that SPresident Mubarak"s continued leadership is critical it"s his opportunity to write his own legacy.
Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton immediately tried to recalibrate those remarks, repeating the latest iteration of the administration"s evolving strategy. At a minimum, she said, Mr. Mubarak must move out of the way so that his vice president, Omar Suleiman, can engage in talks with protest leaders over everything from constitutional changes to free and fair elections.
It is hardly the first time the Obama administration has seemed uncertain on its feet during the Egyptian crisis, as it struggles to stay on the right side of history and to avoid accelerating a revolution that could spin out of control.
Even as members of Egyptian government make concessions, some political activists are worried about their safety and the future of Egypt. This is especially true as work is expected to resume for many this week.
"The calmer things are, the more the fear there will be because the Ministry of Defense people will be back to work," Cairo native Eman Hashim told the Huffington Post by phone.
Activists are concerned by the continued detainment of their associates, the words of politicians, and the broadcasts of state media.
In an interview with Reuters, leading opposition activist Mohamed ElBaradei warned that protests in Egypt could turn even more violent:
"There is of course a little fatigue everywhere," he told Reuters, adding that there was a "hard core" of demonstrators who would not give up as long as Mubarak held onto power.
"It might not be every day but what I hear is that they might stage demonstrations every other day," ElBaradei said. "The difference is that it would become more angry and more vicious. And I do not want to see it turning from a beautiful, peaceful revolution into a bloody revolution."
Blogger Sandmonkey, who has been participating in and chronicling the protests in Egypt, shared his thoughts on developments in the country in a new post on his blog today.
Most notably, Sandmonkey explained that "even though it appears we are winning...we are not by a long shot" and mentioned there is still much work ahead to remove Mubarak from power.
Calling for Mubarak to step down and an Egyptian Unity party to be formed, he says, "so far we have proved all the critics and the haters wrong. It"s time to do that again!"
Reuters reports that the Central Bank said Egypt has the reserves and experience to deal with the economic outfall from the crisis:
The central bank said on Saturday that growth which had been forecast at 6 percent would be hit by Egypt's political crisis and outflows could hit $8 billion in two weeks but Egypt had reserves and experience to deal with it.
Speaking on the evening before banks open on Sunday after being closed for a week due to anti-government protests, Governor Farouk el-Okdah said Egypt's reserves were adequate at $36 billion, the figure at the end of December.
In a call to other major world leaders, Obama stressed the importance of Egypt's immediate transition, Reuters reports:
President Barack Obama called leaders from Germany, Britain and the United Arab Emirates on Saturday to discuss the situation in Egypt and the need for political change there, the White House said.
"The President emphasized the importance of an orderly, peaceful transition, beginning now, to a government that is responsive to the aspirations of the Egyptian people, including credible, inclusive negotiations between the government and the opposition," the White House said in a summary of Obama's conversations.
The LA Timespublished a piece about how change in Egypt could restore its centrality in the Arab world:
For centuries, before its steady decline of recent decades, Egypt was the center of the Arab world; Cairo its focus of learning, culture and political power. Now, the country suddenly is changing again in ways likely to reshape the region for years to come.
The implications encompass religion, the role of the military and the meaning of citizenship in authoritarian societies. The changes will complicate relations with Israel and pose challenges for U.S. foreign policy. They will affect rising non-Arab powers such as Turkey and Iran.
In a phone interview from Cairo, Mohamed ElBaradei told Reuters on Saturday that it would be a "major setback" if the United States were to support either Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak or Vice President Omar Suleiman to lead a transitional government:
ElBaradei, a veteran diplomat and leading opposition activist, was asked about reports that Washington could support Suleiman or Mubarak to lead a transitional government. "If that were true ... that would be a major setback, I can tell you that," he told Reuters in a telephone interview from Cairo.
"If things that I hear today (are true), that would come down like lead on the people who have been demonstrating," he said.
The Associated Press reports that a Tunisian police chief in the northwestern town of Klef fired on a crowd of protesters, killing two and wounding 17 others:
Regional prefect Mohamed Najib Tlijali, calling for calm on a local radio Saturday night, said the police official was himself hospitalized and under arrest.
A local journalist who witnessed the events said the violence erupted after the police chief slapped a woman, angering the crowd, which began throwing stones. The eyewitness reached by phone asked not to be identified.
The New York Times has published the following statement from Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party, which also clarified that President Hosni Mubarak indeed still remains in control:
"President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, in his capacity as president of the National Democratic Party, accepted the resignation of the NDP's politburo, and appointed new members including:
Dr. Hosam Mohamed Badrawi - Secretary-General and Policy Secretary
Dr. Mohamed Ragah Ahmed - Assistant Secretary-General and Organization Secretary
Dr. Mohamed Ahmed Abd El-Illah - Assistant Secretary-General and Media Secretary
Mr. Maged Mahmoud Younes El-Shirbiny - Membership Secretary
Eng. Mohamed Ahmed Abd El-Salam Hebah - Youth Secretary
Dr. Mohamed Mostafa Kamal, Political Awareness and Training Secretary
HuffPost's Jake Bialer spoke to Egyptian activist Wael Abbas, most famous for exposing police abuses in his county. Abbas offered the following comments:
On Mubarak's resignation:
"Mubarak is trying to make more concessions, but he's not making the concession people are demanding in the first place, which is he should resign himself."
On the general mood of political activists:
"They are happy with this latest resignation, but this not what they wanted. They want Mubarak himself to resign."
The LA Timesreports that Israeli President Shimon Peres defended Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak during a conference on Saturday:
SIn spite of all the attacks against President Mubarak, I know him for many years, throughout his presidency, and I accredit him as one of the persons who saved many lives by preventing war in the Middle East, who saved lives of Egyptians, of Arabs, of Israelis, by not allowing to renew a war," Peres said at the EFI Policy Conference in Jerusalem.
There is no reason Americans should accept the premise that President Hosni Mubarak is the only thing standing between chaos and/or Islamic theocracy in Egypt.
So says Bruce Rutherford, a political science professor at Colgate University. Everyone seems to be imagining what post-Mubarak Egypt will look like these days, but Rutherford gamed it out years ago for his 2008 book, "Egypt after Mubarak: Liberalism, Islam, and Democracy in the Arab World."
Mubarak's insistence that there would be chaos if he resigned is, in fact, "a very inaccurate portrayal of contemporary Egypt," Rutherford said.
Mubarak, in that way, would have us believe that he is another Saddam Hussein and Egypt is another Iraq. "The state really did collapse once Saddam left," Rutherford said. "But Egypt is a very different place."
The White House released the following statement about Vice President Joe Biden's conversation with Egyptian Vice President Omar Soliman today:
The Vice President spoke by phone today with Egyptian Vice President Omar Soliman. Vice President Biden asked about progress in beginning credible, inclusive negotiations for Egypt"s transition to a democratic government to address the aspirations of the Egyptian people. He stressed the need for a concrete reform agenda, a clear timeline, and immediate steps that demonstrate to the public and the opposition that the Egyptian government is committed to reform. Vice President Biden expressed concern about continued raids on civil society and called for the immediate release of journalists, activists, and human rights advocates who have been detained without cause.
The BBC reports that the U.S. state department has distanced itself from special envoy Frank Wisner's earlier comments that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak should keep his office during his government's transition:
Spokesman Philip Crowley said Frank Wisner's views were his own, and not co-ordinated with the US government.
The statement came as protesters kept up demands for Mr Mubarak to quit now.
Haaretz reports that senior Hamas commander Ayman Nofal has returned to Gaza after breaking out of a Cairo prison:
They said Ayman Nofal had been arrested in the Egyptian Sinai in early 2008 for allegedly planning to carry out a terror attack in Egypt. According to Egyptian media, he had been armed and was suspected of hunting members of the rival Palestinian faction Fatah who had fled from neighboring Gaza.
Five other Palestinian militants who had been held at Abu Zaabal prison in Cairo made their way back to Gaza this week, using smuggling tunnels to circumvent Egyptian border controls.
On Friday, Egyptian security sources said a member of the Lebanese Hezbollah group had escaped from prison after being jailed for planning attacks in Egypt.
The Arabist blogger helps the NYT make sense of the shakeup going on in the NDP, the ruling party of Egypt.
"This is a game of musical chairs to install a new political elite, some of which will be those who survived the old one," Mr. El Amrani writes. The new secretary-general of the NDP is Hossam Badrawy, who was the secretary for business, and "was of the liberal, reformist NDPers who wanted to bring change from the inside," he writes.
"Having some scapegoated while others (notably generals dealing in big land deals) escape unscathed is ridiculous and dishonest," he writes. "All of this reinforces my feeling that we are in the middle of a slow-moving coup, and possibly one planned for a long time."
View his excellent and detailed chart of the NDP's power structure here.
Over at Nieman Watchdog, HuffPost's Dan Froomkin warns the media against casting Mubarak as the last bulwark against chaos and Islamist theocracy in Egypt.
There is no reason for American journalists to accept the premise that President Hosni Mubarak is the only thing standing between chaos and/or Islamic theocracy in Egypt.
So says Bruce Rutherford, an Egyptologist at Colgate University. Everyone seems to be imagining what post-Mubarak Egypt will look like these days, but Rutherford was gaming it out years ago for his 2008 book, Egypt after Mubarak: Liberalism, Islam, and Democracy in the Arab World.
Ap reports: President Hosni Mubarak assembled his economy team on Saturday in an effort to project calm as the country"s turmoil triggered global economic jitters and the standoff continued, with thousands of anti-government protesters remaining camped out on Cairo"s Tahrir, or Liberation, Square.
The political crisis that engulfed Egypt since Jan. 25 has cost the country an estimated $3.1 billion, with the ensuing violence driving a nation once seen as a pillar of stability to the brink of chaos.
The state MENA news agency said Mubarak"s meetings took place Saturday morning in the presidential palace in Heliopolis, a Cairo suburb miles away from the events in the city center. The report said the oil minister, the financial minister, the Central Bank governor and other top economy officials were present.
By noon Saturday, the mood among the crowd in Tahrir was calm, a marked contrast to clashes earlier in the week between anti-government protesters and Mubarak supporters.
Egyptian troops, deployed on the square"s periphery, controlled access and checked IDs of those entering. Security forces also tried to clear some of the entrance roads, remove charred hulks of cars and other debris, remnants of the pitched street battles earlier in the week.
AP reports: A "perfect storm" of economic woes, repression and popular discontent could destabilize the Middle East, said Clinton, lending strong backing for Vice President Omar Suleiman's efforts.
"We have to send a consistent message supporting the orderly transition that has begun," Clinton told government officials, politicians, security experts and policy analysts.
Suleiman, appointed as Egypt's first vice president during Mubarak's three-decade reign, has begun to reach out to long-ignored opposition figures and aims to make constitutional and other changes before the elections are held. Suleiman was elevated from intelligence chief amid violent anti-government protests seeking to topple Mubarak.
"There are forces at work in any society and particularly one that is facing these kinds of challenges that will try to derail or overtake the process to pursue their own specific agenda," she said. "It's important to support the transition process announced by the Egyptian government actually headed by now-Vice President Omar Suleiman."
AP reports: Assailants detonated a bomb Saturday in an empty church in a small town in northern Egypt, causing little damage and no injuries, security officials said.
Smoke billowed from the windows of the church and the assailants also snatched a cross from outside the building, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the incident with reporters. They said the assailants escaped. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
The attack in the town of Rafah, on the border with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, comes amid unprecedented political unrest sweeping Egypt. For nearly two weeks, protesters have staged mass rallies to demand the ouster of longtime Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor sent out this statement regarding Mubarak's son, Gamal, resigning as head of Egypt's ruling party, the NDP: SAs the President has repeatedly said, Egyptians will be the ones that decide how this transition occurs. We welcome any step that provides credibility to that process.
Meanwhile an Obama administration official emails HuffPost: SWe view this as a positive step toward the political change that will be necessary, and look forward to additional steps.
Washington Postreports on the opposition's talks with the government:
Suleiman met Saturday with representatives from several opposition parties, although it was not clear whether the largest - the Muslim Brotherhood - had participated.
Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, secretary general of the liberal Wafd Party, said he and other party officials had presented Suleiman with their proposals for constitutional change. Nour said that Suleiman mostly listened but at one point told the Wafd officials that "we need to go ahead with this as soon as possible."
Although the opposition had earlier vowed to present a united front to the government and not begin talks until Mubarak left office, the meetings Saturday suggested it has abandoned that pledge and might be divided over how to proceed.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, speaking to a conference here, said it was important to support Mr. Suleiman as he seeks to defuse street protests and promises to reach out to opposition groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood. Administration officials said earlier that Mr. Suleiman and other military-backed leaders in Egypt are also considering ways to provide President Hosni Mubarak with a graceful exit from power.
Now, the United States and other Western powers appear to have concluded that the best path for Egypt and certainly the safest one, to avoid further chaos is a gradual transition, managed by Mr. Suleiman, a pillar of Egypt"s existing establishment, and backed by the military.
Whether such a process is acceptable to the crowds on the streets of Cairo is far from clear: there is little evidence that Mr. Suleiman, a former head of Egyptian intelligence and trusted confidant of Mr. Mubarak, would be seen as an acceptable choice, even temporarily. Opposition groups have refused to speak to him, saying that Mr. Mubarak must leave first.
AP reports: Seeking reform in Egypt, the U.S. increasingly is counting on a small cadre of President Hosni Mubarak's closest advisers to guide a hoped-for transition from autocracy to democracy.
It's a plan that relies on long relationships with military men and bureaucrats who owe their professional success to Mubarak's iron rule. To the regret of some U.S. diplomats, it's also a plan that steers around the Muslim Brotherhood, the powerful Islamist political movement that almost surely would play a central role in any future popularly chosen government.
Reuters correspondent Alexander Dziadosz has a report from the slums of Cairo where the police are operating in full force.
Men wielding sticks, machetes and knives now block many of Cairo's roads, searching cars and checking the identification cards of passers-by. Their loyalties are not always clear, but many are clearly coordinating with uniformed policemen.
The officers who stopped us, like the knife-wielding boy, said they were trying to protect us. But this was slim reassurance after they allowed a man armed with a switchblade to squeeze into the front seat alongside me.
AP reports: Egypt's prime minister says stability is returning after 12 days of anti-government protests, appearing confident a resolution to the crisis can be reached without the immediate removal of President Hosni Mubarak.
The comments by Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq on state TV suggest the government may calculate it can ride out protests and reach a deal with its opponents without Mubarak's ouster.
Protesters say they will continue their rallies until the 82-year-old president goes. Tens of thousands gathered in central Tahrir Square Saturday.
Shafiq said a 100,000-strong demonstration Friday failed to force Mubarak out as protesters hoped. "We haven't been affected and God willing next Friday we won't be affected," he said. "All this leads to stability."
AP reports: The Pentagon has often boasted of close ties to the Egyptian military, but in the current crisis the payoff from billions in military aid and three decades of U.S. mentorship isn't direct leverage.
Mostly, it's meant an ability to get Cairo's top defense officials on the phone.
U.S. military officers argue that deeper, more subtle benefits have derived from 30 years of cooperation between the two militaries, including a degree of discipline and professionalism by the Egyptian army that has helped keep its soldiers from attacking protesters seeking to topple President Hosni Mubarak. But other factors, including political direction, also influence the army's behavior.
Mullen on Friday cautioned Congress against rushing to halt U.S. military aid, reflecting the long-held view that it provides important leverage. He told ABC's "Good Morning America" that he would "caution against doing anything until we know what's really going on." And in an appearance Thursday on Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central, the Joint Chiefs chairman said Egyptian officials had assured him the military would not fire on protesters.
Haim Malka, a senior Mideast expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, was even more forceful about not cutting off military aid, predicting that the Egyptian military will play a central role in shaping the contours of a post-Mubarak government.
"The United States' ability to influence that system is already limited," Malka wrote in a commentary Friday. "Freezing military aid now undermines what leverage the U.S. government does have to promote a post-Mubarak system that is more than just a reconfiguration of the status quo."
President Hosni Mubarak appeared increasingly isolated on Saturday, with protests entering their 12th day and the Obama administration and some members of the Egyptian military and civilian elite pursuing plans to nudge him from power.
The country"s newly named vice president, Omar Suleiman, and other top military leaders were discussing steps to limit Mr. Mubarak"s decision-making authority and possibly remove him from the presidential palace in Cairo though not to strip him of his presidency immediately, Egyptian and American officials said. A transitional government headed by Mr. Suleiman would then negotiate with opposition figures to amend Egypt"s Constitution and begin a process of democratic changes.
On Friday, administration officials said that among the political ideas that had been discussed were suggesting to Mr. Mubarak that he move to his home at Sharm el Sheik, the seaside resort, or that he embark on one of his annual medical leaves to Germany for an extended checkup. Such steps would provide him with a graceful exit and effectively remove him as the central political player, going partway toward addressing a central demand of protesters on the streets of Cairo.
AP reports: The standoff in Egypt and uncertainty about where it will lead is causing global economic jitters. It's already pushing up the price of oil and food, and there's no telling how long the turmoil will last.
The big worry is that popular uprisings and revolution will spread to Egypt's rich autocratic neighbors who control much of the world's oil supply.
Instability in the Middle East, if prolonged, could jeopardize fragile recoveries in the United States and Europe. It could limit job creation and fuel inflation.
"If the turmoil is contained largely to Egypt, then the broader economic fallout will be marginal," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. "Now, obviously, if it spills out of Egypt to other parts of the Middle East, the concern goes to a whole other darker level."
"The real worry, I think is if these protests continue indefinitely and there isn't more reassurance about stability in Egypt and in the broader region," said Shadi Hamid, a researcher on Gulf affairs at the Brookings Institution's Doha Center in Qatar. "We're going to see a continued decline in the regional economy and that will, of course, have an effect on the U.S. economy."
The AP reports on the potential outcomes in Egypt, should Mubarak step down:
Under one U.S. proposal, the 82-year-old Mubarak would step down and hand power to a military-backed temporary government headed by his newly appointed vice president, Omar Suleiman, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks. The government would prepare for free and fair elections later this year.
That would mesh in some ways with the demands of the protesters. But one significant difference was the timetable.
We had been detained by Egyptian authorities, handed over to the country"s dreaded Mukhabarat, the secret police, and interrogated. They left us all night in a cold room, on hard orange plastic stools, under fluorescent lights.
But our discomfort paled in comparison to the dull whacks and the screams of pain by Egyptian people that broke the stillness of the night. In one instance, between the cries of suffering, an officer said in Arabic, SYou are talking to journalists? You are talking badly about your country?
A voice, also in Arabic, answered: SYou are committing a sin. You are committing a sin.
Egyptian authorities on February 4, 2011, released researchers from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International and two foreign journalists, but should immediately free Egyptian colleagues who are still detained, Human Rights Watch said today. "We are delighted our international colleagues have been released," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. "But the Egyptian lawyers and rights monitors held should be freed at once." Those released among more than 30 people arbitrarily arrested on February 3, 2011, were Daniel Williams, a Human Rights Watch researcher; Amnesty International researcher Said Haddadi and a female colleague; and two foreign reporters. Remaining in detention are Ahmed Seif Al Islam, the former director of the Hisham Mubarak Law Center, and at least nine other lawyers associated with the Hisham Mubarak Law Center or volunteers from the Front to Defend Egypt's Protesters.
"The Egyptian government should never have arrested human rights monitors and journalists in the first place," said Roth. "The Egyptians still being held have a vital role to play as Egypt's crisis and serious human right abuses continue. The authorities need to free them without further delay."
Fox News is reporting that there was an assassination attempt on Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman recently, although the network reports it has not confirmed this information in Cairo. Reports Fox:
A failed assassination attempt on Egypt's vice president in recent days left two of his bodyguards dead, U.S. sources tell Fox News, though that information has yet to be confirmed on the ground in Cairo.
HuffPost blogger Larry Magrid has collected tips for how to watch Al Jazeera English on your television, assuming your cable provider doesn't carry it. He writes:
The Qatar-based network Al Jazeera has been doing an amazing job covering not only the crisis in Egypt but its implications for the entire Middle East. And, in addition to its Arabic service, Al Jazeera also has an English language network called, Al Jazeera English.
You can watch 24-hour streaming video on Al Jazeera's web site and keep up with blogs from its reporters on the ground in Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries, but most Americans can't watch the network on their TV sets because most U.S. cable companies don't carry it.
There is, however, a way to watch Al Jazeera on TV thanks to the Roku set top box. Earlier this week Roku added Al Jazeera to its Newscaster channel.
Al Arabiya television is reporting that the former Interior Minister, three Egyptian ministers are now under house arrest, including the widely hated Habib al-Adli. MSBNC reports:
Al-Arabiya TV says it has has confirmation from high-level official sources in Egypt that the former Egyptian interior minister and three former ministers are under house arrest awaiting an official probe. The report was translated by NBC News interpretors who were monitoring the Arabic language news network.
...
Earlier the state-owned MENA news agency reported that Egypt had issued a travel ban on al-Adli, as well as a former trade minister, Rashid Mohammed Rashid, and frozen their bank accounts.
Foreign Affairs has a piece on the role that the Muslim Brotherhood will play in a post-Mubarak Egyptian government, as well as a little background on the group. According to the magazine:
With the end of the Mubarak era looming on the horizon, speculation has turned to whether the Muslim Brotherhood will dominate the new Egyptian political landscape. As the largest, most popular, and most effective opposition group in Egypt, it will undoubtedly seek a role in creating a new government, but the consequences of this are uncertain. Those who emphasize the risk of "Islamic tyranny" aptly note that the Muslim Brotherhood originated as an anti-system group dedicated to the establishment of sharia rule; committed acts of violence against its opponents in the pre-1952 era; and continues to use anti-Western, anti-Zionist, and anti-Semitic rhetoric. But portraying the Brotherhood as eager and able to seize power and impose its version of sharia on an unwilling citizenry is a caricature that exaggerates certain features of the Brotherhood while ignoring others, and underestimates the extent to which the group has changed over time.
The White House has released Obama's full remarks from earlier today, when he spoke at a press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Here they are, edited to reflect only the Egypt-related content:
Obama: Let me close by saying a few words about the situation in Egypt. This is obviously still a fluid situation and we"re monitoring it closely, so I'll make just a few points.
First, we continue to be crystal-clear that we oppose violence as a response to this crisis. In recent days, we"ve seen violence and harassment erupt on the streets of Egypt that violates human rights, universal values and international norms. So we are sending a strong and unequivocal message: Attacks on reporters are unacceptable. Attacks on human rights activists are unacceptable. Attacks on peaceful protesters are unacceptable.
The Egyptian government has a responsibility to protect the rights of its people. Those demonstrating also have a responsibility to do so peacefully. But everybody should recognize a simple truth: The issues at stake in Egypt will not be resolved through violence or suppression. And we are encouraged by the restraint that was shown today. We hope that it continues.
Second, the future of Egypt will be determined by its people. It"s also clear that there needs to be a transition process that begins now. That transition must initiate a process that respects the universal rights of the Egyptian people and that leads to free and fair elections.
The details of this transition will be worked by Egyptians. And my understanding is that some discussions have begun. But we are consulting widely within Egypt and with the international community to communicate our strong belief that a successful and orderly transition must be meaningful. Negotiations should include a broad representation of the Egyptian opposition, and this transition must address the legitimate grievances of those who seek a better future.
Third, we want to see this moment of turmoil turn into a moment of opportunity. The entire world is watching. What we hope for and what we will work for is a future where all of Egyptian society seizes that opportunity. Right now a great and ancient civilization is going through a time of tumult and transformation. And even as there are grave challenges and great uncertainty, I am confident that the Egyptian people can shape the future that they deserve. And as they do, they will continue to have a strong friend and partner in the United States of America.
Q. Thank you very much, Mr. President. Is it conceivable to you that a genuine process of democratic reform can begin in Egypt while President Mubarak remains in power, or do you think his stepping aside is needed for reform even to begin?
Obama: I have had two conversations with President Mubarak since this crisis in Egypt began, and each time I've emphasized the fact that the future of Egypt is going to be in the hands of Egyptians. It is not us who will determine that future. But I have also said that in light of what"s happened over the last two weeks, going back to the old ways is not going to work. Suppression is not going to work. Engaging in violence is not going to work. Attempting to shut down information flows is not going to work.
In order for Egypt to have a bright future -- which I believe it can have -- the only thing that will work is moving a orderly transition process that begins right now, that engages all the parties, that leads to democratic practices, fair and free elections, a representative government that is responsive to the grievances of the Egyptian people.
Now, I believe that President Mubarak cares about his country. He is proud, but he"s also a patriot. And what I've suggested to him is, is that he needs to consult with those who are around him in his government. He needs to listen to what"s being voiced by the Egyptian people and make a judgment about a pathway forward that is orderly, but that is meaningful and serious.
And I believe that -- he"s already said that he"s not going to run for reelection. This is somebody who"s been in power for a very long time in Egypt. Having made that psychological break, that decision that he will not be running again, I think the most important for him to ask himself, for the Egyptian government to ask itself, as well as the opposition to ask itself, is how do we make that transition effective and lasting and legitimate. And as I said before, that's not a decision ultimately the United States makes or any country outside of Egypt makes. What we can do, though, is affirm the core principles that are going to be involved in that transition. If you end up having just gestures towards the opposition but it leads to a continuing suppression of the opposition, that's not going to work. If you have the pretense of reform but not real reform, that's not going to be effective.
And as I said before, once the President himself announced that he was not going to be running again, and since his term is up relatively shortly, the key question he should be asking himself is, how do I leave a legacy behind in which Egypt is able to get through this transformative period. And my hope is, is that he will end up making the right decision.
Q. Prime Minister, can you answer this in English and French? Canadians will be asking how much of our sovereignty and our privacy rights will be given up to have more open borders and an integrated economy. And while I have you on your feet, I want to ask you about Egypt, as well, whether you feel that Mr. Mubarak should be stepping down sooner, it would help the transition?
Harper: On the question of Egypt, let me just agree fully with what President Obama has said. I don't think there is any doubt from anyone who is watching the situation that transition is occurring and will occur in Egypt. The question is what kind of transition this will be and how it will lead. It is ultimately up to the Egyptian people to decide who will govern them.
What we want to be sure is that we lead towards a future that is not simply more democratic, but a future where that democracy is guided by such values as non-violence, as the rule of law, as respect and respect for human rights, including the rights of minorities, including the rights of religious minorities.
Translator Jafar Jafari reports that Egyptian bloggers re-broadcast clips of a van deliberately speeding through demonstration lines near Liberation Square:
Egyptian journalist Ahmad Ismail describes the incident which occurred on Friday, January 28, 2011 (7:35 p.m. local time):
A Chevrolet van, green color, carrying a high ranking security official (or officials) storms demonstrators at Qasr El-Ainy Street, overlooking Liberation Square. The incident took place near the U.S. and British Embassies. The incident caused 14 casualties, of various degrees. No official report was registered with the police department. Last Friday, the day of the incident, witnessed one of the most intense confrontations between the police and demonstrations. Qar El-Ainy Street where the embassies are located is normally heavily protected, and meaning it would be extremely unlikely that the vehicle was stolen.
Nicole H., a 25-year-old graduate student at the American University in Cairo, studying Political Science and Middle East Studies, was arrested on Friday and sent HuffPost a description of her experiences:
A crowd once more formed around us with people screaming and spitting at the windows. The police did nothing to discourage this. A police man was sitting between me and the window and he leaned back to allow a man to call me a sharmuta (whore) and then punch me in the face. Luckily, he had to reach in through the window so he didn"t have too much strength behind it. Tom was sitting on my other side and he angrily pushed the guy"s arm back out the window.
At this point the police decided to move us again. This time we were taken to a proper police station. We sat inside while they went through our stuff and continued to insult us. We were told that we were being handed over to the army, which was an unexpected relief. They moved us into a police truck, one with an open back and glass windows on the sides. I was wearing a hoodie and at this point I put my hood up and tried to conceal that I"m a foreigner. Eve and Tom look wonderfully ambiguous but there"s no doubt that I am non-Egyptian.
Eve and I were holding hands and a man slid the window open in front of us to spit on us before Tom managed to get it shut again. I must admit that at this point I started crying and proceeded to bury my face in Eve"s chest as she held me and patted the top of my head and told me that we were going to be alright.
The police drove us to an army checkpoint in Coptic Cairo. We were all so happy to be turned over to the army. They were polite and gave us water and tried repeatedly to calm us down, promising that we were safe now.
Blogger Weal Abbas, who was arrested earlier today by the Egyptian Army, spoke briefly with HuffPost. He said:
The state media is inciting violence and hate against westerners and foreigners in the country. They are making any foreigner in the country look suspicious. And they are inciting violence against journalists who have cameras. Anybody who has a camera now is getting arrested.
Ahmad Mohamed Mahmoud, a journalist working for the newspaper Al-Ta'awun, published by the state-owned Al-Ahram Foundation, died today from gunshot wounds sustained on January 28, Al-Jazeera and the semi-official Al-Ahram reported today. Mahmoud was shot by what the newspaper described as sniper fire while filming confrontations between security forces and demonstrators in central Cairo's Qasr al-Aini area, which is adjacent to Tahrir Square. The death is the first reported media fatality during the uprising.
Obama said, "We continue to be crystal clear that we oppose violence as a response" in Egypt. He added, "The issues in Egypt will not be resolved through violence or suppression." He said that attacks on reporters, human rights workers, and peaceful protesters were "unacceptable," and that Egypt was violating international norms.
He then reiterated that "The future of Egypt will be decided by it's people," and stated again that, "There needs to be a transition of power that begins now."
Obama is asked if a genuine democratic process can begin while Mubarak is still in power. He responds that he has already stated that the transition of power has to begin now, and that the future of Egypt is in "the hands of Egyptians." He stated that, "The only thing that will work is engaging in an orderly transition of power that begins now."
Obama also adds that "I believe that President Mubarak cares about his country" and is a patriot. Obama stated that his advice had been to consult with those around him and to "listen to the Egyptian people."
The president stated that "If you have the pretense of reform, but not real reform, it's not going to be effective." He said of Mubarak, "How do I leave a legacy behind in which Egypt can get through this," adding, "I hope that he makes the right decision."
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper weighs in on Egypt, saying "It's clear that transition is occurring and will occur in Egypt. The question is what kind of transition it will be." He then adds that whatever the transition, it must include rights for minorities and religious minorities.
According to the L.A. Times, 160,000 foreigners have left Egypt since protests began. The paper reports:
Airport officials told the Middle East News Agency on Friday that departure figure reflected departures only through Cairo airport. It did not include the number of tourists who left from smaller airports at the popular Red Sea resorts of Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada, or the port city of Alexandria.
Translator Jafar Jafari reports that BBC Arabic interviewed average Egyptian citizens, learning that those who were captured and questioned by the demonstrators and residents virtually all were promised an additional month"s salary; meaning that they are employees of the State. They included employees of the Ministry of Oil, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Transportation and others. Some were actually professionally dressed, while others were clearly poor, dressed in local garb and ill or non-educated. They said that some neighborhood friends came to support Mubarak after being given 50-100 Egyptian pounds. Some extracted information clearly points to the direct responsibility of the new prime minister. (Jafar notes that the anchorwoman repeated the question to verify PM Shafik"s responsibility and the caller responded affirmatively.)
Translator Jafar Jafari reports the following information from Khaled Abdel Kader, Chairman of Egyptian Geologists Society, who spoke by by telephone from Tahrir Square:
I am authorized to present a list of demands by the university students, graduates and under grads, participating and present at the Square:
The objective is to solidify this popular revolution and bring the downfall of the regime, not just Mubarak, for its crimes against the Egyptian people throughout its 30 years.
Immediate removal of Mubarak from the presidency and as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, effective January 25, 2011. Nullification of all measures and decrees that were issued after that date.
Immediately dissolve the two houses of Parliament since it lost legitimacy.
Appointment of Commander Sami Anan, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, as provisional president as an acknowledgement of the armed forces role till the presidential elections are held. Should he decline, we nominate Amr Mousa, of the Arab League, to hold that office provided that he takes oath in front of High Court Council and to include his pledge to fulfill popular demands of political and economic reforms.
Formation of a broader government headed by Dr. Mohammad El-Baradei to include all the factions participating in this revolution: January 25 Movement; Muslim Brotherhood; Kifaya; Al-Ghad Party; National Front Party; Nasserists; and other participants. Its sole mission is to maintain law and order.
Bloomberg reporter Maram Mazen was not acting in her official capacity as a Bloomberg reporter when she was attacked by Mubarak supporters and pro-regime police forces in Cairo. She was in Egypt's capital on vacation, accompanying friends who were delivering food and medical supplies to injured demonstrators. But her account of the attack she faced is as harrowing as any we've heard.
We got out of the car when we arrived at about 11:30 a.m. in Talaat Harb square near Tahrir, our planned transfer point for the medical supplies. We felt somewhat safe, as one of the demonstrators had told us it was a secure entrance. When I left the night before, it was controlled by anti-Mubarak protesters.
In less than a minute, a mob of about 40 civilian men surrounded our car, banging on the vehicle and grabbing our bags. They looted 1500 Egyptian pounds ($256) worth of medical supplies and 800 pounds worth of food and drinks, uninterested in our explanation of whom it was for.
Things degenerated from there. Mazen and her compatriots fought off the mob and managed to drive away. Pursued by the angry mob, they sought protection, unsuccessfully, first from the uniformed soldiers who had helped to preserve order and protect demonstrators during their February 1st march, then from uniformed police. But when a member of the original group of attackers accused Mazen and her friends of running people down with their car, those police weren't inclined to help.
A policeman took away the car key, and about 50 men in plainclothes and five policemen started pounding on our car. They asked our nationality -- we were all Egyptians -- and accused us of being Palestinians, Americans and Iranians. And, they said, traitors to Egypt.
For about 30 minutes, though it seemed more like an hour, the crowd grew, reaching between 100 and 200. They smashed the back windshield, shattering glass all over the car and in our clothing. Men got onto the roof of the car, jumping and yelling. We tried to hold it up with our hands so it wouldn"t fall on us.
Then uniformed policemen took our ID cards and searched the car, our bags and our pockets. They took both my mobile phones and Mahmoud"s Blackberry, promising to give them back.
[...]
A policeman looked me in the eye and said: SYou will be lynched today, running his finger across his neck. Others spat on us. They hit the two men in our group in the face through the broken windows, scratching Mahmoud and punching my other male friend. Someone pulled my hair from the back.
Mazen and her friends were eventually, safely, transported to a downtown police station, where they were detained and questioned. Overall, the tone of the police can best be described as paranoid. At one point, it was suggested that the police had to act hostile toward Mazen and her friends, or else they would have been attacked themselves.
As they were released, they were given a warning in the form of advice: SGo on Facebook and tell your friends the streets are not safe, and that they shouldn"t come to Tahrir. You were lucky to get out of there alive.
Egypt's economy has lost at least $3.1 billion as a result of the political crisis in the country, investment bank Credit Agricole said in a report released on Friday, as tens of thousands of protesters massed in downtown Cairo demanding the president's ouster.
The unrest that began on Jan. 25 led to the shuttering of businesses and companies, the closure of banks and the stock exchange and the exodus of thousands of tourists as the demonstrations. The ensuing violence almost overnight drove a nation once seen as a pillar of stability to the brink of chaos.
Credit Agricole, in one of the first assessments quantifying the damage to the economy, said the crisis is costing Egypt at least $310 million per day. The bank also revised down its forecast for 2011 GDP growth to 3.7 percent from 5.3 percent and said the Egyptian pound could see a depreciation of up to 20 percent.
The losses are the tip of the iceberg of Egypt's economic woes.
Echoing what translator Jafar Jafari told HuffPost earlier today, Egyptian leaders are joining the protests, the New York Times reports:
Amr Moussa, the secretary general of the Arab League and a former foreign minister serving Mr. Mubarak, appeared among the crowds in Tahrir Square, seeming to align himself with the protest. Twice he sought to address the crowd, but both times he was drowned out by roars of approval at what seemed a tacit endorsement of their cause.
...
And Mohamed Rafah Tahtawy, the public spokesman for Al Azhar the center of Sunni Muslim learning and Egypt"s highest, state-run religious authority told reporters that he was resigning because SI am participating in the protests and I have issued statements that support the revolutionists as far as they go.
Earlier today, Al Jazeera's Arabic language website was hacked. According to GlobalVoices, a statement from the group said:
For two hours this morning (from 6:30am 8:30am Doha time), a banner advertisement was taken over and replaced with a slogan of STogether for the collapse of Egypt which linked to a page criticizing Al Jazeera.A spokesman for Al Jazeera said that their engineers moved quickly to solve the problem.
Translator Jafar Jafari reports that BBC Arabic relayed the following:
Demonstrators are elated by a number of officials resigning in protest of the government"s treatment of events.
In Cairo, Deputy Director of Nile International TV submitted her resignation and joined the demonstrators.
Also in Cairo, Mohammad Rifaha Tahtawi submitted his resignation as official spokesman for Al-Azhar and joined the demonstrators, saying "Every individual"s duty is to reject half-solutions, and must join the demonstrations to bring down this regime. I resigned my official post so that there would be no conflict of interest for Al-Azhar institution."
In Alexandria, Fikri Kharoub, Chief Judge of the criminal court, joined the demonstrators, saying, "As a judge, it is my professional duty to participate in the people"s declared grievances; and that is not in contradiction of the official duty. My participation today is personal, and there are other judges as well in their personal capacity. As judges, we must be cognizant of the people"s concerns and not be confined to the bench."
Jafari heard earlier today that the demonstrators at Liberation Square exceed 1.5 million, and the numbers were continuing to rise.
UPDATE: AL Jazeera now reporting that activity was due to a rumor that Mubarak had stepped down.
Al Jazeera English just said that there are reports coming in that there are calls in Tahrir Square to head to the presidential palace and that crowds are chanting "He will leave."
There is reportedly more activity in the crowd, although Al Jazeera English says they do not know why.
Reader Dalia B, an Egyptian grad student, writes the following:
These are some notes on my experiences in Cairo, today Feb 3rd. The 10th day of the revolution.
After a very turbulent in Egypt, the morning finally came. The attack on the demonstrators in Tahrir Square seems to stop, leaving so many casualties. I got a couple of phone calls from friends saying they are heading to the square with supplies. I called the friends who live by the square to see what the injured needs are, and to find out if I can get into the square. The images of Tahrir on TV are showing the aftermath of the battle that took place there overnight. It looks like a war zone. No news if they are allowing people to enter. Rumors about thugs blocking the entrances. After a couple of phone calls, I got a list of medical supplies needed. I called a medical student I know he gave me some suggestions on the kind of medicines, etc. I headed to the pharmacy and got all the anti-biotech they have (thankfully in Egypt it"s over the counter), and passed by a number of other pharmacies to get Sneck support.
I drove to downtown. I usually park a mile away, and walk across the bridge. Today, I was carrying medicine and water (even a few bottles are rather heavy) I parked as close as possible to the check point at the entrance of Kasr El Nil bridge.. Signs of destruction.. Piles of Garbage.. People were gathered. It"s not clear who is who. I saw a familiar face; a journalist who came from New York to cover the uprising. We walked to the entrance together, but we were separated as men and women enter from different places for inspection.The inspection of bags and ID by the people committees was more vigilant. They were very polite. They apologized profusely before checking us to make sure we are not carrying sharp objects. I was carrying sharp objects. My medical student friend said take medical scissors. I bought two small ones that I fit into a side pocket in my bag. I know they will not find them. They didn"t. I
passed the first check point operated by the people, guarded by the military tanks. There was another inspection.
I saw Samah, one of the graduates of the theatre department. She was very happy to see one of her teachers there. She said she"s been coming everyday since Jan 25th. She was entering the square with other friends who were also bringing medical supplies. When we passed the check point area we were taken aback seeing the broken parts of the pavement and the garbage. Samah was especially disturbed by the sight. She was one of many who
created daily patrols to clean the square. It"s really the cleanest demonstration I have ever been to. People are careful not to litter, and there are so many people who volunteer to clean and sweep the square, throughout the day. Some use the activity to express their political views. Walking with large garbage bags, instead of saying drop your garbage here, they call out SDonate to the National Party (Mubarak"s party which abused Egyptians for decades.)We make our way across the square to the make-shift hospital. I am surprised that there are many people there. A whole night of violent attacks did not stop so many of the demonstrators from continuing to demonstrate, peacefully. And many people were flocking to the square in support.
The Shospital is a tiny corner street mosque, in a back alley. A few square meters. There are a few injured people, resting on blankets on the floor, under cardboard signs designating areas for the different departments. Bone injuries are the most obvious as they have casts. A
number of other head injuries with bandages over their eyes, or foreheads, possibly from all the rocks thrown at them by government thugs.The volunteers in the hospital are very grateful. They are sorting out the supplies. There are many plastic bags with supplies. I apologized for not finding any Ssurgical thread at the pharmacy. The doctors said they don"t need any more. Good! That means they sewed up the big wounds.
As I drop the few supplies I got, I look around the small busy space. The pigeon holes, where people leave their shoes as they enter the mosque, are filled with different medicines, and supplies. Piles more are gathering in front of the volunteers to sort. It"s so heartwarming to see that so many people came throughout the night and the morning to donate, and to help, and many more were flocking in. While I was there, one of the doctors climbed on a plastic stool and said. SWhat we currently need is two laptops and two people to enter data about
the injured. I call a friend to inform her about what"s needed. She finds people who can donate a laptop, but needs more information. I go back to the hospital and ask for details. One of the young doctors explain that they don"t want a donation of a laptop, just one they can use to enter data about the people they are treating, and other patients that were taken to other locations in case people are looking for them.
They also wanted someone to start a Facebook page for the hospital, so that they can share the info of the people they have been treating since the beginning of the uprising. I want to volunteer for the job. I can type fast, but I am not an expert with Excel program. A few minutes after I get back on the square I hear on the microphone that they found two volunteers to do the data entry, and they are still waiting for the laptops. The guy on the microphone, I couldn"t see his face because of the thick crowds, repeated a few times that under no circumstance people should collect money. Whatever they need, they announce and people provide it. No money collection. The crowd cheered and clapped.
It"s close to noon, and the square is filling up with people. Definitely more than the number present at the same hour the day before.I walk around the square many of the pavements on the far side, where the major attacks happened, are gone. The street tiles were pulled out and used by the demonstrator to defend themselves in their night fight.While I stand near the Egyptian National Museum that the demonstrators protected from the petroleum bombs of the thugs last night, I hear a loud banging sound. A young man is using a stick to bang on the metal street fence. Another man picks up a metal bar and starts to bang. It takes me a moment to realize what"s going on. The watchmen on the rooftops of the surrounding buildings saw pro-government crowds trying to enter the square. They warn the watchmen on the ground, who bang the fence to alert the demonstrators. Flocks of men come to that area, to stop the thugs from infiltrating the square. Impressive!
The young demonstrators are protecting the National Museum, the square and our future.Seeing these enduring, well-organized demonstrators, still hanging in there with faith in change, even after a horrific night of defending themselves gives me so much hope for Egypt and the Egyptians.This is dampened by the news about the thugs circling the square, intimidating people and preventing them from getting in, and confiscating the food and medical supplies. I was waiting to hear from a friend who was driving in with a car full of food and supplies, so I can gather people and go pick it up from him. He called to say the thugs took everything from them! One of my students called to say that they weren"t letting her into the square and were telling her that there are gunshots and people are being arrested inside. Another had to walk three miles to find an easier place to enter. He was intimidated by a guy who is carrying a sword. Yes, as sword. Yesterday they attacked on horseback and camelback, today swords. Which century do they belong to?
Another friend who lives nearby comes to the square in the morning and in the evening. Today he couldn"t enter in the evening. The thugs stopped him and accused him of being Israeli. They took him to an Army officer, who Sadvised him to go back home. I made it home safely. Tired. More hopeful than in the morning, but worried about tomorrow. The eleventh day. The Friday of Departure. It"s going to be a turning point. Please direct your prayers to Egypt and to Peace on Friday. I know the people defending their rights in a decent life will be triumphant. I deeply hope their path to change will be peaceful.
President Barack Obama will take questions from reporters Friday on the continuing violence in Egypt during what may be a pivotal day in the crisis, as anti-government demonstrators aim to escalate their street protests.
Obama and members of his administration are edging closer to blaming the government of authoritarian President Hosni Mubarak (HAHS'-nee moo-BAH'-rahk) for the violent clashes in Cairo.
They have not called for him to resign immediately as the protesters want, but have made clear that they're not satisfied with Mubarak's announcement that he won't seek re-election in September after 30 years in power.
Obama was to address the matter during an appearance with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
The administration is reportedly discussing a proposal with Egyptian officials for Mubarak to step down immediately.
Hundreds of thousands of anti-government protesters have again packed Cairo's central square, waving Egyptian flags, singing the national anthem and calling on President Hosni Mubarak to go.
Billed as a "day of depature" rally, a reference to demands that Mubarak leave today, the gathering at Tahrir Square was the biggest since Tuesday, when at least a quarter of million people turned out.
A cleric at prayers in the square said: "We want the head of the regime removed," and praised the "revolution of the young". Chants of "Leave! Leave! Leave!" and "Today is the last day" swelled from the throng. One banner read "Game over" in English.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has condemned any crackdown in Egypt. According to Voice of America, he said:
I am deeply concerned at the continuing violence in Egypt. I once again urge restraint to all the sides. An unacceptable situation is happening. Any attack against the peaceful demonstrators is unacceptable and I strongly condemn it.
Al Jazeera is reopting that the protests have been almost entirely peaceful today, writing:
Our correspondent in Cairo says pro-Mubarak gangs are not visible at all in the streets and that the army has taken extensive measures to secure the demonstration. She says imams, speaking in mosques today, have called for calm and praised the role of the army as it is working to prevent violence.
Al Jazeera reports that Iran's Supreme Leader claims that despite lack of religious overtones, the Egyptian protests are a victory for Islamic revolution, and that victory by the protesters would be a " great defeat for America."
Anderson Cooper broadcast his show live from an undisclosed location in Egypt tonight, telling viewers he was "a little bit scared" after multiple attacks since he arrived in the region.
Cooper, speaking live via what appeared to be a computer, reported that his only method of broadcast at the moment was from the room he occupied, an Sundisclosed location, the anonymity of which was, Sfrankly, for our own safety. Acknowledging that the physical attacks on him had made headlines this week, he admitted that Sjournalists don"t like to become part of the story, but unfortunately, they have been made part of the story.
Video feeds have been blocked from Cairo's Tahrir Square, but as one of our readers points out, mobile users can still capture footage. While this video, captured on a user's mobile device from Egypt, doesn't show much beyond darkness, viewers can discern that Tahrir Square is indeed filled with people, despite the fact that it was captured at 5 a.m. local time.
The New York Timesreports that the Obama administration is in talks with Egyptian officials over Mubarak's immediate resignation, in a proposal that would hand power to Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman:
Even though Mr. Mubarak has balked, so far, at leaving now, officials from both governments are continuing talks about a plan in which, Mr. Suleiman, backed by Sami Enan, chief of the Egyptian armed forces, and Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, the Defense Minister, would immediately begin a process of constitutional reform.
The proposal also calls for the transitional government to invite members from a broad range of opposition groups, including the banned Muslim Brotherhood, to begin work to open up the country"s electoral system in an effort to bring about free and fair elections in September, the officials said.
The White House has released the following information about Vice President Joe Biden's phone call to his newly appointed counterpart, Egyptian Vice President Omar Soliman:
The Vice President today spoke by phone with Egyptian Vice President Omar Soliman, reiterating President Obama"s condemnation of the recent violence in Egypt and calling for restraint by all sides. He also restated the President"s support for universal rights, including the right to peaceful assembly, association, and speech. Vice President Biden urged that credible, inclusive negotiations begin immediately in order for Egypt to transition to a democratic government that addresses the aspirations of the Egyptian people. He stressed that the Egyptian government is responsible for ensuring that peaceful demonstrations don"t lead to violence and intimidation and for allowing journalists and human rights advocates to conduct their important work, including immediately releasing those who have been detained.
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