Egypt: Open the Gates of Gaza!

Gaza-Egypt Border Sealed Indefinitely

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=355471

"Egyptian authorities have closed the crossing with the Gaza Strip indefinitely as its army deploys in the northern Sinai, a Ma'an correspondent said Sunday.."

Otherwise Occupied - by Amira Hass

http://www.zcommunications.org/otherwise-occupied-it-all-depends-on-the-...

"Expecting to see the residents of Gaza and Ramallah rise up in a show of solidarity with the Egyptians and Tunisians? Don't count on it. 'We instigated 2 intifadas and look what came of them - the situation only got worse,' he told me..."

Whose watching the bankers?  Remember the Shah?  Flew out of Iran with gold toliets.  How about Marcos in the Phillipines?  Who needs over 1000 pairs of shoes?  Mubarak and his ruling class could be using this time to pilfer the banks and plunder the wealth of Egypt.  Then they'll flee to the welcoming arms of the Sauds.

Crunch time! When it counts...

Who really supports freedom, justice and democracy
vs
Who claims they support freedom, justice and democracy but really don't.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak

Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's president, has sworn in a new cabinet in a bid to quell days of mass uprising against him and the government.

Three former senior officers are included in the line-up, suggesting a strong security presence in the new government.

Mahmoud Wagdi, a retired police general, was appointed the country's new interior minister, replacing Habib el-Adli, who was criticised for brutality inflicted on protesters.

Wagdi was previously head of Cairo criminal investigations department and also a former head of prisons.

Protesters had demanded Habib al-Adli, the former interior minister, be sacked after police used force on protesters including beatings, tear gas and firing rubber bullets.


Ahmed Abul Gheit, the foreign minister, retained his job, as did General Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the defence minister, state television reported.

A deputy prime minister, finance minister and trade minister, were also appointed in the ceremony on Monday.

The Egyptian Military:

The Egyptian army has said it would not use force against citizens staging protests to force President Hosni Mubarak to step down In a statement on Monday it said "freedom of expression" was guaranteed to all citizens using peaceful means.

It was the first such explicit confirmation by the army that it would not fire at demonstrators who have taken to the streets of Egypt and comes a day before before Tuesday's "march of millions" to mark the seventh day of the protests as anti-government sentiment reaches a fever pitch.

"The presence of the army in the streets is for your sake and to ensure your safety and wellbeing. The armed forces will not resort to use of force against our great people," the army statement said.

"Your armed forces, who are aware of the legitimacy of your demands and are keen to assume their responsibility in protecting the nation and the citizens, affirms that freedom of expression through peaceful means is guaranteed to everybody."

It urged people not resort to acts of sabotage that violate security and destroy public and private property. It warned that it would not allow outlaws and to loot, attack and "terrorise citizens".

Protesters have called for a massive demonstration and a rolling general strike on Tuesday.

The so-called April 6 Movement said it plans to have more than one million people on the streets of the capital Cairo.

US President Barack Obama

U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday called for an orderly transition in Egypt to a government that reflects the aspirations of the Egyptian people. The president spoke by telephone with world and Middle East leaders about the situation in Egypt.

President Obama reiterated the focus he has placed on opposing violence, calling for restraint and supporting universal rights, including the right to peaceful assembly, association and speech.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu told reporters in Jerusalem that Israel was following the developments with "concern and vigilance, in the hope that peace, stability and security will be maintained."

He noted that the uprising in Egypt is not being led by radical Islam, but added, "In a state of chaos, an organized Islamist element can take over countries. It happened in Iran."

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper:

Canada wants to see a transition toward greater democracy and freedom in Egypt, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Monday.

But Harper stopped short of calling for the ouster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the face of continuing protests over his three decades of rule.

"We want to see a transition towards basic values of freedom, democracy, human rights and justice," Harper told the House of Commons on Monday. "We want to make sure the transition does not tend towards violence, instability and extremism."

My 2 cents:

Egyptians and all people have a fundamental human right to choose their leader by a free and fair process which reflects accurately the will of the people. Elections are one way to achieve this.

Also everyone has a fundamental human right to peaceful assembly/protest and free speech.

If the military is focused on Cairo and major cities, then Rafah and the tunnels aren't as closely watched.  I would be surprised if Gaza militants weren't trying to take advantage of the chaos in Egypt.

Quote:  Meanwhile, in an unusual move and with Israel's agreement, Egypt moved some 800 soldiers into Sinai in order to deal with the Bedouin unrest in the peninsula. The deployment of the troops in the Sinai is an infringement of the peace agreement signed between the two countries in 1979, which requires the area to be demilitarized.

The Egyptians asked to move two battalions into the area of Sharm el-Sheikh in southern Sinai, out of concern that the upheaval there may spiral out of control. Egypt has moved troops into the area with Israel's acquiescence on a number of occasions in the past five years, mostly to secure the border area with the Gaza Strip and counter the smuggling of weapons to Hamas. There are concerns that Hamas may use the unrest in Egypt to infiltrate terrorists into Sinai for attacks on Israel through the peninsula. \

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/pm-warns-islamists-could-take-...

Mubarak has been in hiding in Sharm el-Sheikh since day two or three of the uprising.  He probably wants the battalions in Sharm el-Sheikh to protect him. Maybe one of them will pull an Indira Ghandi on him. 

Gazans Hope Egyptian Upheaval May Unlock Border

http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/middle-east/gazans-hope-egyptia...

"there is widespread optimism that an upheaval in Egypt could lead to better days in Gaza. The Hamas government is unwilling to open the gates without Egyptian permission and it remains unclear who is manning the Egyptian side of the border. They hope people in Egypt will look after the Gaza Strip. 'Old women used to say, if you see clouds in the sky of Egypt, rain is expected in Gaza. The good news is coming...'"

Here is an excellent analysis on Rabble:

Falling Arab Dictatorships and Israeli Government Panic

I doubt anything short of a resignation and handing power over to a unity government will satisfy the protesters.  If Mubarak stays in power, Egypt will continue to be a shamocracy.

Mubarak's announcement seems to have had the desired effect. Some protestors think it is adequate while others do not. That helps to hive off the former and diminish the size of the protestors. I've seen this tactic used in contract negotitions many a time.

ETA:

The Egyptian military is calling on anti-government demonstrators to clear the streets and go home, saying their message has been heard.

President Hosni Mubarak, who has ruled the country for nearly 30 years, said Tuesday he would not run in the presidential election scheduled for September.

"Your message has arrived, your demands became known ... you are capable of bringing normal life to Egypt," military spokesman Ismail Etman said Wednesday

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2011/02/02/egypt-mubarak-military.html#ixzz1Cnt9tVTX

Rights Group: PA Banning Freedom of Expression

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=356945

"A Palestinian rights group on Thursday warned of deteriorating freedom of expression in the West Bank as the PA banned 'unlicensed assembly' in response to rallies in solidarity with Egyptians. In a statement, the Palestinian Commission for Human Rights condemned the PA's closure of the demonstrations.."

No wonder Canada funds these collaborators

US Savage Imperialism Part 3  -  by Noam Chomsky

http://www.zcommunications.org/u-s-savage-imperialism-part-3-by-noam-cho...

"Q: Can you talk about Egypt's role in supporting the siege of Gaza and also about the steel wall it's building..?"

Glen Ford

This revolution has more to do with the price of food, tyranny and the level of disparity between the wealthy connected and the impoverished unconnected.  Not everything happening in the Arab world has to do with Israel.