Egyptian Uprising

[Josh42]

^ :D Makes me happy. More peaceful revolutions EVERYWHERE.

[The Final Track]

I wouldn't doubt other governments will fear what happened in Egypt and send out more police or even the military.

[nancyk58]

News in relation to Egypt on 15.2.11

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12466893

 

15 February 2011 Last updated at 15:15 GMT

 

EGYPT CRISIS: ARMY SETS CONSTITUTION REFORM DEADLINE

 

Egypt's ruling military council has announced that work on reforming the country's constitution is to be completed in 10 days.

 

A committee led by a retired judge has been tasked with proposing legal changes, said the council.

 

It earlier suspended the current constitution, which was amended during ousted President Hosni Mubarak's tenure to strengthen his grip on power.

 

Mr Mubarak stepped down last week after more than two weeks of protests.

 

The higher military council - which assumed power after Mr Mubarak stepped down - said on Tuesday that the amended constitution would be put to a popular referendum.

 

The eight-member committee is mostly made up of experts in constitutional law but it includes a senior figure from the opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood.

 

It is headed by Tariq el-Bishri, considered one of Egypt's top legal minds, and on Tuesday held its opening meeting with Defence Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi.

 

The committee is instructed to "amend all articles as it sees fit to guarantee democracy and the integrity of presidential and parliamentary elections".

 

Strikes ease

 

The BBC's Jon Leyne in Cairo says it looks as if the military council is fulfilling its pledge to hand the country back to civilian rule as quickly as possible.

 

The speed of the move will reassure the opposition, he says, although there might be some nervousness about whether it is an attempt to push through changes in too much of a rush.

 

The military council has also repeated its calls for an end to strikes that spread across the country during Sunday and Monday.

 

The stoppages are dealing a further blow to Egypt's ailing economy, damaged by three weeks of unrest.

 

"The supreme council is aware of the economic and social circumstances society is undergoing, but these issues cannot be resolved before the strikes and sit-ins end," the state news agency Mena quoted the military as saying.

 

"The result of that will be disastrous," it added.

 

Strikes eased on Tuesday, mainly because offices and businesses were closed for an Islamic holiday.

 

But correspondents said some smaller protests continued in provinces outside Cairo, mainly called by workers demanding higher pay.

 

Meanwhile, Mr Mubarak, 82, is reported to be in poor health in his residence in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

 

The Saudi-owned daily newspaper Asharq al-Awsat said on Tuesday that the former president's health was "declining drastically" and he was refusing to travel abroad for treatment. The paper quoted a former security official linked to the military high command.

 

In his final speeches to the nation, Mr Mubarak said that he would die in Egypt. He has not been seen in public since stepping down.

 

On Tuesday, the Egyptian ambassador to the US told American TV network NBC that Mr Mubarak was in poor health.

[bart]

I wonder how long it will take for the EU to get a mass invasion from Egypt.

Personally any boat that comes into our soverigen waters with the intention of letting 1000´s of people enter a country could be deemed as an act of war. These boats should be shot out of the sea as a deterent, then it may put people of from coming, as life here will be no better for them despite the false belief in the dream of a better life. I see it everyday here in Barcelona and they have a horrible life.

 

However once and if they do make it to their intended destionation country, they should be treated with decency !

[burningmonk]

I wonder how long it will take for the EU to get a mass invasion from Egypt.

Personally any boat that comes into our soverigen waters with the intention of letting 1000´s of people enter a country could be deemed as an act of war. These boats should be shot out of the sea as a deterent, then it may put people of from coming, as life here will be no better for them despite the false belief in the dream of a better life. I see it everyday here in Barcelona and they have a horrible life.

 

However once and if they do make it to their intended destionation country, they should be treated with decency !

 

:stunned:

[nancyk58]

AVAAZ.org has prepared a petition with this contents:

 

To the G20 and other world leaders:

 

We call on you to immediately freeze any assets of the former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, his family, and his circle of friends and advisers -- so they can be investigated and returned to the Egyptian people; and to provide cooperation and assistance to Egyptian authorities under Article 51 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.

 

Link to this petition:

 

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/mubaraks_fortune_l/97.php?cl_tta_sign=b4f36c75d59bbd4e317e6602b014519e

 

 

Freeze Mubarak's stolen fortune

 

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been swept from power by extraordinary public demonstrations against his corrupt regime, but unless we all act now he could take billions in stolen public money with him.

 

Mubarak is estimated to have amassed up to $70 billion across the world!

 

Governments have just days to freeze these assets before Mubarak, his family and inner circle can hide them. Switzerland has already frozen his finances, and some EU leaders have offered to help. But only a massive outcry can get decisive global action to stop the Mubarak fortune from disappearing.

 

This is our moment to give critical support to the Egyptian struggle for a new era -- let's raise the pressure on all nations to ensure Mubarak's assets are returned to their rightful owners -- the Egyptian people.

 

If we reach 500,000 by Friday -- we will deliver it to the G20 meeting.

[nancyk58]

365 died in connection with the Egyptian Uprising. According to Egypt's Health Ministry 5,500 were wounded.

 

The USA is worried about the future party representing the Moslem Brotherhood. There is a fear that if the Muslim Brotherhood's party comes to power, that it will not respect the Camp David agreement between Israel and Egypt.

[Karencorpse]

I am glad they protected the artifacts. I am glad they got the bad Egyptian MWO president out of Egypt. The will replace it with a new government. They should have this all in place and the new people to run the country the best way, or the country will be in more turmoil. They should make sure the country is not run by the military which is happening now. There were countries that were overthrown by riots often run by someone who wants to dictate the country. There is news about this happening in other countries.

[nancyk58]

Egypt's army is facing challenges over how it handles strikes and the Mubarak legacy, writes BBC Middle East editor Jeremy Bowen.

 

Link: Bowen: Bumpy ride

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

16 February 2011 Last updated at 22:38 GMT

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12486688

 

 

ANGUISH OVER MYSTERY OF MISSING EGYPTIAN PROTESTERS

 

By Paul Adams / BBC News, Cairo

 

It has been almost three weeks since Ziad Bakir disappeared.

 

For his family, it means long, anxious days of waiting and wondering.

 

"Believe me, everything came to our mind," says his father, Mohammed, at home in the neighbourhood of Mohandiseen.

 

"Perhaps he has been killed, he has been injured, he has been detained."

 

Mohammed says he visited all the hospitals and morgues of Cairo, looking for his son, but found nothing.

 

First participation

 

Ziad, a 37-year-old father of three, is a graphic designer with the Cairo opera. An artist not much interested in politics. But conscious, in late January, that something hugely important was happening.

 

His sister, abroad at the time, suggested he should go and take a look.

 

"I have a bit of a guilty feeling that maybe I encouraged him to join the demonstrations," says Mirette, also an artist.

 

On Friday 28 January, Ziad finally decided to take part. He asked for his father's advice. Mohammed hesitated but concluded it would be wrong to say no.

 

Accompanied by a friend, Ziad joined the demonstration in Tahrir Square, just as tensions came to the boil.

 

The square was thronged with demonstrations and there were ugly scenes as pro-Mubarak supporters attacked from nearby streets. The friend left for a couple of minutes. When he came back, Ziad was gone.

 

Chaotic times

 

During those chaotic days, hundreds of protesters were arrested, some by the police, and some by officers in plain clothes.

 

Most of those detained were released last week. But at least 100 remain in military camps. And around 50, including Ziad, are still unaccounted for.

 

Human rights activists are struggling to keep up with the aftermath, not helped by the fact that Egypt's new military rulers are saying nothing.

 

"I think it's one rule of human rights," says Ahmed Ragheb of the Hisham Mubarak Law Centre, "that the government... show how many people are in the camps in Egypt and why these people are in these camps."

 

With the army now in charge, there are real concerns that old regime habits remain very much alive.

 

"It's worrying that the military is still involved in these detentions," says Tom Porteous, of Human Rights Watch, "at a time when the military needs to send very clear messages about a break with the repressive past."

 

For Ziad's sister, the message so far has been confusing.

 

"We were expecting this to come from the police but not from the army," says Mirette. "Why did you detain my brother? What did he do?"

 

For all the nagging fear, her father Mohammed chooses to be hopeful.

 

"He will return back I'm sure," he says, stoically. "But looking forward for the future of this country, it is democracy, democracy, democracy."

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12495733

 

Bahrain tightens grip on protests

 

Protests are banned in Bahrain and the military is ordered to tighten its grip after the violent removal of anti-government demonstrators

 

3 killed in Bahrain when the police cleared a central square.

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12490504

 

17 February 2011 Last updated at 10:48 GMT

 

Libya protests: Activists call for 'day of anger'

 

Anti-government activists in LIBYA have been using social networking sites to rally support for protests on what they are describing as a "day of anger".

 

There were reports of clashes in two cities late on Wednesday, with about four people reported dead in the eastern city of al-Bayda.

 

Anti-government activists call for a "day of anger" in Libya, with reports of more overnight unrest in two cities, and about four people reported dead.

[Reilly]

Daryl wtf!

[nancyk58]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12512641

 

18 February 2011 Last updated at 22:49 GMT

 

EGYPTIANS CELEBRATE BUT MILITARY STARTS TALKING TOUGH

 

Egypt's ruling military council says it will not tolerate any more strikes which disrupt the country's economy.

 

State television carried a statement in which the military said strikers would be "confronted".

 

Egypt's huge public sector has been hit by stoppages by groups including policemen and factory workers.

 

The army statement came at the end of a day in which millions of Egyptians had celebrated the victory of their revolution one week ago.

 

Cairo's Tahrir Square was again at the centre of events, with an estimated two million people gathering there to celebrate the removal of Hosni Mubarak and to pay tribute to the 365 people who died in the uprising.

 

The demonstration was also intended as a show of strength - a reminder to the current military rulers to keep their promise of a swift transition to democracy.

 

By evening, the gathering had become a huge party, with music, singing, dancing, fireworks and food.

 

But the military statement struck a more sober tone.

 

Economic damage

 

The weeks of protests had already damaged the country's economy, with banks, offices and shops frequently closed, and the tourism sector badly affected.

 

Workers, inspired by the political protests, have also been staging strikes to demand better pay and conditions.

 

The military statement pointed to "some sectors that have... organised stoppages and protests, disrupting (economic) interests, halting the wheels of production and creating difficult economic conditions that could lead to the deterioration of the nation's economy."

 

"They will be confronted and legal steps will be taken against them to protect the security of the nation and citizens," the statement threatened.

 

The warning appears directed only at strikers - the military has previously promised not to take action against the political protests - but the tough words could mark growing impatience with the demonstrators as well.

 

In one sign of a possible return to normality, authorities on Friday re-opened the Rafah border crossing to Gaza for Palestinians who had been stranded in Egypt by the unrest.

 

It was open for a few hours on Friday and will open again over the next few days, according to officials.

 

The border crossing has been mostly closed since 2007 as part of a blockade of Gaza by Israel and Egypt, imposed after Hamas took control of the Palestinian territory.

 

Hamas authorities in Gaza are hoping the new regime will reopen the crossing more permanently.

 

Meanwhile, some Islamist websites have posted what is believed to be a response from al-Qaeda's number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri, to the uprising in his home country.

 

In an audio recording which appeared to have been recorded before the resignation of President Mubarak, Zawahiri said the "reality of Egypt" was one of "ideological, political, economic, financial, moral and social corruption".

 

He said Mr Mubarak's rule was based on violence and fraudulent elections, in contrast with an Islamic state which would focus on morals, justice and equality.

 

The recording could not be independently authenticated.

[nancyk58]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12690935

 

9 March 2011 Last updated at 23:02 GMT

 

Egypt: Cairo's Tahrir Square sees rival groups clash

 

Hundreds of people with sticks and knives have clashed with pro-democracy activists in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

 

Stones were thrown by both sides in the square, and at least two people were reportedly injured.

 

The people who entered Tahrir reportedly wanted to force the activists out of the square - the heart of recent anti-government protests.

 

Meanwhile, reformist Mohammed ElBaradei said he intended to run in presidential elections expected later this year.

 

"When the door of presidential nominations opens, I intend to nominate myself," the Nobel laureate and former head of the UN nuclear watchdog told Egypt's ONTV television.

 

Mr ElBaradei said he would vote against constitutional amendments if they were put to a referendum on 19 March, and called for a new constitution.

 

'Return to normality'

 

"Hundreds of men carrying knives and swords entered Tahrir," the AFP news agency quoted a report on Egypt's state TV as saying.

 

The TV channel showed footage of hundreds of people involved in a stand-off and throwing stones at each other.

 

"A group of gangsters attacked us with stones, they seemed to be wanting us to leave the square," Gamal Hussein, one of the pro-democracy protesters, later told Reuters.

 

Later on Wednesday, army officers were seen removing demonstrators' tents and asking them to leave the square.

 

Groups of activists have continued to gather in Tahrir Square even after mass protests forced President Hosni Mubarak to step down last month.

 

They are demanding a complete break with the Mubarak regime.

 

But critics say it is time for life to return to normal in the Egyptian capital.

 

Insecurity has been rife across Egypt after police disappeared from the streets of major cities during the mass protests.

 

On Tuesday, at least 13 people died and 140 were injured in clashes between Muslims and Coptic Christians in Cairo.

 

Egypt's military, currently governing the country, has struggled to keep control of the situation.

[nancyk58]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15807441

 

19 November 2011 Last updated at 22:35 GMT

 

Egypt protests: Deadly clashes in Cairo's Tahrir Square

 

At least one person has been killed and more than 600 wounded in fierce clashes between protesters and security forces in central Cairo.

 

The clashes came as police moved to prevent a long-term sit-in following a huge demonstration against the military leadership on Friday.

 

Some protesters lobbed rocks and a police vehicle was set on fire.

 

The latest violence comes just over a week before parliamentary elections are scheduled to begin.

 

Protesters - mostly Islamists and young activists - have been holding demonstrations against a draft constitution that they say would allow the military to retain too much power after a new civilian government is elected.

 

Witnesses said there were also demonstrations in Suez and Alexandria.

 

Rubber bullets

 

On Friday, tens of thousands held one of the largest protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square for months.

 

On Saturday, police moved to dismantle tents erected by demonstrators who had camped out for the night.

 

This prompted thousands of protesters to return to the square and clashes erupted. Police fired rubber bullets as cars were set on fire, witnesses said.

 

The numbers of protesters swelled, reportedly after a call went out on social media for people to join the demonstration following the police assault.

 

The state-run Mena news agency says more than 600 people were injured as the violence escalated.

 

One of the wounded demonstrators later died in hospital, the agency adds.

 

'Harsh beatings'

 

AFP quoted a security official as saying a number of arrests were made.

 

One of the demonstrators, Ali Abdel Aziz, said security forces beat up protesters to break up the sit-in on Saturday.

 

"They beat us harshly, they didn't care for either men or women," the 32-year-old accountancy professor told AFP news agency.

 

"The interior ministry must take responsibility. We have one demand, the military council must go," he said.

 

Black smoke rose over the square after protesters swarmed over an armoured police van, turned it over and set it alight, reports said.

 

There were multiple reports of injuries from rubber bullets, including to two journalists.

 

The ministry says a number of policemen were among the wounded.

[Saffire]

[nancyk58]

Swedish SVT Text: Egyptian riot policemen have cleared the Tahrir Square and destroyed the tents there. Tear gas was used against the protesters. Yesterday one person died. Today 2 died. Thousands are still in the streets round the Tahrir Square. -

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/

 

20 November 2011 Last updated at 21:01 GMT

 

Thousands of protesters re-occupy Tahrir Square in Cairo less than an hour after a violent attempt by troops and police to evict them.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15766246

 

19 November 2011 Last updated at 15:47 GMT

 

How much has Egypt really changed?

 

By Stephen Sackur / Former BBC Middle East correspondent

 

As Egyptians prepare to vote in their first parliamentary election since last February's revolution that ousted President Mubarak, have they really seen the changes they were fighting for?

 

Autumn darkness has enveloped Cairo. I am waiting outside high, fortified gates as my papers are being scrutinised by an armed guard.

 

A sullen nod ushers me into a crowded compound. Uniformed soldiers are huddled near their armoured vehicles.

 

This is Egypt's Ministry of Information. It is my first visit to Cairo's house of propaganda in almost 20 years. It strikes me that very little has changed.

 

The last time I was here I was in trouble.

 

I had made a television documentary which infuriated the then Information Minister Safwat Sharif.

 

"You're undermining this country," Mr Sharif had raged at me back then. "Overstep the mark again and you will no longer be welcome in Egypt."

 

Safwat Sharif now has his own, more pressing problems.

 

He is currently in jail facing trial on a host of corruption and conspiracy charges alongside his political master of 30 years, Hosni Mubarak.

 

But do not be fooled by the striking images of Egypt's former rulers languishing behind bars in their prison pyjamas.

 

Last winter's revolution claimed some prized scalps but it did not tear down the old regime.

 

For the past nine months, Egypt has been ruled by a military council, a junta, headed by the man who loyally served Mubarak as military chief and defence minister for 20 years.

 

Last February, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi promised Egyptians the army was on their side.

 

His words then were reassuring, his actions since have been anything but.

 

"The real revolution hasn't happened yet," declares Tarek Shalaby, a veteran of the Tahrir Square protests.

 

Six months ago he was arrested, roughed up and handed a suspended prison sentence by a military court.

 

Now every time he blogs or marches, he runs the risk of joining thousands of other activists in long-term detention.

 

Why has the army lost the trust of so many of the Tahrir generation?

 

For an answer, I seek out one of my oldest friends in Cairo - Mohamed Gohar, a canny veteran of almost four decades in the media business, a TV entrepreneur with the hide of a rhino.

 

"If you'd been with me on October 9th," he says, "then you'd understand."

 

He gives me an account so vivid it takes my breath away. How a crowd of protesters - mostly Coptic Christians - gathered on the street below his office that evening to protest about a series of sectarian attacks.

 

How unseen snipers opened fire on the crowd, then Egyptian army vehicles ploughed into the throng, crushing and breaking bodies.

 

How the dead and wounded were carried to his ground-floor stairwell and how he hid 17 desperate men and women in a back bathroom, while troops searched the building looking for Christians.

 

"You know that movie Schindler's List? I felt I was reliving it," he tells me. "I was ashamed, seeing soldiers doing this to my people."

 

"But why did they do it?" I ask.

 

"To send a message that, without them, Egypt is chaos.

 

The generals have run this country for 60 years, you think they want to give it up now?"

 

Next weekend, Egyptians will vote in parliamentary elections.

 

They will face an alphabet soup of political parties from strict Islamist to committed secularist but, when the votes are counted, real power will still be in the hands of the junta.

 

There is already talk of a new constitution granting special powers to the armed forces.

 

And a mysterious but seemingly well funded political movement is calling on Field Marshal Tantawi to run for president in 2013.

 

'Not any more'

 

Which brings me back to the Ministry of Information.

 

After the revolution, Tantawi decreed that this hated source of censorship and official deceit was to be closed down. Five months later the generals changed their minds.

 

I find myself shaking hands with Egypt's new minister of information, a dapper former journalist called Osama Heikal.

 

Just months into the job, he exhibits the slippery skills of a veteran. The killing of more than two dozen Copts was unfortunate, he concedes, but the army is investigating. The state of emergency will be ended just as soon as stability has been restored.

 

As I am heading out of the ministry compound, one of his staff approaches. I suspect he is going to berate me for my impertinent questioning of his boss.

 

Instead he slaps me on the back.

 

"Great interview," he says. "What a liar that guy is. They still think they can say what they like and the people will believe them.

 

"But they can't, not any more."

 

Stephen Sackur will be reporting from Egypt for HARDtalk on the Road broadcast from Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 November 2011 on the BBC News Channel and BBC World News.

[chuck kottke]

>One has to wonder what role the US government, working as it has for economic "interests", played in all this.. or have we turned over a new leaf, started down a different path?

(Wonder what Confessions an Economic Hit-man might have to offer...? )

 

[nancyk58]

Swedish text-TV / SVT: 11 PROTESTERS have DIED in clashes between police and demonstrators in Egypt's capital CAIRO - according to AFP.

 

The EU CONDEMNS THE VIOLENCE IN EGYPT less than 2 weeks before the parliamentary election on 28 November. (SVT Text)

 

 

Danish text-TV / DR1: EGYPTIAN UNREST SPREADING TO OTHER CITIES

 

In Minya a solidarity march has ended in violence. Protesters have tried to storm the local police station.

 

The Abaeen Square in SUEZ is packed with demonstrators according to the Egyptian website Ahram online. People have attempted to storm the police station. They have thrown stones at the building. The police response was enormous amounts of tear gas.

 

A large number of demonstrators have also surrounded the police / army headquarters in Alexandria.

 

 

Danish TV2 TTV: AT LEAST 11 KILLED AT THE TAHRIR SQUARE IN CAIRO

 

For the third day running, the Tahrir Square in the central part of Egypt's capital Cairo experienced massive protests.

 

For the second day running, it ended in clashes when police and military tried to clear the square. At least 11 died in clashes according to medical sources.

 

Several have been killed by rounds, and at least 3 died from suffocation caused by enormous amounts of teargas fired by the security forces, so Muhammed Fatuh says - he is in charge of a field hospital at the Tahrir Square.

[nancyk58]

Latest from EGYPT:

 

Up to 33 killed in clashes between police and protesters at the Tahrir Square in Cairo since Friday.

 

The election on 28 November 2011 might be threatened.

 

The Danish and German foreign ministers have expressed their concern with the violence in CAIRO.

 

Many demonstrators are gathering at the Tahrir Square and in several other major cities.

 

Eye witnesses characterize the situation as tense.

 

The Egyptian government has resigned, and the military council has accepted this.

 

The resignation was a protest against the military's / army's violent response to the protests and protestors.

 

12,000 people have been brought before the military tribunal since Mubarak was forced to resign.

 

 

 

Sources: Danish text-TV (DR1 and TV2) plus Swedish SVT Text and German ZDF Text

[nancyk58]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15826048

 

21 November 2011 Last updated at 22:45 GMT

 

Egypt cabinet offers to resign as Cairo protests grow

 

Egypt's cabinet has offered to resign after three days of protests against the country's military rulers, state media have reported.

 

Cabinet spokesman Mohammed Hegazy said the resignation had not yet been accepted by the military council.

 

As he spoke, thousands of people swelled crowds of protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

 

More than 20 people have been killed and nearly 1,800 injured in three days of violence in the Egyptian capital.

 

A tense stand-off was taking shape in Tahrir Square, where tens of thousands of protesters remained in the square late into the night, and ambulances with sirens wailing ferried the injured to hospital.

 

Egyptian activist groups have been demanding the military council hand power to a civilian government.

 

The government of Prime Minister Essam Sharaf has handed its resignation to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces," cabinet spokesman Mohammed Hegazy said in a statement carried by the official Mena news agency.

 

"Owing to the difficult circumstances the country is going through, the government will continue working (until the resignation is accepted)."

 

A military source has told the BBC that the council is meeting now to discuss the cabinet's offer, but there is still no consensus on whether to accept it. The same source said that the council was also consulting other political groups.

 

The BBC's Yolande Knell in Cairo says the crowds in Tahrir Square cheered and shouted "God is great" when they heard news that the cabinet had submitted its resignation.

 

However they soon resumed an earlier chant "the people want the removal of the marshal" - a reference to Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, who heads the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.

 

The ruling generals are the real focus of demonstrators' anger, she adds. The interim cabinet is seen as having little power.

 

Our correspondent says several thousand people remain in Tahrir Square and many plan to spend the night.

 

Protests are also being reported in other Egyptian cities, including in Alexandria where police are said to have fired tear gas to protect the offices of the security forces.

 

US 'concern'

 

As night fell in Cairo, thousands more flocked to the symbolic square - the focal point of protests that overthrew Hosni Mubarak in February.

 

Medics told the BBC they were seeing people injured by tear gas and rubber bullets.

 

Field Marshal Tantawi has the task of overseeing the country's transition to democracy after three decades of autocratic rule under ousted President Hosni Mubarak.

 

Elections are due to begin across Egypt next week but many Egyptians fear the military plans to hold on to the reins of power, whatever the outcome.

 

Late on Monday, a coalition of political groups - including followers of opposition figure Mohamed El Baradei - accused the military council of leading a "counter-revolution".

 

They called for a mass demonstration in Tahrir Square on Tuesday.

 

In a Facebook page for the rally, the groups called for the resignation of Prime Minister Essam Sharaf's cabinet and the formation of a "national salvation" government.

 

They also demanded a presidential election be held by April 2012.

 

As the violence and tension escalated the US called for restraint on all sides. "We're deeply concerned about the violence," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.

 

Earlier on Monday protesters set up burning barricades in and around the square and threw stones at riot police and troops.

 

Security forces responded with batons, tear gas and birdshot.

 

Officials confirmed on Monday that more than 20 people had been killed and about 1,800 injured since Saturday.

 

One of the protesters in Cairo, Ahmed Imam, 33, said handing power to the military after the overthrow of Mr Mubarak had been a mistake.

 

"We should not have left the streets. We handed power to the military on a silver platter," he said.

 

"The revolutionaries went home too soon. We collected the spoils and left before the battle was over."

 

In other developments

 

Culture minister Emad Abu Ghazi resigned in protest at the government response and 25 Egyptian political parties called for the ministers of information and the interior to be sacked over the violence

 

A group of senior Egyptian diplomats condemned the way the protests had been handled and demanded an immediate halt to attacks on protesters

 

Amr Moussa, former secretary-general of the Arab League and now a presidential candidate in Egypt, said the use of force against the protesters could not be justified

 

Trouble started on Saturday after demonstrations against proposed constitutional changes unveiled by the interim government.

 

The military council produced a draft document setting out principles for a new constitution, under which the military and its budget could be exempted from civilian oversight.

 

A proposal by the military to delay the presidential election until late 2012 or early 2013 has further angered the opposition.

 

Protesters want the presidential vote to take place after parliamentary elections, which begin on 28 November and will be staggered over the next three months.

[nancyk58]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15843425

 

22 November 2011 Last updated at 22:00 GMT

 

Egypt military pledges to speed up power transfer

 

Egypt's military rulers have agreed to speed up presidential elections, a key demand of protesters packing Cairo's Tahrir Square.

 

Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi said on national TV they would happen by July 2012.

 

He said parliamentary elections due next week would go ahead and that a referendum on an immediate transfer of power would be organised if necessary.

 

It follows days of protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square over the pace of reform.

 

Tens of thousands of people continued to pack the square on Tuesday evening.

 

Witnesses said many appeared to reject the military's latest concessions, chanting: "We are not leaving, he (Tantawi) leaves."

 

At one point late on Tuesday evening, security forces sent a barrage of tear gas across parts of Tahrir Square forcing many protesters to temporarily flee.

 

The BBC's Lyse Doucet tweeted that the effects of the gas could be felt on the far edges of the square. The wail of ambulance sirens hadn't stopped for hours, she added.

 

The US, in its strongest comments yet on the renewed unrest in Egypt, condemned the use of "excess" force by police. At least 28 people have been killed and hundreds injured since Saturday.

 

US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland called on Egyptian authorities to "exercise maximum restraint".

 

Next week's parliamentary elections are due to set in train a process of transition to democracy following the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak in February.

 

But many Egyptians fear the military intends to hold on to power, whatever the outcome of the polls.

 

Under the military's original timetable, presidential elections might not have happened until 2013.

 

The BBC's Kevin Connolly in Cairo says the army's readiness to bring forward presidential elections appears to be a major concession.

 

Field Marshal Tantawi, head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, said that the military was only there to protect the people and did not seek permanent power.

 

"The armed forces, represented by their Supreme Council, do not aspire to govern and put the supreme interest of the country above all considerations," he said.

 

"They are fully prepared to immediately hand over power and to return to their original duty in protecting the homeland if that what they people want, through a popular referendum if necessary."

 

Salvation government

 

His announcement followed a day of crisis talks between the military and political leaders.

 

As the talks took place, Prime Minister Essam Sharaf spoke briefly to reporters and pleaded for calm.

 

"All I ask of the people is that they leave, calm down. We have responded to what they wanted. We were so close to our main goal which is the elections. This is what is important, the political shift," he said.

 

Tahrir Square was the focal point for protests that toppled President Mubarak.

 

Much of Tuesday's violence took place in the streets leading between the square and the interior ministry building, witnesses say.

 

One protester near the ministry was seen hanging an effigy of Field Marshal Tantawi from a traffic light.

 

Clashes were also reported in several other Egyptian cities including Alexandria, Suez, Port Said and Aswan.

 

Parliamentary elections that begin next week will be staggered over three months.

 

They were cast in doubt after days of protests and by the offer by the military-appointed civilian cabinet, led by Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, to resign.

 

The military's original timetable called for the new parliament to then choose a 100-member constituent assembly to draw up a new constitution within six months.

 

A referendum would then approve the document before a presidential election is held. That would mean the military still in power until late 2012 or early 2013.

 

Protesters, however, had demanded the presidential vote take place after the parliamentary elections.

 

 

Yolande Knell / BBC News, Cairo

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

As details of Field Marshal Tantawi's speech filtered through to the crowds in Tahrir Square, protesters groaned and shook their heads. "Leave, leave," was the chant that went up.

 

The head of the armed forces council insisted that the military didn't aspire to power.

 

He said it was committed to holding parliamentary elections on schedule and that a new president would be elected sooner than expected, by the end of June.

 

While such announcements fell short of what demonstrators have demanded, they might be enough to convince many Egyptians who haven't joined them on the streets.

 

 

Danish text-TV: Up to 36 have been killed and close to 1,800 injured since the beginning of the clashes last Friday.

[nancyk58]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/

 

24 November 2011 Last updated at 22:53 GMT

 

Egypt's military rulers appoint former Prime Minister Kamal Ganzouri to form a new government, state media say.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15883031

 

Egypt military 'appoints Kamal Ganzouri as new PM'

 

Egypt's military rulers have appointed ex-Prime Minister Kamal Ganzouri to form a new government, state media say.

 

The previous military-appointed civilian cabinet resigned earlier this week in the wake of violent protests in Cairo and other cities.

 

The military council has said parliamentary elections will begin across Egypt next week as scheduled.

 

Clashes near Cairo's Tahrir Square have subsided but activists are calling for renewed protests on Friday.

 

Large numbers of demonstrators are spending the night in the square ahead of a mass rally after Friday prayers.

 

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) is overseeing a transition to civilian rule following the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak in February.

 

Despite promises by the council to speed up the process, many Egyptians fear the military intends to cling to power.

 

Mr Ganzouri headed Egypt's government from 1996 to 1999 under Mr Mubarak.

 

Egypt divided ahead of crucial elections

 

State newspaper al-Ahram said on its website that Mr Ganzouri had agreed in principle to lead a national salvation government after meeting Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, head of the military council.

 

Mr Ganzouri, who has distanced himself from Mr Mubarak's regime, has been suggested as a possible presidential candidate.

 

Military apology

 

The BBC's Yolande Knell, in Cairo, says Mr Ganzouri was in talks with military leaders earlier on Thursday.

 

During his term as prime minister, he was known as the "minister of the poor" because he was seen as representing the less well-off, and he remains popular with Egyptians, she says.

 

Earlier on Thursday, military leaders apologised for the deaths of about 38 protesters in clashes with police since Saturday.

 

The violence has been the worst since February.

 

Maj Gen Muhammad al-Assar expressed "the regret and apology of the entire armed forces on the tragedy that occurred".

 

He added: "Our hearts bled for what happened. We hope that this crisis will end and, God willing, it will not be repeated again."

 

Activists are urging mass protests on what they call "the Friday of the last chance" to demand an immediate transfer to civilian rule. They want Monday's elections postponed until the military steps down.

 

However, many other Egyptians want elections to go ahead unhindered. The main opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, is not supporting the protests and expects to do well in the polls.

 

Much of the violence has taken place in a street leading from Tahrir Square to the interior ministry.

 

Soldiers have now set up barricades of cement, metal bars and barbed wire to separate protesters and security forces.

 

On Tuesday, Field Marshal Tantawi accepted the resignation of caretaker Prime Minister Essam Sharaf's cabinet and summoned political leaders to discuss a way forward.

 

He sought to defuse the protests by promising presidential elections by June - six months sooner than planned.

 

Violent tactics fuel Egyptian anger

 

The BBC's Yolande Knell in Cairo says that Egyptians are becoming increasingly concerned at the brutal methods of the security forces

 

 

Reporter from the Danish TV2 News visited a field hospital in Cairo that was attacked 6 times by the Security Forces.

 

A 10-year-old boy had been shot in his head.

[nancyk58]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15900768

 

25 November 2011 Last updated at 22:38 GMT

 

Egypt new Prime Minister Kamal Ganzouri asks for time

 

Prime Minister-designate Kamal Ganzouri has asked Egyptians to "give me a chance" as tens of thousands rally in Cairo against the military rulers.

 

In his first public comments since being named, he said he would not name a new government before Monday's polls.

 

The protesters in central Cairo's Tahrir Square want the parliamentary elections postponed.

 

Not far away, a smaller counter-demonstration was held in support of the military and the elections.

 

More than 40 people were killed earlier this week as the security forces tried to break up the massive protests, leading to the worst violence since the fall of President Hosni Mubarak in February.

 

But the BBC's Lyse Doucet in Tahrir Square says a truce seems to have ended the clashes and a carnival atmosphere returned to the demonstrations on Friday.

 

People were letting off fireworks and shouting "Down with the military regime," she says.

 

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) is overseeing a transition to civilian rule.

 

Despite promises by the council to speed up the process, some protesters fear it intends to cling to power. They want military rule to end before parliamentary elections are held.

 

Yet many Egyptians want the polls to go ahead as planned. One influential group, the Muslim Brotherhood - which is expected to do well in the vote - is not supporting the Tahrir Square protests.

 

At least 10,000 people staged a rival rally on Friday in Abbasiya Square - near the defence ministry, north of Tahrir Square - to show support for the military's electoral timetable

 

They chanted "Down with Tahrir" and "Yes to the military council".

 

Washington has said power in Egypt should be transferred to civilians "as soon as possible".

 

"The United States strongly believes that the new Egyptian government must be empowered with real authority immediately," a White House statement said.

 

Sunni Islam's highest authority, the grand imam of Cairo's al-Azhar mosque, sent the Tahrir Square protesters a rare message of support. An aide, Hassan Shafie, was shown on local TV telling the crowd on Tahrir Square: "The grand imam backs you and is praying for your victory."

 

There have also been anti-military protests in Alexandria and the southern towns of Luxor and Assiut, according to the AP news agency.

 

'Tantawi not staying'

 

In Cairo, hundreds of protesters camped outside the cabinet office, saying they would prevent Mr Ganzouri's team from entering.

 

The prime minister-designate said he was sure that Scaf leader Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi had no desire to stay in power, saying that otherwise, he would not have agreed to lead the new government.

 

"Please give me a chance so that I can think and I can see who shall remain and who should go and table my proposal to the military council, Field Marshal Tantawi," he said in comments broadcast on state TV.

 

Mr Ganzouri, who headed Egypt's government from 1996 to 1999 under Mr Mubarak, said he had been granted greater powers than his predecessors but had not yet begun assembling his ministerial team, although it would be formed within the coming days.

 

Until then, he said former Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, who resigned following the violence earlier this week, would remain in office.

 

The Tahrir Square protests, which were backed by some trade unions, had been called a "last chance Friday" rally to demand an immediate transfer of power by the military.

 

Many demonstrators have rejected Mr Ganzouri's appointment.

 

"For the second time, we are going to depend upon the old guard of Mubarak's regime. Why do we not give chance for the young, instead of those people who are 80 years old?" one man in Cairo's Tahrir Square, Suhir Nadim, told Reuters news agency.

 

On Tuesday, Field Marshal Tantawi accepted the resignation of the previous military-backed civilian cabinet and announced that presidential elections would be held by June 2012 - six months earlier than planned.

 

The military council has apologised for the deaths of protesters, but insisted that parliamentary polls would start on Monday as scheduled.

 

Much of the recent violence has taken place in Mohammed Mahmoud street, which leads from Tahrir Square to the interior ministry. Soldiers have now set up barricades of cement, metal bars and barbed wire to separate protesters and security forces.

 

Mr Ganzouri, who distanced himself from Mr Mubarak's regime, has been suggested as a possible presidential candidate.

 

During his term as prime minister he was known as the "minister of the poor" because he was seen as representing the less well-off, and he remains popular with many Egyptians, says the BBC's Yolande Knell, in Cairo.

 

Monday marks mark the first step of an election timetable which lasts until March 2012 and covers two houses of parliament.

 

The elections will take place in stages around the country - each stage has reportedly been extended to two days.

 

 

Yolande Knell / BBC News, Cairo

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“The vendors selling tea and toffee apples are again doing an excellent trade in Cairo's Tahrir Square, lending a festive atmosphere to this demonstration”

 

 

PM-designate Kamal Ganzouri

 

Born 1933

US-educated economist

Prime minister 1996-1999

Dubbed 'minister of the poor"

Distanced himself from old regime after Mubarak's fall

Widely seen as a potential candidate in a future presidential election

[chuck kottke]

Kamal Ganzouri, interesting choice, hopefully with enough compassion and understanding, he will be a good choice for the citizens.

hm.., educated in the U.S. as an economist, briefly Prime Minister of Egypt, quite interesting!

Though having been given greater powers than his predecessor, will this mean an end to military rule, of putting the military under the control of the civilian government, or what does General Tantawi really mean?

"The prime minister-designate said he was sure that Scaf leader Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi had no desire to stay in power, saying that otherwise, he would not have agreed to lead the new government."

> But are his associates in the military still going to want to dominate the civilian government?

"Please give me a chance so that I can think and I can see who shall remain and who should go and table my proposal to the military council, Field Marshal Tantawi," he said in comments broadcast on state TV.

hm...

Mr Ganzouri, who headed Egypt's government from 1996 to 1999 under Mr Mubarak, said he had been granted greater powers than his predecessors but had not yet begun assembling his ministerial team, although it would be formed within the coming days.

> We'd all love to see the plan. General Washington gave up the opportunity to become a military general ruling this nation at it's founding, so it can happen. We shall see how things work out in Egypt. Hopefully for the better this time, an end to "emergency" rule and a clear structuring of the government to prevent a future takeover by the military heads, or by a dictatorial ruler such as Mubarak was.

 

[nancyk58]

Kamal Ganzouri, interesting choice, hopefully with enough compassion and understanding, he will be a good choice for the citizens.

hm.., educated in the U.S. as an economist, briefly Prime Minister of Egypt, quite interesting!

Though having been given greater powers than his predecessor, will this mean an end to military rule, of putting the military under the control of the civilian government, or what does General Tantawi really mean?

"The prime minister-designate said he was sure that Scaf leader Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi had no desire to stay in power, saying that otherwise, he would not have agreed to lead the new government."

> But are his associates in the military still going to want to dominate the civilian government?

"Please give me a chance so that I can think and I can see who shall remain and who should go and table my proposal to the military council, Field Marshal Tantawi," he said in comments broadcast on state TV.

hm...

Mr Ganzouri, who headed Egypt's government from 1996 to 1999 under Mr Mubarak, said he had been granted greater powers than his predecessors but had not yet begun assembling his ministerial team, although it would be formed within the coming days.

> We'd all love to see the plan. General Washington gave up the opportunity to become a military general ruling this nation at it's founding, so it can happen. We shall see how things work out in Egypt. Hopefully for the better this time, an end to "emergency" rule and a clear structuring of the government to prevent a future takeover by the military heads, or by a dictatorial ruler such as Mubarak was.

 

 

I can see why you are sceptical. Because if Ganzouri has more powers than his predecessors, then you would think that he should be able to form a new government without having to "table his proposal to the military council". As it is suggested here, then the military council has to approve his proposal (for new ministers) - and then you can say that the military council is still in control.

 

But as you say - we must wait and see.

[nancyk58]

CLASHES IN CAIRO (sources: Danish text-tv on DR1 and TV2 plus TV2 News live plus CNN, live:

 

In EGYPT's capital CAIRO, soldiers stormed into the Tahrir Square where they attacked and beat up protesters. Some of the protesters were lying on the ground - passive, but they were beaten anyway.

 

According to the Egyptian news agency Mena, 10 have been reported dead and several hundred (at least 300) injured during the clashes in Cairo between soldiers and protesters.

 

Soldiers set fire to protesters' tents.

 

A young woman was lying on the ground - passive. You could see her belly and her blue bra as 2 of the 3-4 soldiers around her had a grip on her blouse.

 

A photographer from the news agency Reuters filmed a soldier who shot into a crowd of people trying to get away.

 

Protesters had captured an army soldier and were now arguing what to do with him.

 

A nearby library with important documents and books is burning.

 

It really does not look too good.