Middle East conflicts?

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

I don't really think that a dictator can stand an actual democracy after 30 years of doing everything he wants because he's an Israeli ally and thus a safer choice for the US than a possible Islamic president.

I think he has to leave and start everything from 0. Nobel Prize El Baradei has offered himself as an interim president until real elections are finally celebrated.

I agree and I'm glad he's leaving though sadly not too quick enough...

 

[Ivysaur]

He didn't say he's leaving, he just repeated that he's not opting for reelection in the September elections... which he already said months ago, after announcing that he'd delegate all his powers on his son, making him the "official" candidate in the new elections :\ The message felt as if George Bush had said he officially refuses to take part on the 2012 elections- we all knew that already.

In fact, he said he's keeping the power until the elections, opening a dialogue with the opposition forces. It will be something fun to see, seeing how he has every single one of the seats in the parliament after the farcical election a couple of months ago.

Nothing will really move on until he resigns, as Obama hinted yesterday (the "transition should begin now" was quite beautiful). Political rumour has it that he'll soon get sick and thus he'll need to be sent to Germany for a special treatment- so his Vice will take the power as Acting President. And then Mubarak will stay away until the elections, living a happy retied life in Europe. Just rumours though.

As I'm writing this. pro-Mubarak forces are starting battles in Tahrir Square, even using Molotov Cocktails. Not looking pretty.

 

[Esper]

Saying he'll step down is a sneaky ploy to undermine the protesters, I think. He's hoping a good number of them will be satisfied with that and that he'll have enough time to manipulate things in his favor before the elections so he doesn't have to flee like Ben Ali did.

I was quite glad to hear that the military wasn't going to step in to break up the crowds. I'm not happy about the fighting that is breaking out with Mubarak's supporters. I hate when things turn violent because then the people in power can always try to spin the events to say that people were being unruly.

It also looks like Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh is going to step down... in a few years when his term is over. Of course, it seems he said the exact same thing several years ago and never followed through on that promise. Perhaps the situation will be different this time around.

 

[Mario The World Champion]

I've been watching the uprising in Egypt ever since it started and I'm just waiting for everything to hit the fan and the entire country will be at war with itself. This only proves to me that the Middle East is a very dangerous place.

 

[Netto Azure]

I've been watching the uprising in Egypt ever since it started and I'm just waiting for everything to hit the fan and the entire country will be at war with itself. This only proves to me that the Middle East is a very dangerous place.

It happened earlier than you think. :/

Clashes erupt amid Cairo protests

The struggle for control of the future of Egypt continued in Cairo

There have been fierce clashes in the Egyptian capital between supporters of President Hosni Mubarak and protesters calling on him to resign immediately.


State TV said a member of the security forces had been killed and hundreds of people wounded in pitched battles in and around Cairo's Tahrir Square.
Gunshots have been heard in the area.
Earlier, the army urged people to go home following nine days of protests that led Mr Mubarak to vow not to stand for re-election in September.
The violence comes after more than a week of opposition demonstrations that have left about 300 people dead, according to UN estimates.

 

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

Protest continue in Jordan...I wonder if it's the next Egypt...
I hope Egypt has real elections and becomes one of the successful Real democracies of the ME but sadly the violence continues...

 

[Livewire]

It happened earlier than you think. :/

Clashes erupt amid Cairo protests

The struggle for control of the future of Egypt continued in Cairo
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From the looks of things, it's only going to get worse from here. I think it's pretty obvious that the camel and horse riders with whips were from the state, I'll be willing to bet that Mobarak himself sent them out there. :/ I'm watching it now on MSNBC and it's just utter chaos.

 

[Mario The World Champion]

I've kept CNN on during all this and I think the crap has hit the fan. Big time. There have been reports of Mubarak's regime ordering people to fight against the opposition. This guy really wants to save his own hide.

 

[twocows]

I'd recommend subscribing to the Al Jazeera English RSS feed, they've had nearly constant reporting on the ongoing Egypt situation with live feeds and pictures of the conflicts up close.

The situation in Egypt escalated a couple of days ago when the military allowed pro-Mubarak supporters (many alleged provocateurs) into Tahrir Square, the site of the majority of the protesters. Violent conflict has been spreading across the country as a result and the situation is bordering on civil war. The protesters have given Mubarak a deadline (today) from which to resign from office; they're reportedly going to protest in front of the palace.

 

[Livewire]

I'd recommend subscribing to the Al Jazeera English RSS feed, they've had nearly constant reporting on the ongoing Egypt situation with live feeds and pictures of the conflicts up close.

The situation in Egypt escalated a couple of days ago when the military allowed pro-Mubarak supporters (many alleged provocateurs) into Tahrir Square, the site of the majority of the protesters. Violent conflict has been spreading across the country as a result and the situation is bordering on civil war. The protesters have given Mubarak a deadline (today) from which to resign from office; they're reportedly going to protest in front of the palace.

I was under the impression that the Egyptian government had Al-Jazeera shut down, along with the majority of the media and internet sites as well.

Plus, it seems like they aren't any closer to getting Mubarak to resign. :/ Its beginning to look like a stalemate.

 

[Netto Azure]

It is. I'm still torn and am willing to go with the whole "waiting for the September elections" thing that's been proposed.

 

[G-Man]

While I've been glued to the internet watching the protests, I know very well that the odds are there will not be a big change in how Egypt is run.

But now that people are on the streets, the rest of us start using our imaginations to predict a redrawing of the map. But big change is very difficult. It's still far too early to guess how this will impact the relationship between Egypt and Israel or Egypt and the rest of the region. Let's just see if or how the protests affect Egypt's government, not only who is in charge but more importantly whether its structure remains the same. That is more interesting to me right now.

 

[OmegaRuby and AlphaSapphire]

Sigh no progress in getting that guy out...but I think they should have early elections in June instead of September :)

 

[Livewire]

Evidently Mubarak doesn't plan on stepping down, yet has transferred executive powers to his Vice-President.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12427088

 

[twocows]

Evidently Mubarak doesn't plan on stepping down, yet has transferred executive powers to his Vice-President.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12427088

That's disappointing. The one thing that could stabilize Egypt is an election. Refusing to step down is going to throw the country into chaos; either they won't overthrow him and the protests will continue or they will overthrow him and someone else will seize power in the confusion (potentially the Muslim Brotherhood). I'm not as big a proponent of democracy as some people (a lot of democracies just trample on the minority) but in this situation that shift is the right way to resolve the situation.

 

[Ivysaur]

In fact, the longer he refuses to understand he's politically dead and holds the power, the more unstable the country is going to get and the harder it will be to create a regular democracy.

Apparently he just ran away to his summer house in Sharm-el-Sheij, a few miles from the United Arab Emirates. It would be a good moment to join Ben Ali on his exile there and let the army create a new unity government with members from the opposition parties.

 

[twocows]

In fact, the longer he refuses to understand he's politically dead and holds the power, the more unstable the country is going to get and the harder it will be to create a regular democracy.

Apparently he just ran away to his summer house in Sharm-el-Sheij, a few miles from the United Arab Emirates. It would be a good moment to join Ben Ali on his exile there and let the army create a new unity government with members from the opposition parties.

I wish the US people had the balls that the Egypt people have. Our government's at least as corrupt as theirs was; I shouldn't even have to explain it at this point, they're not even trying to hide it anymore.

 

[Captain Fabio]

BREAKING NEWS!
President Hosni Mubarak steps down as leader.

That is some news. So, it will be interesting to see where everything goes from here.​

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[donavannj]

BREAKING NEWS!
President Hosni Mubarak steps down as leader.

That is some news. So, it will be interesting to see where everything goes from here.​

​

Wait, so he's actually stepped down instead of just transferring power to his vice president like I had last heard yesterday and they were just discussing above?

EDIT: Never mind. I have an article that answers my question.

https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41526422/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/?GT1=43001

 

[Netto Azure]

Egypt's Mubarak resigns as leader

Egypt's Mubarak resigns as leader

​

Mr Mubarak has ruled Egypt for 30 years

Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down as president of Egypt.

In an announcement on state TV, Vice-President Omar Suleiman said Mr Mubarak had handed power to the military.
It came as thousands massed in Cairo and other Egyptian cities for an 18th day of protest to demand Mr Mubarak's resignation.
Protesters responded by cheering, waving flags, embracing and sounding car horns. "The people have brought down the regime," they chanted.
Mr Suleiman said Mr Mubarak had handed power to the high command of the armed forces.
"In the name of God the merciful, the compassionate, citizens, during these very difficult circumstances Egypt is going through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down from the office of president of the republic and has charged the high council of the armed forces to administer the affairs of the country," he said.

"May God help everybody."

The military high command is headed by Defence Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi.
Mr Mubarak has already left Cairo and is in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh where he has a residence, officials say.

This just scares me a little. Since he handed over power to the Military. There could be a junta. :/
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