Article

2011-02-11 Africa North

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Fred 2011-02-11 11:13|| || Front Page|| [9 views ] Top

#1 This Just In.... Generalissimo Francisco Mubarak is still ALIVE.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2011-02-11 11:17|| 2011-02-11 11:17|| Front Page Top

#2 Apparently, this time it's real.

Live feed from the BBC

Posted by Frozen Al 2011-02-11 11:23|| 2011-02-11 11:23|| Front Page Top

#3 The U.S. should have one simple demand of Egypt, which would be to honor its peace treaty with Israel.

Beyond that, whichever thug rises to the top of Egypt's political system through whichever means they adopt is their business.

Posted by American Delight 2011-02-11 11:41|| http://moneyjihad.wordpress.com/ 2011-02-11 11:41|| Front Page Top

#4 James,

Excuse me for sounding unsympathetic but I has serious doubts about most Moslems being able to comprehend and practice democracy. Even in Iraq which was completely secular for 40 years and the Imans effectively muzzled, democracy is a tough row to hoe for most in that region.

I believe we will see essentially a civil war in Egypt as the Moslem Brotherhood shows their true stripes as fanatical Islamists and the more moderates and the military fighting it out over the direction of Egypt.

I am more concerned about the loss of intelligence from Egypt.

I also believe this street revolt was manipulated by Hamas/Hizbullah in response to Egypt's crack down on the tunnels and supplies of arms and explosives into Gaza. It is no coincidence to me that this follows closely on the heels of the Egyptian crack down on tunnels and exploding watermelons going into Gaza.

Karl,

As usual your black hearted view of middle eastern politics is spot on the essence of the situation.

Posted by James Carville/Karl Rove 2011-02-11 12:02|| 2011-02-11 12:02|| Front Page Top

#5 From Stratfor:
Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman delivered the following statement Feb. 11: 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. May God help everybody.
Suleimans statement is the clearest indication thus far that the military has carried out a coup led by Defense Minister Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi. It is not clear whether Suleiman will remain as the civilian head of the army-led government. Egypt is returning to the 1952 model of ruling the state via a council of army officers. The question now is to what extent the military elite will share power with its civilian counterparts.

Posted by Glenmore 2011-02-11 12:03|| 2011-02-11 12:03|| Front Page Top

#6 How close are their General Staff to American military? Hopefully some have been assigned to US military schools.

Posted by Penguin 2011-02-11 12:34|| 2011-02-11 12:34|| Front Page Top

#7 I agree with AD, that there was another option of publically voting present, at most passively support both sides' very real grievances (a cynic might point and say Obama wanted a big foreign policy win, but I personally am not ready to pin that yet though the quick active support of the opposition then flailed backpeddling is a concern not only for the process but potential future relations and perhaps a missed opportunity for monitored elections but that may be a behind the scenes deal, we will see).

If Glenmore's link is correct Egypt is now left to the wisdom of the military council for better or worse.

(sets 2 cents on table)
G.Beck has caught a lot of slack, I didn't necessarily agree with his theory but could not find fault in the reasoning. Could be that Mubarak's actions, whatever their motive, could have outlasted such an emotional wave long enough for people to take a step back and think this through. See what happens over the next 3 months.

Posted by swksvolFF 2011-02-11 12:44|| 2011-02-11 12:44|| Front Page Top

#8 So now Israel may have to seriously consider retaking the Sinai and Gush Katif.

Posted by newc 2011-02-11 12:51|| 2011-02-11 12:51|| Front Page Top

#9 Woah Egypt, oh Egypt, don't treat me so mean,
You're the meanest old Egypt that I've ever seen.
I guess if you say so
I have to pack ma things and go. (That's right)

Hit the road Mubarak and don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.
Hit the road Mubarak and don't you come back no more.
(What you say?)

Posted by GolfBravoUSMC 2011-02-11 13:09|| 2011-02-11 13:09|| Front Page Top

#10 Long Time Spy Chief, Now in Charge of Egypt

"If someone knocks on your door at night and you disappear, Omar Suleiman is probably behind it," said Suskind, whose 2006 book "The One Percent Doctrine" detailed the Bush administration's post-9/11 counterterrorism policies. "He is a feared man, and certainly not a man with any legitimacy when it comes to rule of law or any of the principles we prized in America."

Drudge Report: Military Coup In Egypt Rocks Middle East

Posted by Grump the Florid6708 2011-02-11 13:19|| 2011-02-11 13:19|| Front Page Top

#11 All the while they'll identify the biggest threats to their rule and kill them.

Even easier now that a good number of them have shown themselves (the really smart ones have stayed 'low', but their 'supply routes' have been exposed).

Expect many 'travelers' hurriedly leaving the country this week.

Posted by Mullah Richard 2011-02-11 14:03|| 2011-02-11 14:03|| Front Page Top

#12 The Shah left Iran for exile in mid-January 1979, and in the resulting power vacuum two weeks later Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Tehran to a greeting by several million Iranians.[8] The royal regime collapsed shortly after on February 11

Posted by Beavis 2011-02-11 14:31|| 2011-02-11 14:31|| Front Page Top

#13
We had a third choice. Keep our mouths shut and work behind the scenes to assure that American interests are protected. But this never occurred to anyone in Washington.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2011-02-11 14:51|| 2011-02-11 14:51|| Front Page Top

#14 Nimble,

The folks in DC aren't coincerned with American interests. Only re-election and progressive power.

Posted by Hellfish 2011-02-11 15:14|| 2011-02-11 15:14|| Front Page Top

#15 Putting the military in charge is putting the foxes in the henhouse, once again. Egypt has been second in US foreign aid, only behind Israel, and most of it military. Can we take it back? How did Mubarak amassed 11 billion? Can we make any further aid contingent on their upholding of the peace treaty with Israel and democratic reforms? Seems we can do more than handwringing...

Posted by Gerthudion Unump7993 2011-02-11 20:03|| 2011-02-11 20:03|| Front Page Top

00:01 Zhang Fei
23:58 Zhang Fei
23:48 OldSpook
23:45 OldSpook
23:42 OldSpook
22:50 JohnQC
22:46 trailing wife
22:39 James
22:33 retired LEO
22:32 Anguper Hupomosing9418
22:12 swksvolFF
22:12 USN,Ret
22:11 USN,Ret
22:00 Rambler in Virginia
21:57 JohnQC
21:06 JohnQC
20:53 SteveS
20:51 Frank G
20:39 Procopius2k
20:38 Barbara Skolaut
20:37 SteveS
20:35 Barbara Skolaut
20:28 Deacon Blues
20:24 Deacon Blues