Egyptian Army Showing Signs of Pro-Mubarak Regmine

It didn't take long for the Egyptian Army to show their Pro-Mubarak style of enforcement. Because thousands of Egyptians demand the resignation of the Defense Minister and claiming reform is too slow, the protesters are at Tahrir Square turning their frustrations on the army. Unlike the passiveness of the Egyptian army during the revolution, the army is very aggressive to show who is really in control. Like I said earlier, I think the army like the new found power they inherited. The Egyptian people might as well get use to it. It is their own unraveling.

(Newser)(AP) – Once the defenders of Egypt's revolution, the army is now squarely in the crosshairs of tens of thousands of protesters who again crowded Cairo's Tahrir Square yesterday. Bloggers have been jailed for "insulting the military," thousands have been arrested, and women in military custody have been subjected to bogus virginity exams, reports the New York Times, and the backlash was evident yesterday. “We don’t want a confrontation with the army, but they have to understand that the people will not go quiet,” says a protester. “This is a revolution.”

Protesters had vowed not to leave without the resignation of the defense minister. But even the military crackdown in Tahrir smacked more of Hosni Mubarak's era than that of a burgeoning democracy, notes the AP: Hundreds of soldiers beat protesters in a 3am raid in which two people were reported killed—including one soldier who joined protesters. The military denied there were fatalities. "I saw women being slapped in the face, women being kicked," says another protester.

Freedom Is Not Having a Modesty Police In Egypt

I thought Egypt wanted Democracy after they force Mubarak out of office. The Egyptian people are moving from a dictatorship to a radical Islamic state. I have talked from this from time to time. Regime change doesn't work. The grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. Now, the only organization strong enough to impose Sharia Law and radical Islam is the Muslim Brotherhood. They are working with the Egyptian military to impose their Islamic views to the Egyptian people. The virtue or modesty police is one example of forcing Sharia Law to the people of Egypt. This is not freedom. Next, it will be discriminating Christians that live in Egypt because Islam and Christianity doesn't mix. If the Muslim Brotherhood wins the fall elections, I would expect Egypt provoking Israel into an ugly war.

(FavStocks) Muslim Brotherhood officials must be confident in their chances in this fall’s Egyptian parliamentary elections. David Miller of Media Line picked up an Egyptian newspaper report citing a member of the Brotherhood’s governing board calling for a squad of virtue police created to act against “those who commit immoral acts.”

Issam Durbala’s vision aims to protect public virtue and modesty with “limited authorities,” Miller reports, which means something short of Saudi Arabia’s vice police. [Note: Miller identifies Durbala as a Brotherhood official, other sourcesplace him in the Gama'a Al-Islamiya, or Islamic Group].

Moderates and secularists in Egypt are alarmed by the growing influence of religious conservatives in Egypt. They’ll have to scramble to compete in the fall elections against the larger, better organized Brotherhood.

Iranians Starting an Uprising and Many Wonder if Obama Will Help

In 2009, Iranians held massive protest after Ahmadinejad was re-elected as president. The Iranian people are saying that the hardliner was re-elected due to massive vote rigging in June 2009. At that time, Obama didn't do anything about it. Obama allowed Ahadinejad to imprison and punish the dissidents on the streets. Since Egyptian leader Mubarak was ousted from power, Obama gave full support and incited the Egyptian people to not back down. After the aftermath, there has been a domino effect throughout the Middle East with a revolution for democracy or "mob rule." In Iran, there are thousands of protester congregating in Tehran mimicking an Egyptian protest. Many are wondering if Obama will support the Iranian people as he did with the Egyptian people. Also, many Iranian are frightened that Obama will turn a blind eye and allow Ahmadinejad to commit a human right's atrocity by imprisoning and killing dissidents like the Iranian president did in 2009.

(Breitbart) Riot police on Monday fired tear gas and shot paintballs at protesters who turned what they said was a Tehran rally in support of Arab uprisings into an anti-government demonstration, witnesses said.

The clashes broke out at Tehran's prominent Azadi (Freedom) Square when crowds of opposition supporters began chanting "Death to Dictator!" -- a slogan used by protesters against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after the disputed 2009 presidential election.

Witnesses said police fired tear gas and also shot paintballs at protesters who had gathered despite a ban by authorities.

Websites and witnesses said thousands of opposition supporters had taken to the streets of the capital in support of Arab revolts despite a heavy police deployment.

While Iran has backed the Arab uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, the interior ministry in Tehran banned the Monday rally which Mousavi and fellow opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi had sought to hold.

Witnesses and websites said the opposition supporters had walked in scattered crowds silently to Azadi Square from several parts of the capital as policemen kept a sharp watch and tried dispersing them.

Riot police on motorbikes armed with shotguns, tear gas, batons, paintball guns and fire extinguishers were deployed in key squares in the capital to prevent the gatherings

Now, the Egyptian People Wonder how the Egyptian Military Will Govern

Not surprisingly, after the overthrow of the Mubarak government, the Egyptian people are starting to wonder the full intent how the military will govern. In the old adage, "you break it, you buy it." The Egyptian people have no idea what they stirred up. They removed Mubarak from power and allowed Mubarak's general and best friend to take over. The likelihood for a nice transition will be innocuous at first, but let's wait and see six months from now. Throughout history, military leaders having absolute power will eventually lead to absolute corruption.

(The Independent) Two days after millions of Egyptians won their revolution against the regime of Hosni Mubarak, the country's army – led by Mubarak's lifelong friend, General Mohamed el-Tantawi – further consolidated its power over Egypt yesterday, dissolving parliament and suspending the constitution. As they did so, the prime minister appointed by Mubarak, ex-General Ahmed Shafiq, told Egyptians that his first priorities were "peace and security" to prevent "chaos and disorder" – the very slogan uttered so often by the despised ex-president. Plus ça change?

In their desperation to honour the 'military council's' promise of Cairo-back-to-normal, hundreds of Egyptian troops – many unarmed – appeared in Tahrir Square to urge the remaining protesters to leave the encampment they had occupied for 20 days. At first the crowd greeted them as friends, offering them food and water. Military policemen in red berets, again without weapons, emerged to control traffic. But then a young officer began lashing demonstrators with a cane – old habits die hard in young men wearing uniforms – and for a moment there was a miniature replay of the fury visited upon the state security police here on 28 January.

It reflected a growing concern among those who overthrew Mubarak that the fruits of their victory may be gobbled up by an army largely composed of generals who achieved their power and privilege under Mubarak himself. No-one objects to the dissolution of parliament since Mubarak's assembly elections last year – and all other years -- were so transparently fraudulent. But the 'military council' gave no indication of the date for the free and fair elections which Egyptians believed they had been promised.

But a clear divergence is emerging between the demands of the young men and women who brought down the Mubarak regime and the concessions – if that is what they are – that the army appears willing to grant them. A small rally at the side of Tahrir Square yesterday held up a series of demands which included the suspension of Mubarak's old emergency law and freedom for political prisoners. The army has promised to drop the emergency legislation "at the right opportunity", but as long as it remains in force, it gives the military as much power to ban all protests and demonstrations as Mubarak possessed; which is one reason why those little battles broke out between the army and the people in the square yesterday.

The suspension of the constitution – a document which the millions of demonstrators anyway regarded as a laissez-passer for presidential dictatorship – left most Egyptians unmoved. And the army, having received the fulsome thanks of Israel for promising to honour the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, announced that it would hold power for only six months; no word, though, on whether they could renew their military rule after that date.

As Expected, Egyptian Military Suspended Egypt Constitution

As expected, the Egyptian military suspended Egypt's constitution and begun quelling the dissidents on the streets. Preventing another uprising, the military is showing what every coup d'etat leader in history has demonstrated. As the old adage goes, "those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." It is unlikely that the Egyptian military general, who is a lifelong friend of Mubarak, will relinquish military hold on the country any time soon.

(Reuters) - Egypt's military delivered an ultimatum on Monday to dozens of committed protesters in Tahrir Square, nerve centre of a movement that toppled Hosni Mubarak, to leave and let life return to normal or face arrest.

Soldiers had scuffled with demonstrators the day before as they reopened the central Cairo square to traffic. Some protesters insisted on staying, determined to see through their demands for civilian rule and a free, democratic system.

Protest leaders say Egyptians will demonstrate again if their demands for radical change are not met. They plan a huge "Victory March" on Friday to celebrate the revolution, and perhaps to remind the military of the power of the street.

Egypt's generals, who played an important role in the anti-Mubarak revolt by making no effort to crush it, are asserting their control following Mubarak's overthrow.

Having suspended the constitution and dissolved parliament on Sunday, moves welcomed by those who saw both institutions as geared to serve Mubarak's personal ends, the military council was planning to issue orders intended to stifle disruption and get the country back to work, a military source said.

Free and fair elections will be held under a revised constitution, the military said, but it gave no timetable beyond saying it would be in charge "for a temporary period of six months or until the end of elections to the upper and lower houses of parliament, and presidential elections".

Political analysts were beginning to ask how long the whole process of amending the constitution, having a referendum on it and then holding elections would all take.

Egypt's army said it wowuld lift the hated state of emergency, implemented after the assassination of Mubarak's predecessor Anwar Sadat by Islamist soldiers and kept in place by Mubarak to stifle dissent, but has not specified a timetable which has troubled protesters.

The army said at the weekend it would uphold Egypt's international obligations. These include its peace treaty with Israel, whose defence minister has been in touch with his Egyptian counterpart, who heads the military council.

The army source said military authorities were expected to issue an order soon that would ban meetings by labour unions or professional syndicates, effectively forbidding strikes, and would tell all Egyptians to get back to work.

There would also be a warning from the military against those who created "chaos and disorder", the source said, adding the army would, however, acknowledge the right to protest.

Like Afghanistan, Obama Now Owns the Crisis in Egypt as Well

Like the "good war" in Afghanistan, Obama now owns the crisis in Egypt as well. So far, Obama owns a horrid economy, a deflating dollar, the Gulf Oil Spill, high unemployment, wasteful spending, national debt, radical Islam uprising, and now civil unrest around the world. I think he is doing a "bang-up" good job. Don't you think? (Sarcasm)

(Yahoo) WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama on Friday welcomed the peaceful transition of power in Egypt with the resignation of longtime President Hosni Mubarak. "The people of Egypt have spoken. Their voices have been heard. And Egypt will never be the same," he declared.

In brief remarks in the Grand Foyer of the White House, the president noted that it was "not the end of Egypt's transition, it's a beginning." He said that many important questions remain to be resolved and difficult times lie ahead.

"I'm confident the people of Egypt can find the answers," Obama said. He spoke hours after Mubarak stepped aside, turning authority over to the military. It was a turnaround from the night before, when the Egyptian leader defiantly refused to give up his title.

Obama began his remarks by noting that "President Mubarak responded to the Egyptian people's hunger for change." That was the only time he mentioned the resigned president.

Obama said he is confident that a democratic Egypt can assert its role as an influential player in the Mideast and beyond.

Democracy protests bring down Egypt's Mubarak

Since no one has confirmed who will lead the new republic, the turmoil of Egypt isn't over. This vacuum created will open doors to radicalism. Whether the military will honor the voice of the Egyptian people remains to be seen.

(Yahoo) CAIRO – Fireworks burst over Tahrir Square and Egypt exploded with joy and tears of relief after pro-democracy protesters brought down President Hosni Mubarak with a momentous march on his palaces and state TV. Mubarak, who until the end seemed unable to grasp the depth of resentment over his three decades of authoritarian rule, finally resigned Friday and handed power to the military.

"The people ousted the regime," rang out chants from crowds of hundreds of thousands massed in Cairo's central Tahrir, or Liberation, Square and outside Mubarak's main palace several miles away in a northern district of the capital.

The crowds in Cairo, the Mediterranean city of Alexandria and other cities around the country erupted into a pandemonium of cheers and waving flags. They danced, hugged and raised their hands in prayer after Vice President Omar Suleiman made the announcement on national TV just after nightfall. Some fell to kiss the ground, and others chanted, "Goodbye, goodbye" and "put your heads up high, you're Egyptian."

The question now turned to what happens next after effectively a military coup, albeit one prompted by overwhelming popular pressure. Protesters on Friday had overtly pleaded for the army to oust Mubarak. The country is now ruled by the Armed Forces Supreme Council, the military's top body consisting of its highest ranking generals and headed by Defense Minister Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi.

After Mubarak's resignation, a military spokesman appeared on state TV and promised the army would not act as a substitute for a government based on the "legitimacy of the people."

President Mubarak and Family Leave Cairo but Unknown if He Relinquish Power

Mubarak give powers to his 2nd in command and the military has taken over to quell the violence, riots, and protest. This scenario sound so familiar to many coup d'etat takeover. If the Egyptian people think they won, wait till they see what is in store for them.

(YAHOO) (Reuters) – Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his family have left Cairo for the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, proving he is giving up his presidential powers, a ruling party official said on Friday.

Protesters seeking Mubarak's overthrow moved overnight to the Ittihadiya presidential palace in the Cairo suburb of Heliopolis for the first time since demonstrations began on January 25.

"President Mubarak has begun carrying out the transfer of his authorities to his deputy Omar Suleiman by heading to Sharm el-Sheikh," Mohammed Abdillah, head of media with the National Democratic Party, told Reuters. "President Mubarak is intent on carrying out his vows to himself."

Sharm el-Sheikh is a popular tourist destination in the Sinai peninsula which Egypt got back from Israel after a peace treaty in 1979. Sharm el-Sheikh is a world away from the pollution, congestion and poverty of Cairo.

Al Arabiya television station reported that it had confirmed the arrival of the president, who said on Thursday he was handing powers to Vice President Suleiman, and his family in the tourist town.

Comments by CIA Director Panetta Saying Strong Likelihood Mubarak Steps Down Stokes Worldwide Furor

What do you expect from a reject that came from the Clinton Administration? Another inexperience person doing a job that is beyond his comprehension. Panetta needs to step down as director of the CIA because Obama doesn't need someone to make him into a fool. Obama is doing just fine without anyones help.

(Washington Post) CIA Director Leon Panetta helped touch off an avalanche of erroneous expectations Thursday when he testified that there was a "strong likelihood" that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would step down by the end of the day.

Within minutes, senior aides to Panetta sought to tamp down the impact, saying he was merely referring to media reports. But by then, the comments had ricocheted around the Internet, underscoring U.S. confusion about events unfolding in Egypt, as well as the perils of publicly weighing in on such developments while serving as director of CIA.

Panetta acknowledged the daunting aspect of that assignment in testimony before the House intelligence committee, saying that for spy services, "our biggest problem is always: How do we get into the head of somebody?"

Panetta, who had little intelligence experience before taking the CIA job two years ago, has been praised for his skill in leading a notoriously temperamental agency, and for handling public controversies with a deft touch.

Unlike other senior intelligence officials who were more circumspect in their comments on Egypt, Panetta did not hesitate in offering assessments of the rapidly shifting events.

After the committee chairman referred to media accounts predicting that the Egyptian president would step down, Panetta said, "I got the same information you did, that there is a strong likelihood that Mubarak may step down this evening, which would be significant in terms of where the hopefully orderly transition in Egypt takes place."

Shortly thereafter, a U.S. intelligence official said that Panetta "was clearly referring to press reports alluded to" by the panel chairman, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.).

Obama and Mubarak have Severed Diplomatic Ties

America can thank on the community organizer's stupidity on foreign policy. Obama is alienating his allies and embracing the enemy. Obama has made a total mess of things and needs to step down as president before creating another world war.

(WSJ) WASHINGTON—The defiant tone taken by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak—and widespread confusion about the meaning of his speech—had White House officials stumbling for their next step in a crisis that was spinning out of their control.

Egyptian officials said Mr. Mubarak gave the Obama administration much of what it wanted: the delegation of presidential powers to the vice president, Omar Suleiman.

They said Mr. Mubarak had all but been rendered a figurehead leader, precisely the formulation set out by U.S. officials over the weekend.

But Mr. Mubarak's language and refusal to yield to what he called the intervention of foreigners left protesters furious, the scene in Cairo precarious and the White House seemingly unable to influence events.

All day, as rumors swirled Mr. Mubarak would step down, administration officials struggled to understand what was happening, and even U.S. intelligence officials appeared baffled at one point. At a Capitol Hill hearing, Leon Panetta, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, told lawmakers there was "a strong likelihood that Mubarak may step down this evening."

After Mr. Mubarak's speech, the White House was consumed with a sense of "disbelief," one U.S. official said.

The White House is now squeezed between Arab and Israeli allies, who have complained that Mr. Obama was pushing Mr. Mubarak too hard to step down, and lawmakers who accuse the White House of not pushing hard enough. Now, the White House finds itself largely a bystander.

In the White House, frustration is giving way to a sense of powerlessness.

Arab and Israeli diplomats said Mr. Obama's decision to throw his full support behind the opposition after eight days of protests has likely broken ties with Mr. Mubarak beyond repair.

Obama Not Satisfied that President Mubarak is Staying On

President Obama has no right to use $1.5 billion military aid as a bargaining chip to oust Mubarak as leader of Egypt. In fact, Obama has no right to meddle and dictate another sovereign country. Surprisingly, the Obama Administration realizes that he has limited influence upon the matter and needs to reflect his statement "respecting the rights of the people."

(My Way) WASHINGTON (AP) - Bristling with impatience, President Barack Obama on Thursday openly and sharply questioned whether Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's pledge to shift power to his vice president is an "immediate, meaningful or sufficient" sign of reform for a country in upheaval.

Without naming Mubarak, Obama issued a written statement that criticized the leader for not offering clarity to his people or a concrete path to democracy. He called on Egyptian government leaders to do so, declaring: "They have not yet seized that opportunity."

Obama's comments came after Mubarak, in a televised speech, refused to step down despite intense speculation that he was on the brink of ouster. He said he was delegating powers to Vice President Omar Suleiman, yet Mubarak remained president and defiantly said he would so until a successor was elected to replace him in September. Protesters were shocked, saddened and enraged.

At the White House, Obama scrambled with his national security team over how to respond to a speech that had left many surprised and even baffled. In his statement, Obama challenged Egypt's leaders to plainly explain what the new changes mean and how they would lead them to the freedoms or opportunities that have driven enormous crowds into the streets since late January.

Still, analysts and even U.S. officials themselves acknowledge the White House has limited power to shape what Egypt does.

Obama devoted most of statement to the familiar calls by his government for Egypt to respect the rights of its people and to immediately negotiate a path to free elections.

Richard N. Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, said Mubarak's speech left the fundamental situation in Egypt unchanged. "We cannot steer things," Haass said. "We have limited influence."

President Mubarak Staying on Till September

Mubarak stays on till power till September. It's only 6 more months. The Egyptian people had 30 years of Mubarak. Waiting till September won't kill them.......

(Reuters) - President Hosni Mubarak provoked rage on Egypt's streets on Thursday when he said he would hand over powers to his deputy but refused to step down after more than two weeks of protests demanding that he quit.

The armed forces high command had earlier issued "Communique No.1," declaring it was taking control of the nation in what some called a military coup seeking to end the turmoil under the 82-year-old former general, who has ruled for 30 years.

Instead, the former air force commander portrayed himself as a patriot and war hero overseeing an orderly transition until an election in September -- in which he said last week he would not stand. Mubarak praised young people who have stunned the Arab world with unprecedented rallies. He offered constitutional change and a bigger role for Vice President Omar Suleiman.

News that Mubarak may hand over power, or be unseated, in this key American ally in the Middle East had provoked loud and emotional cheers in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the focal point for pro-democracy demonstrations. But some in the crowd were quick to protest they did not want military rule.

Washington's approach to the turmoil has been based from the start on Egypt's strategic importance -- as a rare Arab state no longer hostile to Israel, as the guardian of the Suez canal linking Europe and Asia and as a major force against militant Islam in the Middle East.

Obama is Mad Because President Mubarak Attacks Al Jazeera News

Al Jazeera is no different to any of the American news organization like MSNBC, ABC, NBC, CBS or CNN. Liberal biased media runs rampant all over the world. It is to those naive people who aren't able to distinguish truth from rubbish, or biased coverage to honest journalism. I have never watch a Al Jazeera broadcast, but our president is glued to it. The main news Obama watches come from Al Jazeera news because they both share the same political belief.

(My Way) CAIRO (AP) - The Egyptian government has made clear it believes a chief culprit stoking the anti-government protests roiling the country is pan-Arab broadcaster Al-Jazeera.

Security forces have detained, and later released, at least nine Al-Jazeera correspondents since the protests erupted last month. Authorities have banned its Arabic and English language channels from broadcasting and revoked the press credentials of all of its journalists. The channel has continued to report despite the restrictions.

Pro-government thugs set the Qatar-based network's Cairo offices ablaze last week, along with the equipment inside, as part of a broad pattern of attacks on journalists covering the unrest.

Egypt's newly appointed vice president, Omar Suleiman, told Egyptian newspaper editors on Tuesday that "certain satellite channels" are provoking the protesters and insulting Egypt.

A week earlier, Suleiman said: "I blame some friendly countries who own unfriendly channels that have fueled the youth against the country by lying and showing the situation as worse than it is."

While he hasn't named Al-Jazeera outright, it is clear to Egyptians whom Suleiman has in mind, and such comments have served as a clear signal to the regime and its supporters to hit back at the network.

And they did.

Besides the attack on its Cairo bureau and the detention of its reporters, Al-Jazeera said its website was hacked. A banner advertisement on its Arabic-language site was taken down for more than two hours and replaced with a slogan reading "Together for the collapse of Egypt."

The network has even had trouble staying on the air because of high levels of interference in its broadcast signal. Al-Jazeera said the government shut off the channel's signal from an Egyptian satellite. Egyptians with satellite dishes could adjust them to point to other satellites beaming the Al-Jazeera signal, but that is not easy to do. Since the cutoff, the channel has provided viewers the coordinates to make the change.

Saudis Warns Obama Not to Humiliate Mubarak

Congratulation to Barack Hussein Obama in sealing the fate of Israel. Being adamant of ousting another world leader is baffling. Obama is certain to put a "de facto" government in Egypt or a militant Islamic organization like the Muslim Brotherhood in power, which means the end of Israel. Obama is playing both sides of the fence. He is intentionally supporting any radical regime in Egypt and comforting Israel at the same time. To be sarcastic, it would been easier for Obama to bomb Israel and get it over with than prolonging the inevitable. I hope America can see the evil behind Obama's radical Muslim background.

(Fox News) Saudi Arabia has threatened to prop up embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak if the Obama administration tries to force a swift change of regime in Egypt, The Times of London reported Thursday.
In a testy personal telephone call on Jan. 29, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah reportedly told President Obama not to humiliate Mubarak and warned that he would step in to bankroll Egypt if the U.S. withdrew its aid program, worth $1.5 billion annually.

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

The revelation of Saudi concerns sheds new light on America's apparent diplomatic paralysis and lays bare the biggest rift between the nations since the oil price shock of 1973.

The tough line from Riyadh is driven by concern that Western governments were too eager to shove aside Mubarak when the uprising began, without proper consideration of what should follow him.

"With Egypt in chaos, the kingdom is Washington's only major ally left in the Arab world and the Saudis want the Americans to remember that," said a source in Riyadh.

Egypt army takes control, sign Mubarak on way out

We have seen this many times before. From the Philippines to Cuba, a military takeover is nothing new. It is called a "coup d'etat." As defined, coup d'etat is also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government,usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either civil or military. The civil unrest that leads to a coup d'etat are seen with "banana republic" countries. From within, the military will produce a leader to lead the country.

It is noted that the Egyptian people are chanting "civilian not military," but don't fully understand what is meant when the military take matters under its own hands. If the Egyptian people think Mubarak is bad, wait till they experience a real dictator from within the military. The Egyptian people needs to review the history military leaders in history who took over a country like Fidel Castro, Muammar al-Gaddafi, Saddam Hussien, and Kim Il-Sung, just to name a few. Like the old adage, the grass is not always greener on the other side.

(Yahoo) CAIRO – Egypt's military announced on national television that it stepped in to "safeguard the country" and assured protesters that President Hosni Mubarak will meet their demands in the strongest indication yet that the longtime leader has lost power. In Washington, the CIA chief said there was a "strong likelihood" Mubarak will step down Thursday. By tonight, the fate of the Egyptian people will be revealed when Mubarak will make his announcement.

State TV said Mubarak will speak to the nation Thursday night from his palace in Cairo.
The military's dramatic announcement showed that the military was taking control after 17 days of protests demanding Mubarak's immediate ouster spiraled out of control.

President Mubarak Tells Barack Obama to Lay Off

There are dramatic change in events occurring in Egypt. The protest is waning, but still maintaining a distruptive atmosphere. The audacity of Obama pushing another world leader to step aside and resign is pure hypocrisy. President Mubarak said he will step down in 6 months prior to the elections. Since Mubarak have been in power for 30years, I think 6 months is a reasonable time to allow a transition of power with a Democratic election. Telling Mubarak to step down as president will create a void, which will lead to a chaos worst than the protest. In a state of an emergency, it is important to maintain order. To do that, Mubarak must call martial law and assign the army to quell the situation, incarcerate every radical element within Egypt, and allow the Democratic process of free elections to take place. It is a very unorthodox way to handle the situation, but during desperate times calls for desperate measures.

The United States does not need to meddle in the Democratic process of free elections in another country. On Friday, Mubarak finally told Obama to "knock it off." The Egyptian president is refusing to answer phone calls from foreign parties because it is aimed to incite the internal situation in Egypt. Since Mubarak isn't taking any phone calls from Obama, the Obama Administration is treatening to stop aid to the Egyptian government. Obama wants to see Mubarak resignation happen sooner than later. This provocation by Obama will incite the protest to another level. Because of this, what choices Mubarak takes was caused by Obama's meddling.

(Indian Express) As violence on the streets of Cairo indicated a well-orchestrated attempt by the Hosni Mubarak government to silence the protests against his regime, the US openly broke with its most stalwart ally. Ending days of delicate public and private diplomacy, the Obama administration strongly condemned violence by allies of Mubarak against protesters and called on him to speed up his exit from power.

Egypt’s government hit back swiftly. The Foreign Ministry released a defiant statement saying the calls from “foreign parties” had been “rejected” and “aimed to incite the internal situation in Egypt”. Separately, in an interview, a senior Egyptian government official took aim at President Obama’s call for a political transition to begin “now”.

But the White House was not backing down. “I want to be clear,” said Robert Gibbs, the press secretary. “ ‘Now’ started yesterday.”

The Obama administration seemed determined to put as much daylight as possible between Obama and Mubarak, with Gibbs again raising the spectre of a cutoff of American aid to the Mubarak government. “There are things that the government needs to do,” he said. “There are reforms that need to be undertaken. And there are opposition entities that have to be included in the conversations as we move toward free and fair elections.”

Those elections are currently scheduled for September, but State Department spokesman Philip J Crowley said: “The sooner that can happen, the better.”

As evidence of how far the rift has gone, a senior Egyptian official reached out to a reporter to criticise Obama’s remarks, saying the Mubarak government has “a serious issue with how the White House is spinning this... Mubarak’s primary responsibility is to ensure an orderly and peaceful transfer of power. We can’t do that if we have a vacuum of power.”

O'Reilly Interviews Obama During the Super Bowl

From the O'Reilly interview, we know that Obama wants President Mubarak out of office immediately, wouldn't mind if the Muslim Brotherhood takes over Egypt, didn't get the memo that majority of American don't want Obamacare, and surprised that many American aren't too crazy about the president. In other words, Obama lives in a bubble.

(Washington Post) President Obama sat down with FOX News host Bill O'Reilly on Sunday for a live interview that aired during pre-game coverage of the Super Bowl on local FOX broadcast stations.

The interview, which was preceded by a series advertisement-programming hybrids sponsored by E-Trade and Pizza Hut, showed the "O'Reilly Factor" host and the president sitting in the White House, one-on-one.

O'Reilly started with Egypt, asking the president when embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would leave office.

"Only he knows what he's going to do," Obama said. "Egypt is not going to go back to what it was. The Egyptian people want freedom. They want free and fair elections ... and so what we've said is you've got to start a transition now."

O'Reilly pressed the president to say, if he knew, when Mubarak would leave. "We can say that the time is now for you to start making a change in that country," Obama said.

"He has been a good partner when it comes to the peace with Israel," Obama said, adding that Mubarak was aware of certain U.S. foreign relations plans.

"He knows a lot of bad things about us," O'Reilly said. "So I'm just worried that he might go off the reservation. "

The conversation then turned to the question of the Muslim Brotherhood, a non-secular faction that is currently involved in talks with the Egyptian government. "I think that the Muslim Brotherhood is one faction in Egypt," Obama said. "There are a whole bunch of secular folks in Egypt...educators, civil society in Egypt that want to come forward as well.

"What I want is a representative government in Egypt," Obama said, when pressed as to whether he would want the Muslim Brotherhood becoming the leading political party.

Discussion then turned to the health-care reform law and a recent decision by a Florida court judge to strike down the president's signature reform effort. "I think the judge in Florida was wrong," said Obama, citing 12 other judges who had thrown out suits challenging the law. When O'Reilly said it would go to the Supreme Court, Obama countered that legal challenges still had other levels of the judicial system to go through.

"I'm not prepared to go back to a day when," if you have a pre-existing condition you "can't get help."

O'Reilly then read an editorial from the Wall Street Journal that described the president as being open to a re-distribution of wealth.

"The Wall Street Journal would probably paint you as a pretty left-wing guy," Obama said, when O'Reilly finished reading.

O'Reilly then claimed a majority of Americans disapproved of the health-care law, asking the president for his take. "Actually, I think it's pretty evenly divided, Bill," Obama said.

Obama and O'Reilly continued to spar over the nature of the health-care law, with O'Reilly claiming that many Americans feel that the president was intruding on their freedoms, "I give you credit, you've got a pretty big viewership," Obama said, again countering the claim that a majority of Americans did not support the law.

O'Reilly then asked whether the president was moving towards the political center, joking, "We were set up over there and they moved you a little bit to the center."

"Now, our focus is not on re-fighting the battles of the last two years," Obama said. "I'm the same guy and my practical focus...is how do we out-innovate...out-compete the rest of the world."

Asked about the worst part of the job of being president, Obama joked, "First of all, I got the jacket on on Super Bowl Sunday," later saying that the biggest problem was "being in the bubble."

"Over time you feel like you're not able to have a spontaneous conversation with folks," Obama said.

"I'm a lot grayer, that's for sure," the president continued when O'Reilly said others had told him Obama had changed.

"I think they'd say I'm basically the same guy as when I came in," said the president.

"Can I tell you what they say?" asked O'Reilly, "You're much more guarded."

"There's no doubt that the weight of the office has an impact," said Obama going on to say that the more he was in the job the more he enjoyed it.

"Does it disturb you that so many people hate you?" O'Reilly said.

"The people who dislike you don't know you," said Obama. "The folks who hate you they don't know you. What they hate is whatever funhouse mirror image of you that's out there. So you don't take it personally."

O'Reilly ended by turning back to the night's main event and the question of who would win.

"Once my Bears lost, I don't pick sides," Obama said. O'Reilly then asked if the president cared about the game. Obama said he did and that he wanted "a good game."

"I have to get out of here, because I'll frighten [J. Lo]," O'Reilly said, referring to singer Jennifer Lopez who was attending the White House Super Bowl party.

"I schmooze with everbody once they come," said Obama, insisting that once the game started he would focus and not allow guests to interrupt.

O'Reilly then plugged a longer, taped interview to air Monday.

Muslim Brotherhood Wants New Prime Minister of Jordan to Step Down. Not Radical Enough

I guess the Muslim Brotherhood feel the new Prime Minister is not radical enough...

(Yahoo) AMMAN, Jordan – Jordan's powerful Muslim opposition on Wednesday urged the country's newly appointed prime minister to step down, calling him the wrong person to introduce democratic reforms and tackle deepening poverty and unemployment.

Also, Jordan's King Abdullah II made a surprise visit to an impoverished northern village. It was his first such trip since the unrest broke out in neighboring Egypt, and appeared to be an attempt to defuse popular anger over the country's troubles and portray himself as a caring leader.

On Tuesday, Abdullah named Marouf al-Bakhit prime minister, bowing to public pressure from protests inspired by those in Egypt against President Hosni Mubarak.
Hamza Mansour, a leader of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood's political wing, rejected al-Bakhit's nomination, saying he "is not the right person for the job."

If Obama Can Tell Egyptian President Mubarak to Step Down, Can Other Countries Call for Obama's Resignation

Why are the Egyptians asking Obama what to do? I didn't know a world leader can tell another world leader to step down. I thought a sovereign country like Egypt can handle their own mess. However, Obama had to step in and tell President Mubarak to step down. That fueled a revolution in Egypt that cannot be stopped. Therefore, is it feasible for other countries to ask other world leaders to step down too? Since Obama is destroying the US dollar and created a global economic mess, could China and the other countries call for Obama's resignation?

(Policito) Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s apparent desire to hang on to power until September is forcing President Barack Obama into a difficult position.

Before the cameras Tuesday evening, Obama said change must happen immediately, but that Mubarak’s fate is in the hands of the Egyptian people demanding he resign now. The statement, coupled with Mubarak’s announcement he would not seek re-election, bought the White House some space - but not much.

There was little new in the president’s brief statement Tuesday night, despite the half-hour conversation he had with Mubarak, shortly after Mubarak announced he would relinquish power after elections in September.

“An orderly transition must be meaningful, it must be peaceful, and it must begin now,” Obama said.

Sources said Obama privately urged Mubarak to step down now, but in his public remarks the president didn’t clearly indicate whether he thought Mubarak should stay until September, or play a role in the transition of power.

Many longtime advocates for Egyptian political reform said the U.S. must clearly state that Mubarak cannot credibly manage the transition or the electoral process. Meanwhile, protesters in Egypt say they won’t leave the streets until Mubarek is gone.

The US Government Should Not Talk about Human Rights Because Americans Do Not Have Due Process

(ABC) In a network exclusive interview to air on Nightline tonight, we sat down this afternoon with White House senior adviser David Axelrod, the president’s closest aide, whose last day at the White House is today.

We talked about a number of issues in this exit interview, but perhaps most news-worthy were his comments on Egypt in which Axelrod suggested President Obama has for two years “directly confronted” the Egyptian president over human rights issues in order to get ahead of growing discontent among his people – a stronger characterization of President Obama’s discussions with Mubarak than we’ve so far heard from the White House.

Besides the literal meaning of human rights, it is also referred to due process. The hypocrisy of President Obama dictating about human rights and due process to other world leaders is stunning. We have a authoritarian government in the United States making the rule of law as it deemed fit. While other presidents kept themselves under the radar, Obama has demonstrated a transparency of a mild tyrant.

In the United States, human rights is protected under the court of law, but when the government wants something, they will take it. Throughout history, there are presidents who superseded the rule of law. During WWII, FDR had interment camps. During the Civil War, Abe Lincoln suspended Habeas Corpus. On Oct. 17, 2006, President Bush signed a law suspending the right of habeas corpus to persons "determined by the United States" to be an "enemy combatant" in the Global War on Terror. Now, President Obama has his "presidential assassination program," whereby American citizens are targeted for killings far away from any battlefield, based exclusively on unchecked accusations by the Executive Branch that they're involved in Terrorism.

Also, President Obama announces detaining American citizens for future crimes that have not been committed.



Unsurprisingly, the abuse of executive power has been going on for many years. Fortunately, President Obama finally chimed in an actual fact. The United States government has for many years imprisoned Americans without due process. In fact, there is an American citizen named Martin Armstrong being jailed for many years in Fort Dix, New Jersey for contempt of court. In reality, Martin Armstrong has something the government wanted.



Martin Armstrong is a financial guru who creating a his own system to determined the timing of the markets and events. Martin Armstrong's model has dumbfounded many analysis. Martin Armstrong became an icon that the CIA and the federal government took notice and wanted the program. According to Armstrong's daughter Victoria Armstrong, "It took nearly 30 years for my dad to develop this model and his refusing to turn over its source code to the government is a big reason why he has been held in jail for over 7 years without a trial. His model was his life’s work and his passion that ultimately landed him in jail. Although it's great to hear people that have benefited from his insight, after seeing what has happened to him I wish he kept it to himself."

From an unofficial Martin Armstrong website, it says,

"Martin Armstrong is currently in prison. Indicted in 1999 on charges of defrauding Japanese investors. He was in jail for seven years for contempt of court before pleading guilty in 2007 to the fraud charge for which he received an additional five year prison term. Armstrong claims his legal problems started when he failed to play ball with "The Club". His imprisonment is one of the longest under a contempt of court order without a trial. Coincidentally, prior to his guilty plea, his final appeal for release (relating to indefinate imprisonment for contempt of court) was denied by (recently promoted) U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.