Egyptian Revolution Enters New Phase As Thousands Brave Violence to Protest Military Rule

Democracy Now!



"Activists in Egypt are holding their fourth day of massive demonstrations to demand an end to military rule and a transition to a civilian government. The protests continue amidst a massive crackdown and an offer to resign from Egypt’s interim cabinet. Reports from Cairo’s main morgue said at least 33 people have been killed and more than 1,500 wounded in the military government’s crackdown. The turmoil comes as Egypt is scheduled to begin holding parliamentary elections on Monday. "I can’t see how a legitimate election can take place when you have such state-sponsored brutality happening in the heart of the capital city of the country,” says Democracy Now! correspondent Sharif Abdel Kouddous, who joins us for an update from Cairo. "What many Egyptians have been seeing over these past 10 months has been that the revolution has been abused and stolen and deformed, and that the military council in Egypt has really not lived up to any of its promises in this transitional period, from human rights abuses to just their complete grip on power."....."

Barack Obama faces stark choices about US policy on Egypt

If the president backs Egypt's second revolution the result could be revolutionary in ways Washington might find disconcerting

Simon Tisdall
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 22 November 2011

"......Which is why suspicion grows that the US, Britain and their European allies, ever more alarmed at recent events, may privately be content to allow Egypt's insurrectionary flame to burn itself out, hopefully without too much more violence. They will take what they can in terms of democratic reform and human rights safeguards, and continue to call for more. But they will not trust the people to get it right (they never have); and they will not seriously try to unseat the military. Their bottom line priority is an Egypt that works for them, not a democracy that works for Egypt."

Guardian Video: Tahrir Square violence enters fourth day

For the fourth consecutive day, anti-government protesters and Egyptian government forces clashed in Cairo's central square. The activists continue to call on the military to relinquish power as the violence casts a pall over the first round of Egypt's parliamentary elections, scheduled for 28 November

guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 22 November 2011

Al-Jazeera Video: Egyptian protesters pull together to treat wounded

Watch Sherine Tadros.

"Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros reports from Tahrir Square, where activists have set up mobile clinics to treat those injured from teargas, bullet injuries or beatings by security forces."

Real News Video: Cairo Protests "To Save the Revolution"

Jihan Hafiz reports that dozens killed as Egyptians demand a civilian government

AN EXCELLENT VIDEO

Shooting in Hebron: Watch gripping trailer for Nicole Ballivian’s new project Sleeping on Stones

By Ali Abunimah



"The trailer for Sleeping on Stones, the feature film that is the current project of Palestinian-American director Nicole Ballivian, made my heart leap...."

Israeli ambassador leaves Cairo permanently sans farewell reception

Al-Masry Al-Youm

"Israeli Ambassador to Egypt Yitzhak Levanon left Cairo early Tuesday morning, marking the end of his term as Israel’s envoy in Cairo.

Informed sources at Cairo International Airport said Levanon boarded a Turkish plane bound for Istanbul and that no Foreign Ministry officials arrived at the airport to bid him farewell, as is the usual protocol for ambassadors leaving permanently.

Levanon arrived to Cairo from Turkey early Sunday morning to formally say goodbye to Egyptian officials. He has been in Israel since September due to rioting outside the Israeli Embassy that forced him and other embassy staff to leave.

During his visit, he met with Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr for the final time.

Israel has appointed Yaakov Amitai to replace Levanon as ambassador."

To Egypt: From Obama, With Love

To Egypt: From Obama........
With Love

Al-Jazeera Video: One street becomes symbol of Egypt's "return to Tahrir"

"Mohamed Mahmoud Street, which runs east from Tahrir Square toward the Interior Ministry headquarters in central Cairo, has become the focal point of street fights between protesters and the black-clad Central Security Forces.

For three days, protesters have been carried or driven back from the front line by comrades after coming under fire from rubber bullets and what they believe is either particularly potent or poisoned tear gas.

At least 33 people have died across the country, according to the Health Ministry, many from tear gas asphyxiation. Doctors also believe that security forces have fired live ammunition.

Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna reports from Cairo."

Egyptian journalists attacked while covering protests

The Guardian

"Several journalists have been attacked and injured during the military crackdown on protestors in Egypt.

The International Press Institute's executive director, Alison Bethel McKenzie, said: "The supreme council of the armed forces should ensure that Egyptian soldiers stop harming or detaining journalists covering the anti-military protests.

"As clashes reportedly continue, it is fundamental that journalists be allowed to do their jobs and report on events without fear of attacks."

On Saturday, the Egyptian Syndicate of Journalists said two journalists had been detained by military police, while a further ten had been injured.

Other journalists had their equipment confiscated or broken, or had photos deleted.

Ahram Online reported that its reporter, Ahmed Feteha, "was robbed and beaten twice while covering a standoff between protesters and police in downtown Cairo".

Al Masry Al Youm video journalist Ahmed Abdel Fattah was hit in the eye with a rubber bullet while covering clashes near Tahrir Square on Saturday.

In Alexandria, journalists from the newspapers El-Akhbar, El-Shorouk, El-Tahrir and the MENA news agency were attacked.

According to one report, a journalist who was detained, was forced to strip, blindfolded and beaten with a wooden stick."

VIDEO – Tahrir protesters battle their way to the interior ministry HQ

BROKEN PROMISES: EGYPT’S MILITARY RULERS ERODE HUMAN RIGHTS

A 63-page report by Amnesty International (pdf).

Egypt: Military rulers have 'crushed' hopes of 25 January protesters

Amnesty International
21 November 2011

"Egypt's military rulers have completely failed to live up to their promises to Egyptians to improve human rights and have instead been responsible for a catalogue of abuses which in some cases exceeds the record of Hosni Mubarak, Amnesty International said today in a new report.

In Broken Promises: Egypt's Military Rulers Erode Human Rights, the organization documents a woeful performance on human rights by the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) which assumed power after the fall of former President Hosni Mubarak in February. The report's release follows a bloody few days in Egypt that has left many dead and hundreds injured after army and security forces violently attempted to disperse anti-SCAF protesters from Cairo’s Tahrir square. "

By using military courts to try thousands of civilians, cracking down on peaceful protest and expanding the remit of Mubarak's Emergency Law, the SCAF has continued the tradition of repressive rule which the January 25 demonstrators fought so hard to get rid of," said Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Acting Director. "

Those who have challenged or criticized the military council - like demonstrators. journalists, bloggers, striking workers - have been ruthlessly suppressed, in an attempt at silencing their voices. "The human rights balance sheet for SCAF shows that after nine months in charge of Egypt, the aims and aspirations of the January 25 revolution have been crushed. The brutal and heavy-handed response to protests in the last few days bears all the hallmarks of the Mubarak era." Amnesty International found in its review of human rights under the SCAF that the military council had met few of the commitments it made in its many public statements and had worsened the situation in some areas.

By August, the SCAF admitted that some 12,000 civilians across the country had been tried by military courts following grossly unfair trials. At least 13 have been sentenced to death. Charges against defendants have included “thuggery”, “breaking the curfew”, “damaging property” and “insulting the army”. ......"

Egypt's aftershocks: Military vs the people

Al Jazeera's senior political analyst answers three questions about the escalation in Egypt.

Marwan Bishara

"Why has there been an escalation in protests in Egypt?
.....

Is that why the Sharaf government resigned?
....
Prime Minister Issam Sharaf was one of the first politicians to come into Tahrir Square to be with the revolutionaries after his appointment to make it clear where he stood. Several months later however, it's obvious that SCAF, not the civilian government, has been governing Egypt since revolution.

That's why regardless of the identity of the next interim or caretaker government through the elections, it must insist on its autonomy from the generals to ensure its credibility in the eyes of the people....

But would the military accept to return to the barracks and forgo its privileges?
....
And that also means that the military is part and parcel of the state's institutions and falls under, not above, the sovereignty of the nation.

The generals can't have their cake and eat it too. A democracy isn't functional if it's not extended to the armed forces.

The generals couldn't decide their own budget and impose it on the people, or carve their own area of interest in the economy and polity of the nation.

Nor should they be exempted from retrospection or alternation that serves the higher interest of the country and its national security....."

Tahrir Square

Syrian cameraman killed; last seen being arrested

A Syrian cameraman was found dead Sunday with his eyes gouged out in the town of al-Qasir, according to several news reports. Ferzat Jarban, who was last seen being arrested, is the first journalist to be killed in Syria since CPJ started documenting journalist fatalities in 1992.

Jarban was filming anti-regime protests in al-Qasir in Homs governorate when authorities arrested him Saturday, local press freedom groups reported, citing witnesses. The next morning, residents found his severely mutilated body on a main road of the town, a member of the opposition Syrian revolutionary council in Homs told the London-based daily Al-Sharq al-Aswat and other news reports said. The council member said Jarban was unharmed at the time of his arrest. According to the Syrian local coordination committee, which documents human rights violations, at least four people were killed by security forces in al-Qasir on Sunday.

Like Syria, Like Egypt ? Not Quite, But.. !

For months after the fall of Mubarak we all wrote about the Great Egyptian Army, because it stood by the Egyptian Revolution.. How many times we wished the other Arab armies in rebelling countries would act like the Egyptian army. Little did we know that the day would come when we'd see some of the appalling practices by the Syrian thugs / security forces / army now being used in a similar way by their Egyptian peers, acting under the Egyptian Army's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces !  

This video is a true reflection of how they are all alike. A policeman actually shot this video from the policemen's side off Tahrir Square during a confrontation with protesters at whom the policemen are seen shooting live ammunition. And the video was posted on youtube so everyone can see what a great time the policemen and their accompanying thugs are having while killing protesters. This is exactly what Syria's thugs & security / army forces have been doing : posting their own videos of how they humiliate the people and .. sadistically enjoy it.

Al-Jazeera Video: Egypt cabinet resigns as Cairo protests intensify

"Egypt's interim government resigned on Monday night as protests and subsequent crackdowns intensify, already leaving at least 33 people dead.

There is no sign that military leaders are ready to concede to the demonstrators who want them to give up their hold on power.

Al Jazeera's Nazanin Sadri reports from Cairo."

Al-Jazeera Video: Dozens dead after Egypt demonstrations

"Egyptian protesters say they have been brutally assaulted by security forces over the past few days.

Al Jazeera visited a morgue in Alexandria and spoke with people who say they have family members who were killed in the crackdown over the past few days.

At least 33 people are dead and hundreds more injured since recent demonstrations in multiple cities.

Al Jazeera's Jane Arraf reports from the Egyptian capital Cairo."

Video: قناة25 سامية جاهين وحسام الحملاوي في برنامج كل يوم

After Syria's year of revolution, the end of Assad is in sight

The Syrians have suffered a litany of horrors. Their resistance to Assad's regime will stand as an exemplar of human courage

Rana Kabbani
guardian.co.uk, Monday 21 November 2011

"'Be careful what you wish for" will be scribbled on the totalitarian tombstone of the Assad regime. For eight months Bashar has squirmed to justify abominable crimes against peaceful protesters calling for long-overdue reform by obsessively rehashing that he is at war with "armed gangs". These "bugs" were out to punish him for his "steadfast stance", he announced to that zoo of appointees that goes by the brazen misnomer of parliament. His official media then went into overdrive as there was a lot to cover up, since mass graves were being uncovered with women and babies in them.....

The consequences of 40 years of the policies of Hafez al-Assad and then his son Bashar – which turned our national army into a sectarian mafia family's private militia, and our state's coffers into that family's piggy bank to be raided at whim – have been the tit-for-tat sectarian crime that has so revolted the vast majority of Syrians, who have seen post-occupation Iraq martyred by sectarian killing fields, and the government of Lebanon become hostage to an armed state within a state.

As rumours fly around that Bashar has been offered asylum by the UAE, and has allegedly bought property in Dubai for $60m to live in, we see the end in sight for the "banality of evil". It's been a long and painful time coming. "

Egypt's cabinet offers to resign as protests against junta grow

Interim government bows to growing pressure as violence leaves 33 people dead and more than 2,000 injured in ongoing clashes

Jack Shenker in Cairo
guardian.co.uk, Monday 21 November 2011

"Egypt's interim government hastendered its resignation following a third day of deadly violence in Cairo, throwing the country into fresh turmoil less than a week before nationwide parliamentary elections are due to begin.

The possible exit of the beleaguered prime minister, Essam Sharaf, and his cabinet came as anti-junta protesters announced plans for a "million-man" occupation of Tahrir Square on Tuesday, and after the use of live ammunition by security forces on demonstrators was confirmed for the first time.

At least 33 people have been killed and more than 2,000 injured in the ongoing clashes, prompting a range of revolutionary movements from across the political spectrum, including leftist, liberal and Islamist organisations, to throw their full weight behind the protests.

"We confirm our readiness to face all the forces that aim to abort the revolution, reproduce the old regime, or drag the country into chaos and turn the revolution into a military coup," said a joint statement by 37 groups...."

US firm's teargas used against Tahrir Square protesters

Egypt's military junta fired CS gas cartridges made by Combined Systems Inc of Pennsylvania, say demonstrators

Jack Shenker in Cairo and Luke Harding
guardian.co.uk, Monday 21 November 2011

"The teargas used by interior ministry troops in Cairo's Tahrir Square is supplied by a US company. Demonstrators say cartridges retrieved from the scene are branded with the name and address of Combined Systems Inc (CSI).

The firm is located in Jamestown, Pennsylvania. It specialises in supplying what it calls "crowd control devices" to armies and "homeland security agencies" around the world. It also manufactures lethal military equipment.

Protesters say the CS gas seems more powerful than that used by Egyptian police during the country's last popular uprising in February. "It's stronger, it burns your face, it makes you feel like your whole body is seizing up," one witness said. He added: "It doesn't seem to be combated by Coke or vinegar."......"

Al-Jazeera Video: Egyptian actor Khalid Abdalla speaks to AJE from Tahrir Square

A SUPERB INTERVIEW; DON'T MISS IT!


"Egypt's interim cabinet has offered its resignation to the country's ruling military council as clashes raged for a third day in Cairo's Tahrir Square, pitting police and soldiers against protesters demanding democratic change.

Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros speaks to British-Egyptian actor and activist Khalid Abdalla in Cairo."

Framing Syria

Great piece Analyzing the media coverage of Syria

Over the last forty years, the Assad regime has mastered the method of burying our stories almost as well as burying our people. Our cities, like their residents, carry the scars of brutality, hiding decades of bloody secrets within their thick stone walls. One city in particular, Hama, lives with a twenty-nine-year-old secret, its 1982 massacre. It’s not really a secret, rather classified as a taboo subject never to be discussed in voices louder than whispers behind closed doors. Syrians didn’t even call it a massacre, they vaguely referred to it as al-ahdath, the events, as if there were an unspoken deal between the murderous regime and the people. We thought all these years if we never mentioned Hama again, the crimes would never be repeated, and the rest of us would be safe. We were wrong. The dark February month, when tens of thousands of Syrians were slaughtered (the real number will never be known) and thousands more were imprisoned, was destined to be swept under the regime’s dirty rug, and Hama, was destined to be forgotten forever. But after March 15th, the deal of silence was breached, as the crimes of the father were repeated by the son, and the blood of Hama’s past mixed with its present, its stories emerging from the repressed collective memory to join the new painful chapters written every day.

Twenty-nine years later, the tactics have changed but the intention is the same: bury the story with the people and cover the evidence in a fog of misinformation and confusion. The Syrian revolution’s media war has become almost as fierce as the battles on the streets. From satellite channels, social media platforms, and international newspapers, there is a PR war to be won by both sides. The regime’s strict ban on independent journalists entering the country has created two kinds of stories, undercover reports by journalists who dare to slip into the country for a few days through the Turkish or Lebanese borders, like Anthony Shadid, or reports by the privileged few who enter with the regime’s consent, like Hala Gorani, and are escorted by minders to “protect” them from mysterious “armed gangs,” and obviously, the truth. 

These stories do not help strengthen the narrative that the regime wants to sell its supporters and the world. In the last few months, Bashar al-Assad seemed to realize that no news from his side is not necessarily good news. Perhaps in an effort to generate a more favorable narrative, a selective few have been granted access to Syria. These journalists, like Robert Fisk, Andrew Gilligan, and Nir Rosen, are vaguely not escorted, but not undercover. Their articles are branded as “exclusive,” “unique,” with unlimited access to “all sides,” commissioned to expose a radically different side of the revolution than what currently floods the regional and international media outlets which have been based on the steady stream of daily videos and eye-witness accounts.

Although these journalists vary in background and expertise, their accounts are similarly framed: focusing on the brewing, deadly sectarianism; proving the existence of an armed opposition; equalizing the regime’s force with the people’s dissent; while casting the protesters’ narrative in a cloud of doubt. Fisk’s recent reportage reads as if he were speaking directly from the presidential palace, or humble, unguarded, “largeish suburban bungalow,” if you are to believe Gilligan. And surprisingly, Nir Rosen’s recent series for Al Jazeera English seems to suffer from the same regime-tainted myopia.

Rosen spent seven weeks this summer in Syria, touring Daraa, Damascus, Homs, Latakia, Hama and Aleppo, speaking as he says, “to all sides.” But from the first article entitled, “The revolution will be weaponized,” it is clear how heavily one-sided this series was designed to be. His focus on the deep, historical grievances of the Alawite (but not Sunni) sect and his endless comparisons of Syria to Iraq casts a distinct air of doom and hopelessness over every piece.

Inspired by Rosen’s “A Tale of Two Villages,” in which he compares an Alawite village to a Sunni one, I would like to tell you two tales of al-Rastan. This small town, with a significant population of military families, located between Hama and Homs, has become the geographic and revolutionary heart of Syria. According to Rosen, al-Rastan is the headquarters of the “armed opposition.” But French journalist Sofia Amara, who visited the town around the same time as Rosen, witnessed another side to the same story. 

Amara visited Syria undercover, for eleven days in early August, traveling to Zabadani, Damascus, Hama, Homs, and al-Rastan. When I met her, she spoke with guarded hesitation, even in the safety of her Paris apartment, although her fifty-two minute documentary film, Syria: Inside the Repression, exposes her name and face to the world. She is still afraid. For weeks after her safe return from Syria, Amara slept with hands formed into tight fists, thumbs protected, a habit she picked up from the locals. They sleep with their fingernails digging into their palms, because they fear of having their fingernails ripped out because of their dissent. Maybe the fear stems from the stories of the Daraa children, maybe from older prison stories, or maybe because it is the only form of torture that you imagine you can protect yourself from, even while you sleep.

Egypt's Tahrir return: panel verdict

Our panel of writers look at the significance of renewed clashes in Tahrir Square. What does it all mean for the revolution?

Mohamed El Hebeishy, Amira Nowaira, Matthew Cassel and Sara Khorshid
guardian.co.uk, Monday 21 November 2011

"....

Amira Nowaira: 'An increased dose of violence will increase anger'

There is a strong sense of deja vu in what is happening in Egypt today. In 1954 Egypt's young officers created mayhem to justify their clampdown on opposition and renege on their democratic promises. The horrific events of the last couple of days in Tahrir and several other places in the country suggest that Egypt's ageing generals are reading the same manual and following the same strategy.

It is a strategy that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) tried a few times in recent months, most noticeably in the Maspero incident on 9 October, when a peaceful Coptic protest was met with incredible brutality and many were run over by military trucks. The message sent by Maspero was not directed at Copts alone. It was a message sent to all Egyptians, telling them that SCAF would not tolerate dissent. Nor would it balk at using as much deadly violence as is required.

It is becoming increasingly and sadly evident to many Egyptians that SCAFstan is just an extension of Mubarakstan. But the question is: can SCAF really succeed where Mubarak had failed? This seems hugely unlikely, for an increased dose of violence will only increase anger and solve no problems. Unfortunately, this is a lesson that SCAF probably hasn't learned.

Matthew Cassel: 'Brutality is no longer a deterrent'

"The people want the downfall of the regime" became the iconic slogan when millions took to the streets earlier this year calling for the removal of President Hosni Mubarak. Today, almost 10 months after Mubarak stepped down, protesters are chanting the same thing but this time their target is the SCAF that has been running the country since February.

Much of the media is portraying what's happening as "clashes" in Cairo and elsewhere in Egypt with the implication that it's between two equal sides. Such a description is grossly misleading.
There is an ongoing revolution happening in Egypt. From the first day, the symbol of the revolution has been the sit-in protests at Cairo's Tahrir (Liberation) Square. In recent days, when the masses returned to Tahrir to ensure the revolution's forward progress, they were attacked. Instead of giving up their protest and letting the authorities trample all over their rights, they remained steadfast and fought back.

The revolutions in the Arab world were never going to happen overnight; it's going to take years to transform autocracies into democracies. Until that happens, street demonstrations in countries such as Egypt, Syria, Yemen and Bahrain (where massive protests are expected this week) will continue until the state and its security forces realise that their brutality is no longer a deterrent.

......"

Al-Jazeera Video: Egyptians document Tahrir police violence

"From Cairo to Alexandria, Egyptians have captured images of rampant police violence using handheld video cameras and mobile phones.

Near Tahrir Square, a security officer was filmed being congratulated for shooting at the eyes of a protester.

In Alexandria, green lasers alleged to be mounted on guns used by security forces are filmed hitting the leaves of overhead trees just before a protester is shot.

Al Jazeera's Omer al-Saleh reports."

Al-Jazeera: Egypt Live Blog

"Al Jazeera staff and correspondents update you on important developments in Cairo, as protesters take to the streets in the Egyptian capital to voice their dissatisfaction with the pace of reform following an uprising several months ago...."

Al-Jazeera Video: Autopsy in Alexandria heightens tensions

"Tensions remained high in northern Egyptian town of Alexandria on Monday after violent clashes between security forces and the locals over the weekend.

The release of an autopsy on the death of Bahaa el-Din Sanusi, a young local man killed during the protests, has done nothing to calm locals.

As Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh reports, perceived similarities with the autopsy of Khaled Said in 2010 has only served to convince many that the immpunity of the security forces is just as present today as it was under Hosni Mubarak."

Seymour Hersh: Propaganda Used Ahead of Iraq War Is Now Being Reused Over Iran’s Nuke Program

Democracy Now!


"While the United States, Britain and Canada are planning to announce a coordinated set of sanctions against Iran’s oil and petrochemical industry today, longtime investigative journalist Seymour Hersh questions the growing consensus on Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons program. International pressure has been mounting on Iran since the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency revealed in a report the "possible military dimensions" to Iran’s nuclear activities, citing “credible” evidence that “indicates that Iran has carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device.” In his latest article for The New Yorker blog, titled "Iran and the IAEA,” Hersh argues the recent report is a “political document,” not a scientific study. "They [JSOC] found nothing. Nothing. No evidence of any weaponization,” Hersh says. “In other words, no evidence of a facility to build the bomb. They have facilities to enrich, but not separate facilities to build a bomb. This is simply a fact."......"

Tahrir Square Under Attack: 32 Egyptians Killed, 1,750 Injured in Protests Against Military Rule

Democracy Now!


"Mass protests across Egypt have entered a third day, calling on the country’s military rulers to quickly transfer power to a civilian government. The fiercest clashes are taking place in Cairo’s Tahrir Square where thousands of protesters have battled with security forces since Saturday morning. The Associated Press reports today Egypt’s Ministry of Health has raised its casualty figures to 35 dead and more than 1,750 wounded. "Our demands at the beginning of the revolution were freedom, dignity and social justice. We have not seen social justice," says Nasser Abdul Hadi, one of the protesters interviewed in a video report by Democracy Now! correspondent Sharif Abdel Kouddous, who is ground in Cairo and has covered the protests since they began. Special thanks to Jacquie Soohen of Big Noise Films....."

Al-Jazeera Video: Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros reports from outside Tahrir Square

Al-Jazeera Video: Autopsy heightens tensions in Alexandria

Watch Hossam El-Hamalawy



"Tensions remained high in northern Egyptian town of Alexandria on Monday after violent clashes between security forces and the locals over the weekend.

The release of an autopsy on the death of Bahaa el-Din Sanusi, a young local man killed during the protests, has done nothing to calm locals, as Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh reports."

Turkey and the Syrian 'Abyss'

By Ramzy Baroud
Asia Times

"The Syrian uprising, the harsh government crackdown and the growing militarization of the opposition - all leading the country down the road to full-fledged civil war - have forced Turkey to abandon its "zero-problems" foreign policy. A now outspoken Ankara is trying to ensure a position of leadership for itself in any future scenario faced by Syria...."

Egyptians Launch New Battle for Minimum Wage

By Cam McGrath

"CAIRO - Mohamed El-Abyad's employer has agreed to increase his salary by 20 percent, but the factory worker still cannot afford to send his children to school. After paying his apartment rent and utilities, El-Abyad will have the equivalent of 20 dollars left over each month to put food on his family's table. And while education is mandatory, he pulled both his sons out of school to help cover the shortfall....."

Compared to Syria, the fall of Libya was a piece of cake

World View: Gaddafi's removal affected only one country. If the Assad regime is ousted, the reverberations will be felt across the Middle East for decades to come

By Patrick Cockburn

"President Bashar al-Assad's enemies are closing in for the kill. The Arab League is suspending Syria, and Turkey, once a close ally, is leading the pack in seeking to displace the government that has ruled for 40 years. Arab leaders are talking to West European states about deploying the same mix of political, military and economic sanctions against Syria that was used in Libya.

This final assault is already producing convulsions across the Middle East and beyond, because the outcome of the struggle will have an explosive impact on the entire region. By comparison, the overthrow of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi was a marginal event.....

How will Iran and Iraq, the two most important Shia states, respond to the growing likelihood of the fall of the government in Damascus? The Iranians will do all they can to prop it up, but already suspect this may not be enough. Consequently, they will respond to the loss of their Syrian ally by increasing their influence in Iraq. "They will do everything to hold Iraq as their last line of defence," Dr Attiyah says, "but the country will become a battleground.".....

The fall of the government in Syria will not be confined to one country, as happened in Libya. It will throw the whole Middle East into turmoil. Turkish leaders say privately they have been given a free hand by the US and Britain to do what they want. But the Saudis have no wish to see Turkey become the champions of the Muslim world. The battle for Syria is already producing fresh rivalries and the seeds of future conflicts."

Bashar Studies, by Khalil Bendib

(Click on cartoon to enlarge)

Real News Video: Egypt: Deadly pre-election clashes in Tahrir Square

A weekend of clashes between protesters and riot police shows the street remains a battleground for an unfinished revolution.

Egypt's revolution urgently needs leadership

Egyptians feel let down by the army, yet many feel now isn't the time for elections. Let's see a national unity government

Issandr El Amrani for the Arabist, part of the Guardian Comment Network
guardian.co.uk, Monday 21 November 2011

"....Can there be a political solution out of this crisis? And what do the protestors want, anyway? For some, it's about securing a deadline for the transition to a civilian government and president by April 2012. Others want this transition now. It's hard to overstate the extent to which the SCAF has squandered the trust that many Egyptians expressed in the army last February. Many want it to be out of power as soon as possible. Elections are not figuring high in the protestors' demands, and indeed in places some were tearing posters from the walls saying that now is not the time for partisan politics.

As I've written several times (see this recent piece in The National the only productive way to postpone these very badly prepared elections is if a national unity government that effectively takes over from the SCAF is directing the transition. Something similar has recently been proposed by some political actors, and could be adapted to the new situation.

The biggest obstacle to this right now – aside from the SCAF, which probably can't imagine making such a concession and still backing elections in a week – is the Muslim Brotherhood, whose Freedom and Justice Party opposes any postponement of elections they stand to do well in. Liberals may have suspended their campaign, but the Brothers (and others) sure aren't going to. For them to agree to postpone the elections at this point would necessitate an escalation in the crisis and a real breakthrough for the idea of a civilian transitional council. It may yet come if this violence continues....."

Egypt protests: New street battles erupt in Tahrir Square

Violence concentrated on south-west corner of central Cairo square, where security forces have been holding ground for 48 hours

Jack Shenker in Cairo
guardian.co.uk, Monday 21 November 2011

"Fierce fighting resumed in central Cairo on Monday as the Egyptian health ministry said the death toll from the anti-junta protests had reached at least 20, with more than 1,700 injured.

The violence is concentrated on the south-west corner of Tahrir Square, in central Cairo, where a heavily-fortified line of security forces has been holding ground for 48 hours.....

Motorbikes ferried hundreds of wounded civilians to a makeshift field hospital on the edge of Tahrir Square, where a handful of doctors, helped by volunteers, struggled to deal with the influx.

"We are seeing many patients suffering from severe gas inhalation and flesh wounds from different types of ammunition," Amr Wageeh, a 21-year-old medical student, said.

"I've been here four hours and helped treat over 100 in that time – it's hard because the teargas that's being used is stronger than what we've dealt with in the past and appears resistant to [the normal remedies of] vinegar and soda.

"The elections can go to hell – Tahrir comes first, and we must complete our half-finished revolution before starting to organise a vote....."

Al-Jazeera Video: Cairo clashes derail election buildup

Al-Jazeera Video: Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna on on-going Tahrir Square clashes

"Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna reports from Tahrir Square, where despite an earlier agreement to allow protesters to remain in the epicentre of the square, clashes have once again broken out. "

حمص القلعة: طائفية أم طروادية؟

ليس الأمر مصادفة، بالتأكيد، ولا تكفي لتفسيره حقيقة أنّ حمص مهد التنكيت الشعبي في سورية (على غرار ما يفعل كلّ بلد حين يختار منطقة ما، دون سواها، لتكون مادّة مفضّلة في تنميط السخرية)؛ إذْ تنطوي علاقة المدينة بالانتفاضة السورية على معطيات شتى تصنع تلك الخصوصية، وتغذّيها، وتنقلها بالتالي من عوالم النكتة المريرة إلى مستويات الواقع... الأمرّ، غالباً. يكفي، على سبيل الأمثلة، أنّ المدينة تتصدّر سجلّ الشرف في أعداد الشهداء (قرابة 1500 شهيد)؛ وكان الحماصنة في طليعة المتظاهرين الذين بدّلوا شعارات الانتفاضة الأبكر، فانتقلوا إلى الشعار الحاسم المطالب بإسقاط النظام؛ كما كانوا بين أوائل أبناء المحافظات في تغيير اسم أهمّ معالم المدينة، ساحة الساعة، إلى 'ساحة الحرّية'؛ وهنا، في حمص، شهدت الانتفاضة أوسع اصطفاف ضدّ النظام من جانب الطبقة الوسطى، وبعض التجار الكبار، وشرائح من المنضوين في 'الأغلبية الصامتة' عموماً.
ذلك جعل كتائب الفرقة الرابعة، وعناصر مختلف الأجهزة الأمنية، وقطعان الشبيحة، فضلاً عن أزلام النظام وأعوانه داخل المدينة، تنفّذ سلسلة من العمليات الأشرس ضدّ حمص، والأشدّ وحشية همجية؛ وذلك منذ السادس من أيار (مايو) الماضي، حين استُخدمت صنوف الأسلحة كافة، بما في ذلك الحوّامات والطيران الحربي، وفُرض حصار على أحياء حمص وجوارها، من الرستن إلى تلبيسة إلى تل كلخ، ما يزال مفتوحاً حتى اليوم. وكان طبيعياً أن يقترن هذا كلّه بحملة من طراز آخر، قوامها افتعال بؤر احتكاك طائفي بين أبناء المدينة، شاركت في تنفيذ سيناريوهاتها أجهزة النظام ذاتها، قبل أن تتولى تضخيمها إلى ما يشبه السردية المتكاملة: حمص، 'قلعة الثورة السورية' كما في التسمية اللائقة بها تماماً، صارت حاضنة أولى لاحتمالات حرب طائفية!
ومن المحزن، والمفاجىء تماماً، أن يقع في أحابيل تلك السردية بعض مناصري الانتفاضة، ممّن اكتفوا بالحملقة في التفصيل الصغير العابر، فزاغ بصرهم عن المشهد الكبير الأهمّ؛ كما انساق إليها بعض أبناء حمص أنفسهم، وعلى رأسهم برهان غليون، رئيس المجلس الوطني السوري. ففي بيان صدر عنه، باسمه وباسم المجلس، طغت اللغة الإنشائية على كلّ فقراته ما عدا تلك التي تُلقي باللائمة على الحماصنة، وتجزم بأنّ 'دفاعات' بعضهم قد ضعفت في 'مواجهة مخاطر الانقسام والتصادم الطائفي'؛ بحيث: 'أصبحنا نشهد منذ أسابيع عمليات خطف واغتيال وتصفية حسابات بين أبناء الشعب الواحد، بل بين أبناء الثورة أنفسهم'.ولأنّ النصّ قوبل بردود فعل رافضة، ومستنكرة، فقد سارع المجلس إلى إصدار بيان ثانٍ عن حمص، أراد فيه أن يكحّل بيان رئيسه، فألحق به العمى عملياً؛ إذْ ليس المطلوب تنزيه المدينة عن كلّ فعل طائفي، كما اعتبر البيان؛ ولا تأثيمها على نحو تهويلي يعيد إنتاج سردية النظام، بحسب بيان غليون. هذه مسألة سياسية بامتياز، قبل أن تكون ظاهرة فوات اجتماعي، ولم يكن من الحكمة أن يتخبط المجلس الوطني بين أقصى التنزيه وأقصى التهويل. لا أحد يدفع إلى التجييش الطائفي مثل النظام، من قمّة مؤسسته الحاكمة الأضيق وحتى أوسع قواعده الموالية؛ ولهذا، لا حرب ناجعة ضدّ الميول الطائفية أكثر من تلك التي تُشنّ ضدّ النظام، أوّلاً وثانياً وعاشراً. وأهل السنّة، في التاريخ البسيط كما في علم الاجتماع الأبسط، ليسوا 'طائفة' في سورية، لأنهم ببساطة أغلبية الشعب الساحقة، ولا يصحّ توصيف ميول الأغلبية استناداً إلى المعايير ذاتها التي يخضع لها سلوك الأفراد، أو المجموعات المصغّرة. هذا، غنيّ عن القول، لا يلغي مفاعيل انتشار التشدد الطائفي لدى بعض أبناء السنّة، إسوة بشيوع التطرّف أو الاعتدال، العصبوية أو التسامح، التديّن أو العلمانية...

Libya, Egypt and Syria all face an uncertain future

The Arab uprisings are still unfolding and no one can predict how each country's story will end

Ian Black, Middle East editor
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 20 November 2011

"...Egypt has been the most important chapter from the start because of its sheer size and influence, so state repression and anger at the generals who have ruled since Hosni Mubarak's overthrow are deeply worrying for those still nurturing the hopes born in Tahrir Square in January.

The prospects for the parliamentary elections, which are due to start next week, are unclear, although critics argue that they will be meaningless unless the military sets a date for handing over power to civilians. Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, hailed for persuading Mubarak to go, is under mounting pressure to step down himself.

Old habits die hard: instead of repealing Egypt's hated emergency law, the generals have extended it, while protecting their own privileges. Increasingly, analysts warn, it looks like a stark choice between the army and the Muslim Brotherhood, still the only really organised political force....

If Arab and international attention is focusing again on Egypt, events in Syria have taken on a riveting dynamic of their own. A rocket attack on an office of the ruling Ba'ath party in Damascus was further evidence of the growing capability of armed rebels to challenge President Bashar al-Assad.....

Preoccupied as he must be, Syria's president cannot have missed the capture of Muammar Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam and the brouhaha about whether he will be tried in Tripoli or at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. But legal questions apart, Saif al-Islam's re-appearance will be a sobering reminder of the altogether more brutal end met by his father in Sirte last month – a fate that could await Assad and his family if there is not a swift political turn to the Syrian crisis....."

Egyptian elections in doubt after violent clashes in central Cairo

Several candidates suspend campaigns after army attack on protesters leaves five dead and almost a thousand injured

Jack Shenker in Cairo
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 20 November 2011

"Egypt's revolution entered a dangerous new phase of confrontation on Sunday after the army attacked thousands of anti-junta protesters in Cairo, putting the viability of imminent parliamentary elections in serious doubt.

Several political parties and individual candidates said they were suspending their electoral campaigns after a weekend in which at least five people were killed and almost a thousand injured in some of the fiercest clashes seen since the heady days of February when Mubarak was ejected from power.....

"The elections can go to hell; Tahrir comes first, and we must complete our half-finished revolution before starting to organise a vote," he continued.

"If Scaf think they can do to us what Assad has done to the Syrians and Saleh has done to Yemenis, they are in for a surprise. The Egyptians will do to Scaf what Nato did to Libya: the generals are a remnant of Mubarak, and they will be swept aside.""

Al-Jazeera Video: Standoff sets in at Egypt's Tahrir Square

A GOOD SHORT INTERVIEW
WITH HOSSAM EL-HAMALAWY

Al-Jazeera Video: Protesters defy police crackdown on Cairo's Tahrir Square

Al-Jazeera Video: Violence breaks out at Egypt's Tahrir Square

Current Al-Jazeera (Arabic) Online Poll

Do you support giving the Syrian regime more time to carry out reforms?

With over 3,700 responding, 93% said no.

Al-Jazeera Video: Sherine Tadros reports from Egypt's Tahrir Square

Real News Video: Maher Arar on Syrian Conflict

Maher Arar updates his case and discusses the struggle in Syria

Real News Video: Euro Crisis, Neo-Liberalism and Undoing the Welfare State

Gerry Epstein: German elite profited from the Euro Zone, now wants to use crisis to undo welfare state and privatize

قضية فلسطين في مجلس الأمن إلى ضياع

"الذين صفقوا لإرسال موضوع طلب عضوية دولة فلسطين إلى مجلس الأمن لنيل العضوية في هيئة الأمم المتحدة أصيبوا الآن بخيبة أمل، كمن صبّ على رؤوسهم دلو ماء بارد في يوم صقيعي جليدي.

يجب أن يتذكر الجميع ما قيل في إقدام محمود عباس على طلب عضوية دولة فلسطين من مجلس الأمن باعتباره قراراً ذكياً سوف يُحرج الإدارة الأميركية وحكومة نتنياهو. ويجب أن يتذكر الجميع أيضاً الموقف من الخطاب المجلجل الذي ألقاه الرئيس في الجمعية العامة في ظل ذلك الطلب العتيد الأشدّ جلجلة من حيث خطوته الاستثنائية.

كل ذلك كان أشبه بزوبعة في فنجان. فإذا بمشروع القرار العتيد يسقط بالتصويت قبل أن يجري التصويت عليه ويُحرج أميركا باستخدام الفيتو. وذلك حين لم تؤمّن له تسعة أصوات.
....
السبب الأول والمباشر، وبلا جدال، كان الهروب من فشل إستراتيجية التفاوض والرهان على أميركا لإنجاح مسيرة المفاوضات، أي الاتفاق على حدود دنيا تصل إلى الكارثية بحق القضية الفلسطينية. فبدلاً من الاعتراف بالفشل، ومن ثم التراجع عن تلك الإستراتيجية من أساسها، كان الهروب إلى مجلس الأمن للبقاء ضمن إطار الإستراتيجية نفسها. فالخطوة العتيدة، وباختصار، لم تكن أكثر من هروب مؤقت من فشل مدوٍّ لإستراتيجية المفاوضات والرهان على أميركا، وهو ما أدّى إلى فشل جديد غير ضروري أمام نتنياهو وأوباما.

أما من جهة الانتقال بالمعركة مع الكيان الصهيوني إلى مجلس الأمن، فيمثل خللاً جوهرياً من حيث تحديد ميدان المعركة. فميدان المعركة، وبلا جدال، هو في رام الله ونابلس وجنين والخليل وبيت لحم، وعلى رأس ذلك في القدس ضدّ قوات الاحتلال والاستيطان والمستوطنين.

والجواب البدهي في هذا الميدان لا يكون إلا من خلال المقاومة والانتفاضة الشعبية. ففي هذا الميدان يُهزم سياسياً كل من نتنياهو وأوباما إن لم يهزم الاحتلال والمستوطنون، وبلا قيد أو شرط، كما حدث في قطاع غزة.

إن الانتقال بالمعركة من ميدانها الحقيقي إلى هيئة الأمم يعني الانتقال بالقضية الفلسطينية إلى المكان الذي أثبت -منذ قرار 181 لعام 1947 حتى اليوم- أنه المقبرة التي تدفن فيها الحقوق الفلسطينية. فهل يستطيع الذين تقدّموا بهذه الخطوة الجليلة ومن صفقوا لها وللخطاب المجلجل أن يقولوا لنا ماذا كان مصير كل القرارات التي صدرت عن هيئة الأمم المتحدة واعتبر الكثيرون أنها تسجيل انتصارات للقضية الفلسطينية.
....
فالإستراتيجية الصهيونية تريد أن تسيطر على كل فلسطين، ولهذا ترفض حتى الآن كل القرارات أو الحلول التي تعطيها 78% من فلسطين مع تعديلات على 22% الباقية. فهل يجوز أن يعني هذا أننا يجب أن نوافق على تلك القرارات أو الحلول وإلا اعتبر موقفنا ملتقياً في تلك اللحظة مع موقف نتنياهو. حقاً إنه لمنطق معيب.
وبكلمة، هذا الإرهاب إذا ما رضخنا له لن يُبقي بأيدينا غير الفُتات من فلسطين، لأن عين قادة الكيان الصهيوني ستكون على ذلك الفُتات أيضاً.
تبقى نقطتان: الأولى يجب الضغط على محمود عباس لإلغاء السلطة واتفاق أوسلو. والثانية يجب عدم السماح لسلام فياض بالاستناد إلى الأجهزة الأمنية التي أسّسها دايتون ليكون البديل.

فوجوده برئاسة الحكومة غير شرعي أصلاً وهو وراء الاتفاق الأمني الإجرامي الذي أوجد قوات أمن فلسطينية تحمي الاحتلال والاستيطان وقمع الانتفاضة وكل محاولة للانتفاض.

إن كل الظروف وموازين القوى مؤاتية لحل السلطة وإسقاط مخططات تحويل سلام فياض إلى بديل. فنتنياهو وأوباما لا يستطيعان أن يحتملا انطلاق انتفاضة شعبية في الضفة الغربية تكون لحمتها وسداها حماس والجهاد وفتح والفصائل الفلسطينية كافة، وعندئذ تصحّح البوصلة فلسطينياً وعربياً، ويصبح الاحتلال والاستيطان وتهويد القدس في مأزق خانق فعلاً، فها هنا ميدان المعركة الحقيقي
"

Al-Jazeera Video: Deadly clashes continue in Egypt

"Clashes are continuing in Cairo, the Egyptian capital, between riot police and protesters demanding that the ruling military quickly announces a date to hand over power to an elected government in some of the worst unrest since the country's revolution.

Police fired tear gas canisters and protesters threw rocks on Sunday morning as thousands remained on the streets overnight in and around central Cairo's Tahrir square, the focal point of the 18-day uprising that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak in February."

Al-Jazeera Video: AJE speaks to journalist at blast scene: Damascus

"At least two rocket-propelled grenades hit the Baath Party buildings in Damascus on Sunday.

This is the first insurgent attack reported inside the capital since the eight-month uprising began against President Bashar al-Assad.

Al Jazeera spoke to Thabet Salem, an eye-witness at the scene and a journalist in Damascus."

It's not just our leaders who are in a crisis. Democracy itself is failing

The world's statesmen no longer shape events but merely respond to them, in thrall to market forces

Peter Beaumont
The Observer, Saturday 19 November 2011

"Are the following intimations of a global crisis in the legitimacy of western democracy? Ireland's confidential budget plan, unseen by the Irish electorate, is leaked by European finance officials to the German parliament where the proposals are examined by the German finance committee.

In Italy, Mario Monti, the country's unelected new prime minister and a former international adviser to Goldman Sachs, stands in the Giustiniani Palace as head of a cabinet of similarly unelected technocrats. Imposed in place of the corrupt, useless and seedy Silvio Berlusconi to satisfy the "markets", Monti promises what we are told the markets want, and that is "sacrifices".

In Greece, both left and right of the country unite against their own technocrat, the former head of Greece's Central Bank, Lucas Papademos, brought in, too, at the behest of the markets. And in Berlin on Friday, David Cameron, the leader of the Conservative party, which could not manage to secure a mandate to govern the UK on its own, sits down with a German chancellor, Angela Merkel, whose countrymen do not trust her to handle the eurozone crisis.

If the picture of our leaders in the midst of a worldwide crisis is not a terribly inspiring one – politicians with clay feet or in hock to business interest, unelected bureaucrats and politicians lacking support – it is because western democracy itself, by and large, is not looking very pretty either......

We abrogated our engagement in the democratic process to politicians who abrogated influence to an unaccountable system as part of a pact that saw us happy as long as we were relatively comfortable. With that arrangement breaking down, we discover we have given up more than we bargained for."

Egyptian protesters clash with police for second day

Police fire teargas and rubber bullets at protesters in Tahrir Square a day after two people were killed and 600 wounded

Jack Shenker in Cairo and agencies
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 20 November 2011

"Egyptian riot police, firing teargas and rubber bullets, have clashed for a second day with thousands of rock-throwing protesters demanding that the ruling military quickly announce a date to hand over power to an elected government.

The police battled with an estimated 5,000 protesters in and around central Cairo's Tahrir Square, birthplace of the 18-day uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in February. Sunday's clashes, which come a day after two people were killed and hundreds wounded in similar violence in the capital and other cities, are stoking tensions eight days before the start of the country's first post-Mubarak parliamentary elections. Public anger has risen over the slow pace of reforms and apparent attempts by Egypt's ruling generals to retain power over a future civilian government....

On Friday a group of prominent intellectuals, including former UN nuclear weapons chief Mohamed ElBaradei, unveiled an alternative transition plan which would involve postponing the parliamentary ballot and wresting executive control of Egypt away from the armed forces while a new constitution is drawn up.

The ruling generals have yet to respond to the proposal."

Arab League: Ensure Effective Syria Monitoring Mission

Independence, Expertise, Transparency All Key to Credibility

Human Rights Watch
November 19, 2011

"(New York) – The Arab League should ensure that Syria grants its monitoring mission unhindered access to conflict zones and detention facilities, and that it can operate independent of Syrian security services and other authorities, Human Rights Watch said today.

On November 18, 2011, Syrian diplomatic sources told media outlets that their government had “conditionally” accepted an Arab League mission to observe implementation of the League’s initiative to end the violence that has killed thousands since March.

“The Arab League’s effort to send monitors to Syria is commendable, but whether this mission can make a difference depends on whether the Syrian government lets it do its job,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The Syrian people don’t need another guided tour for foreign observers – what’s needed is an independent and effective monitoring presence that can finally shed light on the serious human rights violations on the ground.”....."

Officials: Israeli ambassador returns to Egypt

Barak: See, I am holding his leash; I decide if he gets any money from Washington.

Al-Masry Al-Youm

"Airport officials say that Israel's ambassador to Egypt has returned to Cairo after he and other embassy staffers fled on military planes when thousands of angry Egyptians attacked the Israeli Embassy in September.

An official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press said Yitzhak Levanon returned to Cairo Sunday through Istanbul.

Egyptian rioters ransacked the Israeli Embassy following the killing of six Egyptian soldiers in Sinai as Israel pursued Palestinian militants who infiltrated Israel from Egypt's Sinai desert.

Several Israeli security delegations have visited Egypt during the past two months to discuss the return of the ambassador and to decide on a new embassy location."