The protests in Egypt are not wholly a product of Mubarak's mistreatment of the Egyptian population for the last thirty years. Israel is heavily involved with the troubles, too.
Israel wants three things to come out of this conflict-
A pipeline transporting water from the Nile to Israel for their swimming pools.
Control of the Suez Canal, as it is a choke point for trade between Europe and Asia (read China) and
The break up of Egypt to remove it as a military force and as an economic ally of China
The long held dream of the Zionists for Israel is a land stretching from the Nile to the Euphrates. They are already in Iraq on the banks of the Euphrates through their proxy, the US. The two blue stripes on the Israeli flag represent these two rivers. (This is often denied stating that the stripes reflect those of their prayer shawl. But that is what the stripes represent on the prayer shawl; the two rivers. The dream of Eratz Israel preceded the unfolding of the Israeli flag).
The Israeli Govt has been putting pressure on Egypt for some years now to deliver on Anwar Sadat's promise to pipe Nile water to Israel as part of the agreement to regain the Sinai Peninsula which was occupied by Israel after its attack on Egypt, Jordan and Syria in 1967. Though this agreement was alluded to in press briefings at the time it was not spelled out and is not widely known. Mubarak has been holding out and recently stated outright that no Egyptian water would be delivered to Israel.
Israel has been lobbying the countries of the Upper Nile to gain access to cheap (of course) Nile water and to pressure Egypt into reviewing old water sharing agreements, dating back to the days of British rule, that greatly favour Egypt. Israel has been encouraging these countries, Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda to build new dams and irrigation projects to bring Egypt to the negotiating table. But Mubarak has not wanted to negotiate a new agreement with these countries as it will inevitably mean less water for an increasingly thirsty Egypt. Equally, Mubarak cannot agree to the generally unpublicised Israeli demands for water because no one in Egypt would stand for it. Never mind the fact that they don't have the water to spare. Israel would know all this and so have been jamming Mubarak in between a rock and a hard place. And they are keeping him there still.
The pressure has been upped further with the coup in Tunisia in which Israel is complicit and suggesting that Egypt would be next. Wikileaks has been playing its a part too. The expectations of a government overthrow have been raised exponentially, setting the scene for civil disturbance.
Also not widely known is the fact that there already exists a pipeline delivering water from the Nile to Al Arish in the Sinai, forty kms from the Israeli border. This same area is now being touted as an area of armed civil unrest. This link (h/t to AP of Twelfth Bough) takes you to a story that is doubly interesting once this pipeline is borne in mind. Egyptian solders have been cleared by Israel to enter the Sinai to control this situation. However, equally possible is that Israel put pressure on Cairo to send these troops to set up a manufactured threat to Israel 'security' and thus providing the cassus belli for war leading to the capture of the Suez Canal and perhaps further to the Nile to gain access to water. The article linked above is laying the storyline for a future Israeli invasion into Sinai and onto the Suez Canal.
The Suez Canal is one of the major world sea route choke points. It sees most of the sea traffic between Europe and Asia. No doubt it generates some serious income. But it is the ability to close it down that gives the controller power over other countries including China. These two points would be very appealing to Israel, well known for exploiting any advantage. In the event of the Straits of Hormuz being blocked through war with Iran, the importance of the Suez Canal will skyrocket because oil tankers will have to use it or suffer huge further economic penalties through having to navigate round the Cape of Good Hope. China will be very vulnerable because US and NATO rule the seas and the more time China's tankers spend at sea, the more vulnerable they are to attack or seizure.
Israel is currently planning to pipe oil undersea to Haifa from the pipeline head at Ceyhan in Turkey that brings Caspian Basin oil to the Mediterranean Sea. There is also a pipeline under construction through Iraq paralleling an old (but still functional, I'm told) pipeline to Haifa. There is a planned expansion of an existing pipeline down to the port of Eilat from Haifa and from there by tanker through the Gulf of Aqaba into the Red Sea and beyond to Asia. Israel intends to plant itself in the middle of the oil trade routes. This will give Israel a lot of power over Europe and Asia and Israel will certainly use this to gain concessions at every turn. The pipelines to the ports of Haifa and Eilat together with the Suez canal are critical control points to choke off oil to China in the event of war.
314369.jpg
Map source
The US and Israel are currently causing trouble for Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and now Egypt. All these countries adjoin the strategic sea route of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Other countries on the Red Sea are Saudi Arabia, Eritrea and Djibouti. Can they expect the same? I think so.
The Muslim Brotherhood and the Egyptian Army are standing on the sidelines while the protests continue to grow awaiting their cue.
I believe the protesters are very genuinely angry after thirty years of repression. I also believe they are being deliberately further enraged by the police and the looters and not to mention the snipers (who could well be Israelis, as in Tunisia) to provide the excuse for a violent crackdown which will usher in an "extreme" government that will include the Muslim Brotherhood and the army.
So in this sense, the people, the protesters, are being set up as patsies. The more violently they react, the better as far as the psychopaths (MB, the Egyptian Army and the israeli armed forces) are concerned. And just in case they don't, there will be plenty of agent provocateurs on hand, I'm sure.
The new "extreme" government (with strings leading back to Israel and the CIA through their long held connections to both the army and the MB) will provide a cassus belli for war with Israel who will plead 'self defence', as they always do.
So the army and MB, too, are being set up as patsies. Egypt is sending troops into the Sinai (with israel's approval - read 'request') to become a 'threat to their existence' along with armed protesters - all fabricated, of course. The resulting war and internal civil strife for Egypt will lead to it being broken up into at least two countries, Upper and Lower Egypt and weakening and impoverishing it in the process
My hope is that the Egyptian people can see what is coming and take whatever measures they can to head off this scenario and somehow grab victory for themselves out of this. And that through their local leaders, they can actually get in control of it.
The US, the UK through NATO together with Israel are past masters at Balkanising countries that have strategic importance to them. The process impoverishes these countries through weakening their ability to resist the criminal trade in drugs and humans (incl body parts) that NATO sponsors. This trade in death and despair funds wholesale corruption throughout these societies further weakening them.
Kosovo, for instance, is far worse off now than it ever was. As is every single country that has seen military intervention from the great liberators, US and NATO and the budding colonialists, Israel. This fate awaits the people of Egypt. They will cease to be a military threat of any kind. They will be defenceless against NATO and they will become stepping stones for NATO's jackboots as it marches towards its goal of full spectrum dominance of the whole world. Egypt is about to be transformed into another stepping stone by these massive forces if things continue to go to plan for the Globalists.
However, . . . . however, . . everything doesn't go according to their plans. The Globalists have failed to bring in their planned One World Currency. They have failed to maintain control over Russia with the rise of Vladimir Putin. They have failed to launch a war on Iran and the have failed to cower them as well. They failed in their invasion of Lebanon in 2006 and they failed to start a world war through that. This planned attack against Egypt is a response, in part, to their failure to gain access to the Litani river in Lebanon. They failed to provoke a wider war through their absolutely inhuman bombing of Gaza. They have failed to overthrow and retake the governments of Venezeula, Bolivia and Equador.
The forces of the Globalists and their consequent effects are threatening and everywhere to be seen. But the forces that have rebuffed them have all been unseen. They seemed to materialised out of nowhere. The people who came down out of the hills to rescue their leader, Hugo Chavez, and save their revolution; the people of South Lebanon who organised and believed in themselves who overwhelmed and repulsed the 'spare no expense' army of Israel; these were not foreseen.
So let us pray for the people of Egypt that they see the enemy for what it is more and more and it's plan in the immediate future. Let us trust that they will prevail through yet unseen methods using unseen resources and unexpected assistance. Their fate is our fate.
Spread the knowledge that is coming in from and going out to Egypt. Spread it around the world. Post links and share the goodwill and show support in any way you can think of. The forces of darkness gain their power to a very large extent through deceit; through hiding their plans, their intentions and their methods. Every bit of exposure helps.
Many thanks go to McJ for providing the maps and assistance in loading them
Some reading, (of course!)
Will Nile Water Go To Israel?:
North Sinai Pipelines And The Politics Of Scarcity
Comments
Yes, this is excellent James.
Yes, this is excellent James. You have outdone yourself.
Thank you James
thank you James and McJ. This helps a lot. I understand that the people in Egypt are genuinely angry, but I didn't really understand how they're being divided and conquered... or so clearly why.
I noticed two small typos, should I change them?
Peninsular -> Peninsula
its a part -> its part
Nice Finish
"So let us pray for the people of Egypt that they see the enemy for what it is more and more and it's plan in the immediate future. Let us trust that they will prevail through yet unseen methods using unseen resources and unexpected assistance.
Spread the knowledge that is coming in from and going out of Egypt. Spread it around the world. Post links and share the goodwill and show support in any way you can think of. The forces of darkness gain their power to a very large extent through deceit; through hiding their plans, their intentions and their methods. Every bit of exposure helps."
Nice!
So Be it!
Breaking
Breaking news:
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/01/29/the-writing-on-the-wall%E2%80%94...
Breaking: Al Jazeera Reports Mubarak’s planning exile to Tel Aviv—The Writing on the Wall
"Protesters have returned to the streets of the Egyptian capital, Cairo, for the sixth consecutive day across the country staged in defiance of a curfew.
Update: Al Jazeera reports Mubarak's planning exile to Tel Aviv. According to sources in the Egyptian Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel is making preparations to welcome Hosni Mubarak into exile after Saudi Arabia rejected overtures. Al Jazeera also reports Israeli diplomats have fled Egypt amid the unrest. CNN reports widespread rumors that Mubarak's wife and other family members have already fled Egypt."
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/articles/39/Mubaraks-planning-exile-to-Tel...
"According to sources in the Egyptian Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel is making preparations to welcome Hosni Mubarak into exile after Saudi Arabia rejected overtures."
Great picture of Mubarak at
Great picture of Mubarak at the Al Jazeera link, McJ I reckon the man could come back in the next life as a refrigerator.
My first reaction was that this is designed to be a slap in the face of all Egyptians and would further anger the street protesters. And that's the plan. But something wasn't quite right.
So I thought "How would McJ assess this?" Then I thought why would Mubarak's own embassy leak the word out about not only his leaving but leaving for israel? And why would Mubarak go to israel? Surely he would be paraded around like a captured animal for all to laugh at.
Then I thought that you would have been thinking that Mubarak isn't in control at all in Egypt. In a political sense, he's a captive in his own office. The decisions being made are those of someone who wants to make things worse. He has nothing to gain by exacerbating the trouble which is what the actions of the police on one hand and the army on the other are doing. So maybe he doesn't control his embassies either. Maybe the Tel Aviv embassy staff are trying to further put his weights up (as we say here - handicap him); plus anger the crowds, of course.
So after tapping into your brainwaves I've come to the conclusion that the report is bullshit. Time will tell if we are right or not. Of course, if we are wrong you can claim you had nothing to do with it
Cleopatra and Mubarak
"Great picture of Mubarak at the Al Jazeera link, McJ I reckon the man could come back in the next life as a refrigerator."
Ya, those two look like a couple of senile old Mafia Dons - which I imagine is a fairly accurate description.
"So I thought "How would McJ assess this?" Then I thought why would Mubarak's own embassy leak the word out about not only his leaving but leaving for israel? And why would Mubarak go to israel? Surely he would be paraded around like a captured animal for all to laugh at."
Well, good thinking James!
Actually, when I read this I thought of Cleopatra who allegedly committed suicide rather than be paraded in humiliation through the streets of Rome. Not that Mubarak bears any resemblance to Cleopatra other than he is Egyptian nor that he might do something honorable. Just that he must know he would be a 'prize' for Israel and that wouldn't make sense from his perspective. Unless he just doesn't give a shit except for saving his own tail and his plundered wealth but I imagine there are a few other murderous regimes that would be willing to take him.
That little unsubstantiated tidbit from Al Jazeera does seem to have been put there to generate headlines which will further inflame the Egyptians so I think 'we' are on the right track with the bullshit angle on this one.
Oh, and thanks for the out.
Great article James. Thanx
Great article James. Thanx again for your priceless contribution to this blog and those who read it. I guess I'm sort of back. I'm doing a little down here in the back and beyond, not as much as I'd like but what I can.
Sally
Thanks, Sally and it's great to hear from you again. I for one have missed you. I'm glad you are able to be active again. Good news
Ditto
Ditto from me Sally. Good to have you back. I was just thinking about you the other day.
Hello MCJ Thanx MCJ its
Hello MCJ
Thanx MCJ its pretty hard to rest while everything is falling apart.
Those are Great maps MCJ and make the article even more readable.
The posting here has become very good and quite beyond my own knowledge of the world which is minimal however James articles are easy to understand so thats of real benefit to myself and others like me. And its really important that we no nothings get to know something quick.
Even here things are deteriorating pretty quickly. The police state is taking shape at an alarming pace and our press is complicit so there is very little fight back here. People just believe the media. They appear credible. many people havent even heard of the new "search and surveillance bill" and are quite shocked when I tell them about it. Its still not passed but at the final reading stage and could be passed any day. And its very very creepy. The government will now be able to demand Journalists hand over their sources. They will be able to put a camera on you for up to 3 days without a warrant and have given that power to 70 government agencies including the meat board.
We will be having trials with no juries, no right to silence and the list goes on. That seems all OK with our media.
That last annon comment was
That last annon comment was me.
I didn't notice it was
I didn't notice it was 'anon'. I just read it as you
Thanks very much for your compliment. Those are very disturbing changes, indeed, in NZ. When the press and the public don't react to outrages such as this, you wonder if you are living on the same planet sometimes, don't you.
The really worrying bit is that these repressive laws are in place now for a future civil upheaval that they are anticipating. And they are able to anticipate it because they are going to cause it.
" When the press and the
" When the press and the public don't react to outrages such as this, you wonder if you are living on the same planet sometimes, don't you."
Yup
The police state is the end of our democracy. Im pretty certain National are planning to rigg the next election. It was reported in parliament that John Key told a minister (religious) that bugger all people here would die if they kicked 330000 people off benefits. Key denied in parliament any memory of those comments but didn't say he did not make them. Key is still enormously poplular thanks to a fawning media.
They are pushing the partial sale of NZ assetts and the NZ Herald editorial are backing it. We are getting so much bullshit reporting its breath taking. I talk to who ever will listen but am not up to doing a hell of a lot.
There are a lot of men and business people here who know whats up with the loss of our democracy and support it. They don't really understand the implications on a global level unfortunately and that they and their families will sufffer fjurther down the track.
And what do you think about HAARP. I think maybe the Christchurch quakes were made to order by a Key request to his banker mates. The Nats have used them to bring in the Canterbury Earthquake Response and recovery Act which gives them the abiltiy to overide all but 5 acts in NZ and their actions cannot be legally challenged in any court. They tried to get this for a 5 year period but Labour supported it in the house on the reduced term of 18 months till after our next election. The act is so loosley worded they can do whatever they like.
thanks Sally
good to have you back! fascinating, and I had such a favorable vision of NZ lately. I'm interested to follow up on some of these subjects;
John Key & how bugger all people would die if they kicked 330000 off benefits,
the partial sale of NZ assets
the Christchurch quakes & the Canterbury Earthquake Response and recovery Act
I'll get back to you soon on
I'll get back to you soon on those shortly NJT.
thank you Sally
and no worries - if I get some time I will do some homework / search for those topics.
at the moment i am just trying to figure out how to fix up a few things around here...
Sally, I have been reading some
Sally, I have been reading some disturbing news about NZ. I actually listened to a podcast by a New Zealander about just this subject. The guy has written several books and his latest was about the corruption in the NZ government, judiciary, police etc. If I can find it again I will post the link.
MCJ
Yes I beleive it and would be very interested in following that link if you can find it.
And our media have been compromised since a long way back. We had a prime minister Robert Mulddon years ago who was chairman of the World Bank. I believe he was backed by David Rockefeller. He started think big projects with the aim of making NZ independant from oil crisis price hikes etc which the world bank would not have wanted and was subsequently destroyed by our media who were extremely pro Labour. Labour were eventually elected and turned out to be globalists not a traditional labour party at all under the financial guidence of Roger Douglas who has returned to NZ and is once again in parliament this time representing the far right for the act party. Once the National party came to power again at a later time they sold off all the think big projects that would have left NZ in an independant position, to NZ's wealthy for next to nothing leaving tax payers with huge debt incurred in builing these projects. Both our parties have been corrupted to one degree or other as I see it and have knowlingly or otherwise aided the globalist elite. Free trade, privitization and immigration being the most obvious examples.
Pinch Hitting
Pinch hitter ElBaradei, the ready-made leader for Egypt's 'spontaneous' people's revolution, steps up to the plate!
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-01-30/world/egypt.elbaradei_1_egyptian-oppo...
He is really letting the cat out of the bag with this one don't ya think?
"Earlier Sunday, ElBaradei said Mubarak must step down in order to save the country.
"If he wants to save his skin, if he has an iota of patriotism, I would advise him to leave today and save the country," he told CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS.
The opposition leader said he had been given a mandate to build a unity government.
"What I have been authorized -- mandated -- by the people who organized these demonstrations (is) to agree on a national unity government," he told Zakaria.
Egypt is entering a period of transition, and a government of national unity is needed to fill the void and hold "fair and free" elections, ElBaradei said. "
"He did not rule out the possibility of serving as president or interim president if Mubarak were to step down."
..."A transitional government is needed to move the country from dictatorship to democracy, he said. "
Any bets on whether a transitional government will be moving the country towards democracy? Well maybe an Iraqi or Afghani style democratic transition.
Cat out of the bag, indeed!
That is a great catch, McJ. ElBaradei's comments ranks up there with Larry Silverman's "pull it" comment.
ElBaradei said it all, in my view. As to who the plotters are, intuitively there is no alternatives to the US at the very least and logically it is them too. Because no one is going to be trying to form a 'consensus' type government without getting the US' approval. And ElBaradei has said that he is talking to these people who orchestrated it all and therefore that has to be the US (and friends).
He has exposed them. I don't think ole ElBaradei has a long political future in front of him
Great catch, again.
who?
Who are "the people who organized these demonstrations" ??
ElBaradei knows ... but he's not saying!
Not the Who's from Whovillle
Well, I don't think it is the Who's from Whovillle.
Link via Aangrifan - http://www.thedailybell.com/1719/Anthony-Wile-Elite-Desperation-Over-Fai...
"Elite Desperation Over Failing Middle East Psyops
Saturday, January 29, 2011 – by Anthony Wile
Once again, the power elite manipulates the Middle East for its own gain. It is a dangerous game, especially in Egypt, which controls the Suez Canal. Because of the violence, gold is up and oil, too. And just as I finish writing this article, the UK Telegraph has released an extraordinary story. It claims that the United States leadership not only secretly backed the current uprisings in Egypt, it was actively aiding and abetting the protestors. Hello rewrite!
"America's secret backing for rebel leaders behind uprising," the article reads. It explains that The American Embassy in Cairo helped a young dissident attend a US-sponsored summit for activists in New York. "On his return to Cairo in December 2008, the activist told US diplomats that an alliance of opposition groups had drawn up a plan to overthrow President Hosni Mubarak and install a democratic government in 2011."
What an expose! Unfortunately the story is developed from cables recently leaked by WikiLeaks. And here at the Bell, we don't trust WikiLeaks. Julian Assange himself may be an asset of Western intel. Of course, from the perspective of Western intel, tying Egyptian yearnings for independence to WikiLeaks may have seemed a brilliant stroke. Perhaps they believe it provides both WikiLeaks and the American ruling establishment with enormous credibility: Each can be seen as supporting freedom.
But on a deeper level, it reveals the desperation and the unraveling of this entire operation. The Anglo-American power elite has apparently decided to destablize the Middle East in order to create regulatory democracies with an Islamic tinge (an arrogant assumption in my view). The ultimate goal is to butress the war on terror and deliver enhanced authoritarianism to the West – and the Western middle classes that are always the targets of the elite."
And here is the link to the article from the Telegraph he is talking about. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/egypt/828...
"The American government secretly backed leading figures behind the Egyptian uprising who have been planning “regime change” for the past three years, The Daily Telegraph has learned.
limited hangout
I think the Telegraph story is a limited hangout, McJ. And if I'm reading the DailyBell author (Anthony Wile?) correctly he has picked it right.
It is becoming less and less credible that the US wasn't pulling strings. Especially after ElBaradei's gaff. So they say yes we were pulling strings to help the good guys - The American Embassy in Cairo helped a young dissident attend a US-sponsored summit for activists in New York. "On his return to Cairo in December 2008, the activist told US diplomats that an alliance of opposition groups had drawn up a plan to overthrow President Hosni Mubarak and install a democratic government in 2011."
See? It's all good. Really.
Yup, I think you are right.
Yup, I think you are right. I note that Israel got a pass with this limited hangout.
tell-tale
Yes, you're right, McJ. Israel's absence is a reliable tell-tale, isn't it?
I read all comments rather
I read all comments rather amused.....here I am at ground zero in Egypt.....living the life like the 'natives'....especially the comments on Baradei....why...why..why ....the west seem to think him as a good leader when he is no better....he's so bland.....uninspiring.......maybe worse given the same power and opportunites as the 3 generals of the past....????....just because he won the nobel prize????......he is the cause of the destruction of a country called Iraq....quote"maybe there is WMD in saddam's iraq".....this his conclusion and the US and the rest of world agreed......the world is worst off now than back then......no???? ...even his arabic sucks.....he should retire and go rest in his nice swanky villla in Switzerland....don't you think?
I feel sorry for the youth of Egypt that started the protest with innocent lofty ideals of justice and fairness.....as their revolution has been hijacked by the likes of crooks like Baradei and mostly probably even the Mubarak regime cos hey...its the military now in control,no?....guess the young didn't quite expect that the crooks(many of them..mind you in the egyptian political horizon) are expert in the mechanics of game theory and simple economics
Well, anonymous, I'm glad we
Well, anonymous, I'm glad we were able to make your day a little happier. The demonstrators specifically rejected ElBaradei. No doubt for the reasons you mentioned amongst others.
The military were always going to be in control. They are the ones with the guns, after all. What the Egyptian army and the people through their non-violent but insistent protest were able to do is avoid a massacre and a foreign invasion such as we are seeing underway in Libya. No doubt the outcome in Egypt was not welcomed in the halls of power in Tel Aviv and Washington.
The protesters have won concessions so far and it ain't over yet by a long chalk. This is far better outcome than the alternatives of Libya's fate or an Egypt still under Mubarak.
The people of Egypt and the real leaders of the protest movement don't look naive at all to me and I don't think there is any need to feel sorry for them. Not just yet, anyway
Hi there James....I value and
Hi there James....I value and accept your point of view...there are many opinions but most loudest come from abroad and not the 80 million who stayed home during the uprising and those who had to form neighbourhood vigilante groups to protect ourselves....and yes....an Egypt with out Mubarak is better..no doubt or question about this fact...but no one wants to talk about the " elephant in the room"....the aftermath and the economic impact...hey they postpone again the re-opening of the bourse to sunday(I'm sure many businesses can be wipe out and with that many jobs gone...I experienced personally in 1997 during the asian currency crisis)...the army council had done many to appease the demands of protesters but they keep asking for more..more..more.. and the latest from these young brats...a technocrat govt.....hey...isn't that a form of socialism...aha...imagine that....change and transition take time and always painful for all...but to make way for democracy...fair elections....law and order...safety and the ability to earn a living.....individuals should have a respect for authority and the rule of Law...without all these....how can Egypt stay a "country" and a nation.....those who keep defying the authority aka the military in Tahrir square the past fridays are not a reflections of ALL egyptians....personally I agree with you there are unseen hands in the political turmoil now here and for me..reading your blog..I am convinced that the protest started by the young for their ideals are already hijacked even as you say Baradei is rejected....he's still here...in his nice big spacey house just outside of cairo...waiting...waiting like many others...and the young in Tahrir square are beginning to look like pawns...forgive me...ranting and ramblings not pretty,no?...OK...guess coming from Msia...I feel many egyptians despite being under Mubarak have more freedom than Msians....hey...the corrupt leaders in my country will make him look like a saint...there's hard proof with papertrails...too long to write about...only if you're interested.....I am a new fan of your blog and keep up the good fight for truth and "the elephant in the room" that mainstream media like to ignore ......take care and as the locals say...Allah bless you..James
Hi again, Anonymous. Thank
Hi again, Anonymous. Thank you for your kind words. Many of the techno brats, as you call them, were trained by this man
http://aangirfan.blogspot.com/2011/02/american-behind-egyptian-coup.html
Gene Sharp, and were used by him and his backers, the CIA, Though I am sure many of them would have been unaware of who Sharp's backers were. I can well believe that ElBaradei is still waiting in the wings. BUT, the US trained 'democracy leaders' (and ElBaradei) were pushed aside by the sheer numbers of the people who poured out into the streets and Tahrir Square.
These people are from all sections of the community including many people affected badly by the rapid increase in food prices which is another 'elephant in the room'. So I think it was a very good thing that the people hijacked it out of the hands of these US trained and sponsored activists and I hope they can stay in control of it. As for them asking for “more. . . more . . . more”. So they should. Egypt has a long way to go till the people are free.
Back to the food prices, see here for some details on the causes of that, western (mainly jewish) bankers and speculators http://pennyforyourthoughts2.blogspot.com/2011/03/qe2-bernankes-brew-con...
I am sorry that you and many others have suffered major economic setbacks through the effects of the protests.
But the banks weren't closed by the protestors. They were closed by the Central Bank of Egypt which is not owned by the government but by foreign bankers, again.
The the people who had to defend themselves by forming neighbourhood vigilante groups were not defending themselves against the protesters either. More likely it was against criminals released from the prisons by the police. The same thing happened in Tunisia.
True, the protesters did not respect “authority' in the form of the government. That was the whole point of the protest. But they remained non-violent even in the face of violent attacks from the police; an 'authority' that does not deserve respect. The Government and the police they control need to earn respect. It cannot get it by demanding it nor beating it out of people. Indeed, the government should have been respecting the people and the rule of law themselves. But they didn't. This was amply shown by the brutal killing of Khaled Said which became a primary cause around which the protestors rallied.
http://moftasa.net/khaledsaid
I truly hope you and the people of Egypt will have peace and justice soon.
No end in sight yet
Thanks for the links...puts to rest many of my observatiions and suspicions.....am passing the links to the locals here,too....it saddens me more knowing the facts and connecting the events.....at time of writing...Egypt is bleedling again...clashes between copts and muslims...burning of church...more demos in Tahrir square...and the army announced they will act according to the law....I will say again...I am all for change,the good for all and for protect Egypt...but still taking to the streets and destruction of public and private property is wrong.....after many assurances from the army and no patience on part of many is just making the country remain in chaos...life needs to go on...freedom is ambigious...if there's total freedom then anarchy is close behind,no?...as for democracy...what happens to the status of the minority?.....once again...many thanks and a sincere admirer of your blog...take care,James
Borrow
Excellent.
I shall borrow some of this.
- Aangirfan
Borrow away
Thanks and please borrow away, Aangirfan! I have admired your work for a long time.
Cyclone Yasi - Way OT
I know this is way OT but I posted a picture this morning on the open thread (at link: http://www.winterpatriot.com/node/505#comment-14838) and it got buried so thought I would add this latest picture here since this is where the action is.
This is a satellite picture of Cyclone Yasi as it moves onshore in Queensland Australia. It is a Category 5 Cyclone with winds expected to be as high as 300 km/hour. It is going to hit at high tide. Cairns where it is to make a direct hit, as well as some surrounding towns and areas, are being evacuated.
very scary
thanks for keeping us posted on this and much else
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world...
I hope you are not in the path of that sucker!
A monster winter storm stretching from New Mexico to Maine laid down a sheet of ice on the Plains and lower Midwest on Tuesday, turning to snow as it crept north, and forecasters said the worst was yet to come. The 2,000-mile-wide system has paralyzed a third of the country with single-digit temperatures.
Yes another very scary storm.
Yes another very scary storm. My husband and I were just discussing these two storms at supper. It seems mother nature is a little pissed these days. Fortunately (for me ) where I live, we have managed so far this year to miss all the winter madness in the northern hemisphere. I keep reading about the winter thunderstorms. I have never experienced one and I grew up on the Canadian prairies where the winters can be very severe.
I added a bunch more links and some info on the vaccine discussion we were having on the open thread. You can find it at the link in case you missed it. http://www.winterpatriot.com/node/505
Just for scale: this is what
Just for scale: this is what Yasi would look like if this cyclone was hitting the UK or USA
More Photos:
How Cyclone Yasi compares around the world. http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/floodrelief/how-cyclone-yasi-compar...
"The storm's scale of destruction is as shocking as it is inevitable. In the map above, the United States from Pennsylvania in the east to Nevada in the west, from Georgia in the south to Canada in the north and well into Mexico would be battered with 300km/h winds and up to one metre of rain."
hmmm well, what do you make of this?
Israel shocked by Obama's "betrayal" of Mubarak
http://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFLDE70U1N820110131
"Newspaper columnists were far more blunt.
"One comment by Aviad Pohoryles in the daily Maariv was entitled "A Bullet in the Back from Uncle Sam". It accused Obama and his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of pursuing a naive, smug, and insular diplomacy heedless of the risks. "
Are they just blowing smoke?
Netanyahoo Vs Obama
One thing we can know for sure is that the story coming out of Israel is bullshit. It always is in one way or another. Either the facts or the narrative or both are going to be false.
If i may be a little cynical here , it has been my view for a few days that Mubarak is not in charge. It is not in his interests to release prisoners en masse, nor have police shooting at protesters on the one hand and have the army nonchalantly standing by on the other hand.
Someone else is in charge who wants the protests to escalate. I think we have seen that Israel has a lot to gain from the chaos in Egypt. In fact, the more the chaos, the more it suits them and their territorial ambitions. So-oooo, it suits them for Mubarak to remain as the figurehead in power to take the blame for the growing crisis and have his continuing presence further anger the protesters.
That is why they were lobbying western governments to prop up Mubarak's position. Maybe it's to convince him not to jump ship just yet. But perhaps it is all taking longer than the plotters anticipated and it is getting increasingly hard for Obama to not do anything in the way of intervening for peace. We saw the 'limited hangout' article in the Telegraph trying to explain the US' inaction so far.
So Netanyahoo wants them to hold the line but Obama and his advisers are looking to the next election instead of the goals of the balkanising of the Middle East and israel's plunder of Egypt.
They say there is no honour among thieves. At least that's my view of what is most likely going on.
Who in their right mind would ever want israel for an ally?
Suleiman at the helm
I am convinced now that Omar Suleiman, the vice president and head of the state security services) is running the show and not Mubarak. Mubarak is now just a target and that has been why he has been left there. He's become a patsie as will Suleiman, in turn.
Hopefully, I will have time later today to lay it all out; assuming it is still relevant by then. I am trying to catch up here. Things are moving quickly again.
Thanks for the live blogging, McJ
re suleiman at the helm
I think you are right about that James. I definetly get the sense he is in control and Mubarak has faded into the background. He was in talks with the opposition parties yesterday. I have been listening to AJ on and off during the day and they are confused about what is going on in gov. as far as I can tell. Yesterday it appeared that Mubarak was moving in one direction and Suleiman in another. Suleiman was on state TV and reiterated that Mubarak would step down in Sept. and that he had laid down a road map plan. They also said that he had reached out to the Muslim Brotherhood which may have been the meeting he had yesterday.
I can't quite put my finger on it however I keep getting the feeling that this whole operation is a f**k up to a certain degree and/or that the planners have lost control of it and they are in catchup/damage control. That US press conference yesterday was rather bizarre to watch. I don't know if it is just that I have not watched one of them for so long. It came across to me as almost non nonsensical. It is like all the pundits, gov officials etc are struggling to get on the same page with a narrative. I could be wrong with this but it is the general feeling I have been getting.
I have been continuing to live blog a little as I follow some of this AJ coverage so you can check this comment ( http://www.winterpatriot.com/node/507#comment-14871 ) if you are interested. It is getting kinda long tho .
Suleiman and ElBaradei
I agree entirely with you McJ. I haven't had time (and won't today either) to write about Suleiman and ElBaradei, unfortunately.
But fortunately Penny and AP have posted some excellent info and observations here-
sul-dog
"Pro-Mubarek supporters on Horses and Camels???"
I left the following comment at Penny's-
"I think you are exactly right, Pen. Suleiman is the man in charge of what's going on. He is the man who has long time contacts with the police and the army. The police are antagonising the people through violence (overt and covert) and the army is antagonising them by standing by and not preventing this violence.
on the face of it it is crazy but not if your aim is to make things worse. And Mubarak has no interest in making things worse
ElBaradei is co-operating in this escalation of tension as you perceptively point out.
Mubarak is being encouraged to stay there by israel (and other govts they can induce to do the same) to further antagonise the people and be a target for their anger. When they (Suleiman et al) are finished with him they will overthrow him.
Suleiman has long term ties with israeli and US intelligence. See Twelfth Bough for some details
sul-dog
But my feeling, too, is that their organised antagonism of the people is starting to backfire.
Those are great observations of yours re the camel and horse riders, Pen. Out of hollywood, indeed.
definitely blowing smoke!
Yes, Israel is blowing smoke.
They are playing off of one another.
This way it will appear as if Israel is not involved.
The US is protecting or covering up Israeli involvement.
Quite frankly Israel cannot afford to look as if it is involved in this mayhem, but, it is.
I Agree Penny
"Quite frankly Israel cannot afford to look as if it is involved in this mayhem, but, it is."
I agree Penny and they are doing an excellent job of "not looking like they are". At least from what I can see from the AJ coverage I have been monitoring on and off over the last two days (see link: http://www.winterpatriot.com/node/512). They are conspicuous in their absence. Israel is almost never mentioned and if it is, it is in an historical context or couched as being Egyptian Govt propaganda (ie. they postulate that the Mubarak government official media is 'spreading lies' that Israel has seeded provocateurs within the crowds of anti-Mubarak protesters etc.). Which is a rather strange twist to this whole story!
I am also very suspicious of the sporadic accounts of snipers shooting people with high powered rifles. Al Jazeera can't confirm these and no one seems to know where they are coming from however, there have been numerous witness reports of these snipers over the last two days. (Some on top of buildings, others positioned on overpasses.)The Al Jazeera reporters on the ground have had no way of confirming or denying the reports inside all the chaos.
I have been live blogging some of the Al Jazeera coverage and I found this witness account was rather interesting. http://www.winterpatriot.com/node/512
2:17 UTC
"Gangs of thugs blocking every entry to the square. Photographer who had been at the square since the beginning says he had to leave (camera in backpack) because it was just too dangerous to stay there. Former protester on the phone now says that the protesters are completely different during the night than the daytime. I am not sure if he is saying they are different people but I think he is intimating that. Reporter presses him on this and he says the conversations are different, what the people are saying is different, the political talk is different. He has left the square."
btw - nice post on the "Lawrence of Arabia" horse and camel charge - tres interesting .
thanks McJ
It is good to know people appreciate the effort.
I was reading a comment you left at AP's
and your Canadian.
Me too.
Doesn't the whole NAU thing drive you bonkers?
Wether it is Harper or Iggy, they are such liars.
So many are fooled by their rhetoric. As if their is a difference.
I am going to vote independent this year. Any independent candidate, I don't care who. No one affiliated with the three parties. I have had it with these idiots
Yemen next
Here we go - Yemen next.
Just caught a CNN news broadcast while watching for some news on Cyclone Yasi and there are saying that there are calls in Yemen for tomorrow to be a day of rage.
Yemeni president vows to step down after term
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/yemeni-president-vows-to-step-...
"Yemeni president vows to step down after term, as protests spark changes across Arab world
Eyeing protests that brought down Tunisia's leader and threaten to topple Egypt's president, Saleh also says he won't pass on the reins of government to his son.
Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh said on Wednesday he would not seek to extend his presidency in a move that would bring an end to a three-decade rule when his current term expires in 2013.
Eyeing protests that brought down Tunisia's leader and threaten to topple Egypt's president, Saleh also vowed not to pass on the reins of government to his son.
"No extension, no inheritance, no resetting the clock," Saleh said, speaking ahead of a planned large rally due on Thursday in Sanaa that has been dubbed a "Day of rage".
Inspired by the unrest in Tunisia and Egypt, thousands of Yemeni demonstrators took to the streets of Sanaa, Yemen last Thursday to demand a change of their own government, in the largest wave of anti-government protests Yemen has witnessed yet.
Protesters said they were demanding improvements in living conditions as well as political change. One banner read: "Enough playing around, enough corruption, look at the gap between poverty and wealth."
messed up Live Blog page somehow
I don't know what Ive done McJ but somehow I've put half the page in bold and the comments seem to have disappeared. . . . um. . . . sorry!
No Worries
No Worries - it should be ok now.
There was a tag closure missing and the options under Input were set to smileys (it has done that to me and I don't know why). The best setting is Full HTML. Under the Comments Settings it was set to Disable. It should be Read/Write. It did that to me as well and it happened to NJT the other night I think.
whew!
whew!
US embassy cable shows Freedom House is active in egypt
for those whove not seen it, the following is ajan 2010 cable from the US embassy in cairo:
Key pt 4:
'¶4. (SBU) The group included bloggers, journalists, activists
from secular opposition parties such as El-Ghad and the
Democratic Front Party and movements such as "Kifaya" and
"April 6. A lawyer for the group confirmed that a French
activist was among the detainees. Some of the detainees are
participants in Freedom House's "New Generation" program
which provides training for young activists. One member of
the group departed for Washington January 18 to participate
in a Project on Middle East Democracy program. Contacts
confirmed that activist and El-Ghad party member Israa Abdel
Fattah was also part of the group. (Note: Abdel Fattah was
the subject of headlines in April 2008 when she was arrested
and detained for 17 days after her call for an April 6
general strike on Facebook attracted almost 70,000 members
(ref B). Following her release, she renounced her activities
in a television interview, and has remained out of public
view until now. End note.)
http://213.251.145.96/cable/2010/01/10CAIRO99.html
So is the US involved in the revolution? infiltrating it?
US involvement
Yes, they are involved. In fact they run the bloody military in Egypt. All aid from America to Egypt was military.
Trained and supplied by the USA
Brian, I am going to use the
Brian, I am going to use the link in one of my posts, giving you credit for the find.
Much appreciated!
Penny, If you can find it
Penny,
If you can find it, Al Jazeera just did a feature piece on the 'April 6th" group which aired yesterday. They were the planners behind the early stages of this current uprisings (at least that is how Al Jazeera portrayed them). They were operating from a safe house somewhere in Cairo. At least three of them were arrested last week when the house was raided and some were arrested on the streets. I believe Abdel Fattah could have been one of the one's arrested. There was at least one woman featured that was arrested. They have all been released now. The guy who was coordinating them (I wouldn't say leader) is a young Egyptian engineer who is married with a child. At one point in the piece you hear them talking about bringing in El Baradei. They all appear to be young, passionate, idealistic and sincerely committed to bringing about change in Egpyt however that is not to say they are not being steered by spooks.
Interesting
"At one point in the piece you hear them talking about bringing in El Baradei. They all appear to be young, passionate, idealistic and sincerely committed to bringing about change in Egpyt however that is not to say they are not being steered by spooks."
Excellent point McJ. They may well be young and enthusaistic and all the other things you mentioned.
I think this is why you see the NED and the other spook organizations targeting the young, because they are all those things and more. Including immature, easily dazzled by promises and swayed by the "western" world..
Short sighted and often looking for immediate gratification.
Can you tell I've been through the teenage years with my one and only.
Me Too
"Can you tell I've been through the teenage years with my one and only."
Ya, me too! However, that was long, long ago....
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