Egypt In Crisis - U.S. Confused

[SB Shock]

Those protestors will be alot like 2008 supporters of Obama. You'll get what you want only to wake up 3 months later realizing your life still sucks.

I wonder where Obama was when the Iranian students were protesting?

[SB Shock]

There are reports coming out that the Saudi have interceded on Mubarak behalf and told him they would make up for loss of $$ that the U.S. was threatening to withhold if Mubarak didn't step down.

A senior Saudi source told the London Times that "Mubarak and King Abdullah are not just allies, they are close friends, and the King is not about to see his friend cast aside and humiliated."

Saudi King supposedly told Obama that they were not happy with the U.S. abandoning moderate arab leaders in the mid-east (specifically in Lebanon and Egypt). A U.S. presidential emissary was turned away to demonstrate their anger.

[SubGod22]

There are reports coming out that the Saudi have interceded on Mubarak behalf and told him they would make up for loss of $$ that the U.S. was threatening to withhold if Mubarak didn't step down.

A senior Saudi source told the London Times that "Mubarak and King Abdullah are not just allies, they are close friends, and the King is not about to see his friend cast aside and humiliated."

Saudi King supposedly told Obama that they were not happy with the U.S. abandoning moderate arab leaders in the mid-east (specifically in Lebanon and Egypt). A U.S. presidential emissary was turned away to demonstrate their anger.

I'd been hearing that as well. Obama isn't doing so well in that region. Our closest allies have all had issues with him and it's sounding like we may lose Egypt and the Saudis. Israel seems to be a bit put off by this administration as well. He's done nothing for Lebanon. I think his only concern in the rest of the world is if Russia likes us or not.

[SubGod22]

I take that last part back....kinda. He's seemed to handle the Korea thing better than I expected him to. But we'll see how that plays out.

[SubGod22]

Massive Demonstrations as Mubarak Heads Out of Cairo

DEVELOPING: As protesters fill Tahrir Square in another day of demonstrations, an Israeli military intelligence official told Fox News that President Mubarak has left Cairo via helicopter, and was headed to his residence in Sharem a-Sheikh, a resort town in Egypt.

The development comes a day after the embattled leader told protesters he planned to stay in office until the country’s upcoming elections in September. Mubarak will make an "important" statement later Friday, according to reports on state TV. U.S. State Department officials, however, expect Vice President Omar Suleiman to release a statement within hours.

More than 20,000 protesters gathered in front of the president palace in Heliopolis, just outside Cairo. Army officials offered the protesters food amid a jubilant atmosphere, Fox News in Egypt reports.

[SubGod22]

Fox News Online is reporting that the Egyptian VP has announced Mubarak has stepped down.

[SB Shock]

Fox News Online is reporting that the Egyptian VP has announced Mubarak has stepped down.

I wonder if Obama will step asside to the will of the people next time 250,000 people demonstrate in D.C. against him? :)

[SubGod22]

Fox News Online is reporting that the Egyptian VP has announced Mubarak has stepped down.

I wonder if Obama will step asside to the will of the people next time 250,000 people demonstrate in D.C. against him? :)

[SubGod22]

Ahmadinejad: Egyptian Protests Herald New Mideast

TEHRAN, Iran – Iran's president declared Friday that Egypt's uprising shows a new Middle East is emerging that will doom Israel and break free of American "interference," even as Tehran clamps down harder on its own domestic opposition movement.

Iran has sought to portray the popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt as a replay of its 1979 Islamic Revolution -- whose anniversary was marked Friday by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech and state-organized rallies that included chants of support for Egypt's anti-government protests.

"Despite all the (West's) complicated and satanic designs ... a new Middle East is emerging without the Zionist regime and U.S. interference, a place where the arrogant powers will have no place," Ahmadinejad told a crowd filling Tehran's Azadi, or Freedom, Square.

Last week, Egypt's foreign minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, turned the tables on Iran. Aboul Gheit told reporters that Iranian officials should listen to the calls for reform from within their own country rather than "distracting the Iranian people's attention by hiding behind what is happening in Egypt."

"Iran's critical moment has not come yet, but we will watch that moment with great anticipation and interest," he said in Cairo.

Iran is applying increased pressure to keep opposition groups from seizing the moment with rallies linked to the Egyptian crisis.

Security forces have arrested several opposition activists, including aides to Iran's opposition leaders.

Authorities also placed Mahdi Karroubi, one of Iran's opposition leaders, under house arrest, posting security officers at his door in response to his calls for an Iranian opposition rally in support of the demonstrations in Egypt.

I wonder if this will impact the Iranian opposition to try and be more vocal. However, Mubarak was about to use the tactics that Iran and the Revolutionary Guard will. Doesn't surprise me one bit that Iran is trying to spin this in thier favor.

[SB Shock]

Mubarak:

We see the democracy the United States spearheaded in Iran and with Hamas, in Gaza, and that's the fate of the Middle East,'

"'They may be talking about democracy but they don't know what they're talking about and the result will be extremism and radical Islam,'

Mubarak went on to say that you can expect more upheavals along with increase in radical islam.

[wsushox1]

Mubarak:

We see the democracy the United States spearheaded in Iran and with Hamas, in Gaza, and that's the fate of the Middle East,'

"'They may be talking about democracy but they don't know what they're talking about and the result will be extremism and radical Islam,'

Mubarak went on to say that you can expect more upheavals along with increase in radical islam.

Well they have to blame someone for their poverty

[SB Shock]

Mubarak:

We see the democracy the United States spearheaded in Iran and with Hamas, in Gaza, and that's the fate of the Middle East,'

"'They may be talking about democracy but they don't know what they're talking about and the result will be extremism and radical Islam,'

Mubarak went on to say that you can expect more upheavals along with increase in radical islam.

Well they have to blame someone for their poverty

I am sure having the military disolve the constitution and take control of the company will be just what that country needed.

[SubGod22]

Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood plans political party

CAIRO — Egypt's long banned Muslim Brotherhood said Tuesday it intends to form a political party once democracy is established, as the country's new military rulers launched a panel of experts to amend the country's constitution enough to allow democratic elections later this year.

The military is trying to push ahead quickly with a transition after Mubarak resigned Friday in the face of 18 days of unprecedented popular protests that massed hundreds of thousands. The panel is to draw up changes at a breakneck pace — within 10 days — to end the monopoly that ousted President Hosni Mubarak's ruling party once held, which it ensured through widespread election rigging.

Does anyone have a feeling that the Muslim Brotherhood is going to dominate the elections? Not good for us or Israel if that's what happens.

[Maggie]

Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood plans political party

CAIRO — Egypt's long banned Muslim Brotherhood said Tuesday it intends to form a political party once democracy is established, as the country's new military rulers launched a panel of experts to amend the country's constitution enough to allow democratic elections later this year.

The military is trying to push ahead quickly with a transition after Mubarak resigned Friday in the face of 18 days of unprecedented popular protests that massed hundreds of thousands. The panel is to draw up changes at a breakneck pace — within 10 days — to end the monopoly that ousted President Hosni Mubarak's ruling party once held, which it ensured through widespread election rigging.

Does anyone have a feeling that the Muslim Brotherhood is going to dominate the elections? Not good for us or Israel if that's what happens.

The Muslim Brotherhood will be working behind the scenes. It is the most organized group in Egypt (and this uprising has been far from organized) – it has waiting for decades for this to happen and it will be willing to wait a little longer. Historically speaking, the only positive thing I can say is there appears to br (and I could be wrong) no Khomeini type figure in the background, yet.

What is disturbing is that our Administration seems to have no clue – they are not handling this well.

[SB Shock]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/02/15/60minutes/main20032070.shtml?tag=exclsv

CBS News Lara Logan sexually assaulted.

(CBSNews)

On Friday, Feb. 11, the day Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down, CBS chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan was covering the jubilation in Tahrir Square for a "60 Minutes" story when she and her team and their security were surrounded by a dangerous element amidst the celebration. It was a mob of more than 200 people whipped into frenzy.

In the crush of the mob, she was separated from her crew. She was surrounded and suffered a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating before being saved by a group of women and an estimated 20 Egyptian soldiers. She reconnected with the CBS team, returned to her hotel and returned to the United States on the first flight the next morning. She is currently in the hospital recovering.