Month: January 2011

by Patrick Appel

Andrew Exum provides a non-comprehensive list of knowledgeable people on Egypt "whose opinions matter and whose analysis might actually be informed by study and experience." His picks:

Issandr el-Amrani, Arabist.net, @arabist

Elijah Zarwan, Crisis Group

Michael Wahid Hanna, The Century Foundation, @mwhanna1

Marc Lynch, GWU/CNAS/FP.com, @abuaardvark

Steven Cook, CFR

Samir Shehata, Georgetown

Josh Stacher, Kent State

Amil Khan, Abu Muqawama, @Londonstani

Max Rodenbeck, The Economist

by Chris Bodenner

More details emerge:

CNN just reported from a Cairo neighborhood where looters on motorcycles, armed with swords, have been faced down by neighborhood patrols formed by residents in the sudden absence of police on the streets. The Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas, now back online, reported the rumor that some of the looters in Cairo are members of the hated mukhabarat or secret police.

Al Jazeera:

9:46pm Ayman Mohyeldin reports desolate Cairo streets and roaming bands of thuggish-looking men who cannot be identified as plainclothes police or civilians. He also says many fewer people are in the streets than earlier in the evening.

(Photo: A protestor climbs in through the window of a McDonald's restaurant near Tahrir Square on January 29, 2011 in Cairo, Egypt. By Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

by Chris Bodenner

Jeff Stein searches for the best guess:

[L]ongtime observers of the region are putting their money on Gen. Omar Suleiman, the powerful chief of Egyptian intelligence. In office since 1993, Suleiman has reportedly been grating at Mubarak’s plan to install his son Gamal as his successor. With protests roiling Cairo, he may now see his moment has come. [UPDATE: Mubarak appointed Suleiman vice president on Saturday, Egyptian state television reported.] An open question is whether he can count on help from his longtime friends in the CIA.

Al Jazeera makes a troubling observation:

Ayman Mohyeldin reports how the new Mubarak appointees Shafiq and Suleiman have strong military credentials – suggesting slight departure from the previous economic-oriented cabinet to one that is more security-oriented.

More from Mackey:

On Twitter, Mr. Wedeman also pointed to another blogger's note that Mr. Suleiman negotiated directly with the C.I.A. on the rendition of terrorism suspects, according to "The Dark Side," Jane Mayer's book on the Bush administration's war on terror.

Ian Black, The Guardian's Middle East editor, has added a short profile of Mr. Suleiman to the newspaper's live blog on Saturday's events.

An injured Egyptian demonstrator holds stones and his national flag during clashes with Egyptian troops in central Cairo on January 29, 2011 as thousands of anti-regime demonstrators continue to pour onto Cairo's streets, demanding President Hosni Mubarak stand down the day after the veteran leader ordered the army to tackle the deadly protests. By Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images.

by Chris Bodenner

An escalating trend:

1940 GMT: Al Jazeera reports the torching of the State Security and Police Bureau buildings in Damanhour, 160 kilometres/99 miles northwest of Cairo.

1903 GMT: Al Arabiya reports 8 killed and 17 injured in an attempt to storm the Police Bureau in Beni Suef, 115 kilometres/72 miles south of Cairo.

Update: AFP says 12 dead in Beni Suef.

Update II:

Reuters reports that police shot dead 17 people trying to attack two police stations in Beni Suef governorate, according to witnesses and medical sources. Twelve of those shot were attempting to attack a police station in Biba while five others were trying to attack another in Nasser city. Dozens of others were injured in the exchanges.

by Patrick Appel

A reader forwards along this 2008 Guernica article on the network:

I asked about whether the reporters and producers, many of whom have left jobs at places like CNN and the BBC to come work for the fledgling station, are disappointed that not a single major cable or satellite network in the United States has agreed to carry the channel. Comcast, Charter, Time Warner, Dish Network and DirecTV all passed.

“We’re fairly sure our programming is of interest,” said Stebbins, side-stepping a bit. “We knew that we’d be forced to look for non-traditional means of distribution.”

Indeed. Though approximately 120 million homes from Jerusalem to Jakarta to Germany tune in toAJE every day, the station has been all but shut out of the U.S. market. Unless you live in Burlington, Vt., or Northeast Ohio, where two local cable networks defied the industry by adding the channel to their line-ups, the only way to see the channel’s programming is on YouTube, or by paying for either a subscription broadband service or a satellite dish from French company GlobeCast. In Washington,D.C., a tiny satellite company called Washington Cable has the channel available, but so far, its customers — several government agencies, as well as a small number of apartment complexes, including the famed Watergate — don’t want it.

by Patrick Appel

From The Guardian's live-blog:

Al Jazeera reports that in one of the larger districts of Alexandria water has been cut off. There are also reports of clashes between citizens and "thugs" but that the situation is too dangerous for journalists to investigate. There is an absolute absence of police and military, and citizens are at the forefront of efforts to avoid a complete breakdown of order, their reporter says.

Peter Bouckaert of HRW has more:

We hear men armed with knives are looting empty homes in Bokkla. Locals are forming neighborhood committees to protect their homes. We were talking to the army when one group asked for help but the soldiers said they were overstretched and couldn't do anything today. Later we heard the army has asked people to coordinate the Popular Committee for Protection of Property and said reinforcements are coming tomorrow. 

EA gets a report from someone on the ground:

I just called my friend in Nasr City. He is standing outside now with other flat occupants with guns and sticks and knives.  He said all his friends in other areas have had to do this.  People are having to protect themselves.  He said I don't care what they take-my TV, computer…everything…but not my life.  I need to defend myself!' Right now outside my friends' house in Heliopolis, the flat owners (men) have gone downstairs with sticks and knives and guns! A truck of thugs slowly approached and the men ran at the truck.  The truck then drove off! People are defending themselves! It has run riot and till now the army are where??

(Photo: Egyptian civilians carrying batons and sticks they stand guard in a Cairo street to protect their properties from looters in Cairo on January 29, 2011. By Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images)

by Patrick Appel

Via the Lede:

by Patrick Appel

Pamela Geller picks fear of Islamists.

by Patrick Appel

"We are seeking a change of regime. President Mubarak should step down. We should head towards a democratic state through a new government and free democratic elections…The whole world should realize that the Egyptians are not going home until their demands are realized…We are talking about taking down the Pharaonic dictatorship,"- Mohamed ElBaradei, Egyptian opposition figure.