visionary Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/31/egypt-latest-police-apprehend-journalists-escaped-prisoners-arrested/?hpt=T1 [update 11:36 p.m. Cairo, 4:36 p.m. ET] Talks between opposition parties and Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman are already under way, Suleiman's office said. Earlier, Suleiman said on state television that President Hosni Mubarak asked him to start working on "constitutional reform and legislation" in collaboration with the various political parties.Suleiman, the longtime intelligence chief Mubarak picked as his vice president over the weekend, said a reform package should be drawn up "expeditiously" in conjunction with the country's parliament. "The other parties will also have a role to play, which will lead to real political reform," Suleiman said. [update 11:16 p.m. Cairo, 4:16 p.m. ET] Amre Moussa, head of the Arab League, called Monday for a peaceful transition in Egypt, "from an era to the other," the AFP news agency reported. Moussa is a veteran diplomat who was Mubarak's foreign minister until 2001. [update 10:44 p.m. Cairo, 3:44 p.m. ET] Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman said on state television that President Hosni Mubarak has asked him to start working on "constitutional reform and legislation" in collaboration with the various political parties. [update 10:22 p.m. Cairo, 3:22 p.m. ET] Former Deputy CIA Director John McLaughlin said newly appointed Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman is "a very sophisticated and skilled intelligence officer, who is well regarded in the U.S. and around the region." McLaughlin told CNN that Suleiman had been "helpful in many arenas," including the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. "I'm sure the Israelis regard him as a good and trusted interlocutor. He is basically your main go-to guy in Egypt," he said. McLaughlin further said it's hard to say how Suleiman will handle the current turmoil, but "I think he'll take on board what's going on and have few illusions about the situation." He doubts Suleiman will do anything to stoke tensions. "Many undoubtedly view him as old school, old regime and will not give him the benefit of the doubt for that reason. I do think it's a mixed picture," McLaughlin said. As for the big picture, McLaughlin said, "The best way out is probably for someone in the government camp to call for and set up a constitutional revision process, with broad participation, aimed at holding elections in the fall that everyone would regard as fair." sneaky...lol – [update 9:38 p.m. Cairo, 2:38 p.m. ET] Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has ordered the nation's rail system shut down indefinitely, a move that will help prevent protesters from joining mass rallies planned for Tuesday, CNN's Ben Wedeman reports. ---------- Post added January-31st-2011 at 05:15 PM ---------- Edit: I just had a really dangerous thought, here. IF the US were to strongly come out, right now, denounce Mubarik as a Dictator, make a stirring speech about noble principals like "deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed", and all liberal elitist and all that . . . Then are we at a time in history where we can start a chain reaction of anti-Dictatorship-ism? One that might well spread around the world? (Hopefully starting with the Mideast, and spreading from there?) The protests in different countries seem to be feeding off of each other. Maybe if a few of them are successful, then the reaction would spread. Are we at a crisis point in history? A place where a bold act could change the world? It would be nice to see something like this happen. I think people are too afraid of the consequences for us though. Also I thought we might see something like this after the Iraq war and then after Iranian green wave. So I don't know how much we can hope for. I wish we would at least not keep giving other countries high expectations about us, if we aren't going to back them up when things get messy (although obviously there's only so much we can do in a lot of these situations). One thing I find odd though is the constant worrying about how a loss of Mubarak will hurt things with Israel. I thought that most people wanted us to move away from our past one-sided policies towards Israel anyway. (And I'm no Israel hater). I would like to see us come out for democracy everywhere, despite how it might hurt are current interests. It's not fair to back governments that oppress their people just because it might benefit us economically or keep some supposedly scary folks from maybe possibly taking over and causing us problems. I hate that we end up supporting a lot of dictators out of some hope that they'll aid us. It might be nice for the present but it always comes back to haunt us later anyway. (Latin America, Iran, Vietnam...etc) We've got a bad enough reputation for propping up bad guys who support us already. And hey if some other bad guys come into power who don't like us as much, the people can throw them out too if they want, or we can defend ourselves without having to support guys who will just make us more hated in the long run. On the other hand we do have to worry a little about our economy and our saftey and we don't want to wreck ourselves in one swoop by crippling our middle eastern support when it's already at a low. So maybe we could take things one place at a time and come out in support of the people, while also trying to calm their anger down a bit at the same time. We need to also make it clear that we support some of these regimes because there is no other option for us. Tell the people to provide alternatives that we can get behind and who won't be likely to turn into dictators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbs Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I've been thinking about this. I'm sure many in the world hate us. Especially the older generations who lived in the middle of the politics and alliances of the Cold War. But I wonder about the younger generation. One thing I keep hearing is how people across the world want us to come out strongly in support for their cause. How they're disappointed that we aren't. Perhaps our disapproval numbers across the world are fueled as much by disappointment as they are by hate. Disappointment that we aren't living up to the ideals we profess--not just at home but across the world. I know it's a very limited context, but that's the vibe I've gotten from just watching the constant stream of English tweets from people in Egypt, Tunisia, and elsewhere. There's some resentment spurred by our support of autocratic "allies", but it's easily overwhelmed by the vast number of people who are essentially saying, "Isn't America supposed to be on the side of freedom and democracy? It's time to put up or shut up." We still have time to put up, but the sands are sifting through the hourglass of world opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 We still have time to put up, but the sands are sifting through the hourglass of world opinion. The thought also occurs to me that one of the tools that Hamas used to gain power was by being ready to step in with things like food and medical aid when people are hurt. Granted, I assume that the cycle if: Hamas fires a rocket from an apartment building, into Israel. Israili counter-battery file hits the apartment building, killing 5. Hamas is right there on the scene with ambulances, doctors (and a few bodies they pulled from the nearby hospital), to assist the victims of this Israeli attack that killed 12 people. But still, it's a propaganda tool which Hamas has a great deal of skill as using. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/01/31/egypt.protests/index.html?hpt=T1 At the same time, meanwhile, the government appeared to be moving to restrict travel and communications ahead of a planned "march of millions" in Cairo and Alexandria on Tuesday. Rail service has been shut down indefinitely, troops have been posted at key intersections and the Information Ministry told CNN that mobile phone networks would be shut down overnight. So apparently Mubarak's idea of reform is to shut down the railway and mobile phone systems to keep people from being able to protest together. Is he trying to piss people off? :mad: Oh and: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/31/egypt-latest-police-apprehend-journalists-escaped-prisoners-arrested/?hpt=T1 [update 1:12 a.m. Tuesday in Cairo, 6:12 p.m. ET Monday] Egypt's information ministry told CNN Tuesday that the Noor Group, an Internet service provider, has been shut down. The move essentially takes the country offline ------------------------------------------------- Fareed Zakaria thinks Obama should call Mubarak and tell him he needs to go. (video) He says some other interesting things too. I think it's worth taking a look at. http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2011/01/31/exp.ps.zakaria.obama.mubarak.cnn?hpt=T1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I'm pretty sure people there are already pissed off:silly: I agree with Zakaria a choice must be made Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I got the impression that we could get along just fine with this alBaradei. Was I wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I got the impression that we could get along just fine with this alBaradei. Was I wrong? I haven't heard anything bad about him lately. Although I suppose some Egyptians may not know him very well and might think of him as an outsider. He's respected and seems to be pushing for real democracy. He has clashed with us before, but that was over Iraq under Bush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMS Posted February 1, 2011 Author Share Posted February 1, 2011 I got the impression that we could get along just fine with this alBaradei. Was I wrong? You aren't wrong exactly. Suffice it to say nobody knows what he would be like if he was in charge. For all of Mubaric's faults. He had some pretty good positives. First off he was very good at keeping the peace even when it got very hard to do so. Who is to say a democratic government wouldn't endulge the man on the street's desire to have it out with ISrael more? Or to have a calephate pan arab or pan moslem country absorbing our allies in the region... The problem is we know what we had in mubaric, and we don't really know what we will get after him. Maybe it will be better. But it certainly could be much much worse.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Who is to say a democratic government wouldn't endulge the man on the street's desire to have it out with ISrael more? Or to have a calephate pan arab or pan moslem country absorbing our allies in the region...The problem is we know what we had in mubaric, and we don't really know what we will get after him. Maybe it will be better. But it certainly could be much much worse.. Those are all possiblitties, but I don't think that's what the people of Egypt want right now. They're crying for freedom...not war or conquest. I think they deserve a chance to decide for themselves how they ought to be governed and by who. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Al Baradei has done nothing to earn the trust some wish to extend to him,the suggestion he should chair a constitutional committee is foolish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Another article about the Muslim Brotherhood. http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/01/31/egypt.muslim.brotherhood/index.html?hpt=T1 Few images have been more powerful than those of demonstrators dropping to the ground to pray in the face of security forces. And while some have been inspired by the role of religious faith in the protests, there are definite worries that the banned Muslim Brotherhood is waiting in the wings, hoping for a chance to take over."You don't just have a government and a movement for democracy," former British Prime Minister Tony Blair cautioned on Monday. "You also have others, notably the Muslim Brotherhood, who would take this in a different direction. We need to be anxious to meet the aspirations of the people, but do it in a way that produces something better." Former Israeli diplomat Eli Avidar argues that elections put the militant Islamist Hamas movement in power in Gaza. "President (George W.) Bush and (Secretary of State) Condi Rice pressured the State of Israel to allow democratic elections in the Palestinian Authority and what happened was that Hamas took over and these were the first and last democratic elections," he said. The Muslim Brotherhood could do the same thing in Egypt, he fears. "If they go and take the leadership because of democratic elections, I believe that democracy will not continue in Egypt because the fact is, the second that they take power, they will not leave it," he said. But Egyptian analyst Mustafa Abulhimal says this is not the Muslim Brotherhood's revolution."The Muslim Brotherhood are not behind the organization of the protests," he said. "The Muslim Brotherhood are not inspiring the protests in the street. The Muslim Brotherhood are a small minority among those who are out on the street," he said. Islamists did take power in Iran 30 years ago, seizing control of a revolution originally backed by many different groups, including Communists and secular democrats. But the situation in Egypt today is not comparable, Abulhimal argues. "The Iranian revolution was taken over by an Islamist, a charismatic Islamist, (Ayatollah Ruhollah) Khomeini. Whereas in Egypt, the charismatic figures we have in the street today or yesterday were secular figures like Mohamed ElBaradei or Ayman Nour," Abulhimal said, naming two key opposition leaders. ElBaradei himself says he is willing to work with the Muslim Brotherhood, denying that they want to replicate Khomeini's Iran. "The Muslim Brotherhood has nothing to do with the Iranian model, has nothing to do with extremism as we have seen it in Afghanistan and other places. The Muslim Brotherhood is a religiously conservative group. They are a minority in Egypt," he told CNN. "I have been reaching out to them. We need to include them. They are part of the Egyptian society, as much as the Marxist party here," he said. He rejected the idea that Islamic fundamentalists are set to undermine Egypt. "This is a myth that was sold by the Mubarak regime -- that it's either us, the ruthless dictators, or... the al Qaeda types," he said. Analyst Abulhimal is convinced Egyptians would not let the Muslim Brotherhood seize power -- not least because the military would stand in its way. "Neither the people nor the secular leaders would allow the Muslim Brotherhood to take it, and more importantly the army would never allow the Muslim Brotherhood to take it," he said. "If the army said, 'We would support the people in the street and we would have a deal with President Mubarak to have an orderly transition,' as the Americans said yesterday -- this would definitely not include the Muslim Brotherhood." ---------- Post added January-31st-2011 at 07:55 PM ---------- Al Baradei has done nothing to earn the trust some wish to extend to him,the suggestion he should chair a constitutional committee is foolish So who would you suggest? Do I trust the guy completely...no. But he seems to be one of the better options I've heard of so far. He'll be on cnn tonight at 10. By the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FanboyOf91 Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/31/egypt-poll-negative-views-us-obama_n_816428.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACW Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Here are some quotes from one of my Facebook friends who accompanied my group in Israel: it's a realy complicated situation. Israel needs Hosni Mubarak to stay... The other options are not good to us. The authorities here think that if Mubarak will be defeated extremist Islamic groups come to power and it's may be like in Iran. We are disappointed from Obama's reaction to the situation. Israel knows the situation in Egypt will be change and concerneds about the peace between our countries. The "democracy" in the the Middle East (in the Arab countries), is not a real democracy and it's can't be the same democracy as usa and the west countries. The regime in Egypt defense him-self by rigid attitude against the extremists, otherwise if they win in fair elections the extremists will destroy the liberalism- like in Gaza with Hamas. I hope that what i wrote is nderstandable because it's hard to me to explain this in English when i don't sure how to explain this in Hebrew. I don't know about [ElBaradei] very much.. I ask my mother about her opinion and she said that maybe he has good intentions, but the Muslim Brother[hood] support him, and she worries about the price they will demand for this support, that may harm the peace between Israel and Egypt. I don't know it's a frightening situation to Israel. This is the main topic in the news.. I hope every thing will be ok... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 So who would you suggest? Do I trust the guy completely...no. But he seems to be one of the better options I've heard of so far. He'll be on cnn tonight at 10. By the way. It is not my place to suggest for them,it is my place to warn them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I haven't seen any news on cnn or cnn.com about today yet. This is what I found on the BBC news website http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698 0850: The BBC's Jim Muir reports from Cairo: "The numbers are building up. Whether they will get a million is hard to say. Apparently a lot of roads to Cairo from outlying areas and provinces have been cut, so that will obviously hinder people. However, Cairo's own population is more than 20 million. So it's certainly going to be a big day."0901: The BBC's Paul Danahar reports: "Hundreds of people are now streaming in Tahrir square for today's protests as a military helicopter watches from overhead." (I also noticed how in a video on their site they refered to the Muslim Brotherhood as a nonviolent organization, kind of offhandly, while talking about the different things going on recently) They have some sort of semi-live video coverage now, although a lot of it seems to be recaps so far. The crowds look pretty big in Cairo right now from the live footage I'm seeing at the moment. Mubarak seems to be borrowing a lot of ideas from Iran. 0909: A BBC correspondent at Cairo airport says the authorities there are confiscating all broadcasting equipment from foreign journalists arriving in Egypt. Latest update: 0907: More from Paul Danahar: "Already 30,000 people in Tahrir Square calling for Mubarak to go." The latest from CNN http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/01/egypt-braces-for-march-of-millions/?hpt=T1 [update 10:43 a.m. Tuesday in Cairo, 3:43 a.m. ET Tuesday] Protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square set up their own checkpoints Tuesday to keep weapons out of the area.Inside the square, the atmosphere was peaceful. People brought food and beverages to share. Parents stood in the streets alongside children, saying they were there because of their kids. [update 8:14 a.m. Tuesday in Cairo, 1:14 a.m. ET Tuesday] Protesters chanting "Down with Mubarak" were gathered on one side of Cairo's Tahrir Square Tuesday morning. On the other side of the square was a group of people listening to patriotic music. Soldiers at a security checkpoint said demonstrators supporting President Hosni Mubarak were also in the square, which has been a focal point of the anti-government protests that started a week ago. Anti-government protesters have said they are planning a "march of millions" in the city Tuesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 1006: The BBC's Paul Danahar says there are now some 50,000 people packing into Tahrir Sqaure.0959: Lyse Doucet, one of the BBC correspondents in Cairo, reports: "Tahrir Square is now an organised event. Queues for men and women. Military checkpoints. Checkpoints manned by young men and women. Female security checks. Inside people are writing slogans on cardboard , taking photographs, singing, chanting. Crowds already much bigger than previous days." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698 On BBC news (the live video footage) they're saying that there are over 100,000 protesters in Tahrir Square now. 1028: The BBC's Mark Georgiou reports from Cairo that state TV news at noon didn't show the crowds gathering in Tahrir Square.1025: The UN human rights chief, Navi Pillay, says she has unconfirmed reports that up to 300 people may have died in the unrest in Egypt, Reuters reports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 1028: The BBC's Mark Georgiou reports from Cairo that state TV news at noon didn't show the crowds gathering in Tahrir Square. Remembering a cartoon I saw, during Watergate. The scene is a White House press conference. Podium. Speaker. Mob of reporters. But, the setting is a beach. On the beach, behind the podium and speaker, is a dead whale, labeled "Watergate". A bedsheet, labeled "coverup", has been thrown over the whale. All of the reporters are pointing at the dead whale. (The speaker has his back turned towards it.) Caption: The President has personally authorized me to say "What whale?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Some more updates: [update 4:40 p.m. Cairo, 9:40 a.m. ET] Israeli President Shimon Peres warns Egypt not to follow the path of Gaza in pursuing democracy, according to a report in the Jerusalem Post. The Islamic resistance group Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department, won parliamentary elections in Gaza in 2006."Democracy cannot start and end in elections only," the Post quotes Peres as saying. "True democracy begins on the day after the elections, in granting human rights and concern for citizens' welfare. If a religious extremist dictatorship rises the day after democratic elections, what are democratic elections worth?" [update 4:55 p.m. Cairo, 9:55 a.m. ET] Egyptian Finance Minister Samir Radwan said: "Unemployment will increase due to this destruction and because economic life has been halted for more than a week now. We have also taken a decision that everyone who works and has been out of work because of these events will receive unemployment compensation. This is the quick solution which the Finance Ministry saw as its duty to offer to the Egyptian people." [update 5:11 p.m. Cairo, 10:11 a.m. ET] Margaret Scobey, the U.S. ambassador to Egypt, met on Tuesday with opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei, the Al Arabiya news network reported. [update 6:19 p.m. Cairo, 11:19 a.m. ET] A senior U.S. State Department official confirmed that Margaret Scobey, the U.S. ambassador to Egypt, met Tuesday with opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei. The official said Scobey is also meeting with members of other political movements and her conversation with ElBaradei doesn't mean the United States favors him http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/01/egypt-braces-for-march-of-millions/?hpt=T1 Oh and then there's this from Jordan: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/02/01/jordan.government/index.html?hpt=C1 Jordan's king dismisses government, appoints new PM (CNN) -- The king of Jordan dismissed his government Tuesday and appointed a new prime minister with orders to implement political reform.The dismissal follows several protests calling for change in Jordan -- protests that echo demonstrations that have swept across North Africa and the Middle East in the last few weeks. King Abdullah II asked Marouf Al Bakhit to form a government in Jordan that will implement "genuine political reform," the Royal Court said in a statement. The government will "take practical steps, quick and concrete, to launch a process of genuine political reform" and "comprehensive development," according to a letter from the king to Al Bakhit. It also will act to strengthen democracy, the letter said. Jordan has been deprived of "achievement opportunities" due to some leaders' resistance to change, the king wrote, and because they had sometimes put their own interests ahead of those of the public. The king asked Al Bakhit and the new government "to conduct a thorough evaluation process" and review laws regarding political affairs and civil freedoms to "address the mistakes of the past" and develop "a clear action plan that takes the march of reform forward." In Jordan, police estimated that several thousand people gathered in capital Friday to demand more significant economic and political reforms. Protesters including Islamists, leftists and union members marched in downtown Amman, and there were protests in six other cities as well, authorities said.It was the third Friday in a row for the protests. Demonstrators gathered in front of the Al Husseini Mosque to decry government policies they blamed for rising prices, low wages and unemployment The Islamic Action Front, the political arm of the Jordanian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, is also asking for an "elected government." Currently, the king appoints the prime minister and the Cabinet.The Jordanian government in recent weeks announced several measures aimed at easing citizens' economic hardships, including reducing taxes on fuel derivatives and subsidizing some basic commodities. A pay raise of 20 Jordanian dinars a month (US$28) was given to civil servants, military personnel and retirees. But protesters Friday said the measures do not go far enough. ---------- Post added February-1st-2011 at 12:14 PM ---------- John Kerry says it's time for Mubarak to take himself out of the equation. 1648: The BBC's Paul Adams in Washington says: "John Kerry has become the most senior US politician to call for President Mubarak to step aside. The influential chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee is close to the White House and his views carry weight. Not only does he want Mr Mubarak, who he describes as a great nationalist, to step aside gracefully to make way for a new political structure, but he is also calling for a new relationship between the US and Egypt. America's public rhetoric has not always matched its private concerns, Mr Kerry says, and Washington has concentrated too much on financing the Egyptian military, with the result that pro-democracy demonstrators have been attacked by tear gas canisters marked 'Made in America', while US-supplied fighter jets swoop over Cairo. For decades, Mr Kerry concludes, the US pursued a Mubarak policy, now it must look beyond the Mubarak era and devise an Egyptian policy." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12307698 #1837: President Mubarak will say in a speech shortly that he will step down at the next election, but will stay in office until then, al-Arabiya TV reports. #1839: Al-Arabiya does not give its source for the news that President Mubarak will not stand for re-election in November, and there has been no official confirmation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 That is the most likely scenario,now whether his son will run or what games are played are less clear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD_washingtonredskins Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Wow...this is becoming a pretty significant event, huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 1837: President Mubarak will say in a speech shortly that he will step down at the next election, but will stay in office until then, al-Arabiya TV reports. I like that plan. Gives people time to get ready. Time to hold an election. It makes the transition a whole lot smoother. Kudos to whatever behind-the-scenes maneuvering it took to pull it off. Drawback: It allows the Bad Guys more lead time to get ready, too. And as I've observed, Hamas, for example, has played the "popular opinion" game before, and won. ---------- Wow...this is becoming a pretty significant event, huh? I'd think that in theory, this could be as big an event as the collapse of the USSR. Or as the fall of the Shah. (In fact, it might be a considerably bigger event than the fall of the Shah, since Iran doesn't have a powerful military and a huge border with Israel.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I like that plan. Gives people time to get ready. Time to hold an election. It makes the transition a whole lot smoother. Kudos to whatever behind-the-scenes maneuvering it took to pull it off. We'll have to see if the protesters accept this. Reporters there seem to think they won't. I think there's still the feeling that he's using this as a ploy to buy himself more time to either set up his son, one of his cronies, or just be able to outlast the protests and go back on his word later. I don't think people will be satisfied until he's given them some solid evidence that he's not planning on staying and maybe even that the elections will be more than a sham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Admittedly, what the article somebody posted, a while back, suggested would be the best plan, was for Mubarik to announce that he's stepping down, and to lift the 30-year-old state of emergency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 I would suggest mandating a election board representative of the population,but time is getting short for major revisions w/o delaying elections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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