Call it frustration, anger, resentment or fear. The emerging democracy in Egypt has it all.
Fights reportedly broke out yesterday in the courtroom and in the streets of Cairo during the third appearance of ousted leader Hosni Mubarak, who is on trial for allegedly ordering secret police to fire on unarmed pro-democracy protesters during Egypt's Arab Spring revolution.
Defense lawyers clashed inside the courtroom with detractors of the defrocked Egyptian leader. Police had to break up the brawl, according to multiple reports.
During a moment of order, the first witness testified that Mubarak did not order the killing of protesters at Tahrir Square.
So far there is no video of the brawl. Judges banned cameras from the courtroom to protect the identity of witnesses at the trial.
Outside the courthouse pro- and anti-Mubarak demonstrators mixed it up, as well.
Clearly democracy demands patience.
Showing posts with label Hosni Mubarak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hosni Mubarak. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Bedridden Mubarak Stands Public Trial
The Arab Spring moved to a Cairo courtroom overnight where deposed dictator Hosni Mubarak was wheeled in on a hospital bed into a cage with two of his sons to stand trial on charges of killing pro-democracy protesters and widespread corruption.
If convicted, the ailing ex-leader could get the death penalty for allegedly ordering the death of more than 800 demonstrations during the uprising earlier this year. Mubarak's sons Alaa and Gamal, and former Interior Minister Habib el-Adli, joined the ex-leader in the cage.
Prone in his bed, Mubarak pleaded not guilty.
The sometimes difficult-to-follow court procedings that aired on Egyptian state tv came as hundreds of protesters clashed outside the police headquarters where the trial is being conducted.
Mubarek, 83, is suffering from a heart condition, but it did not keep the provisional military government from putting him on trial in front of the whole country and world. The generals wanted to the country to see they are conductiung the promised trial, hoping the public display would demonstrate that the promised transition in Egypt is underway.
If convicted, the ailing ex-leader could get the death penalty for allegedly ordering the death of more than 800 demonstrations during the uprising earlier this year. Mubarak's sons Alaa and Gamal, and former Interior Minister Habib el-Adli, joined the ex-leader in the cage.
Prone in his bed, Mubarak pleaded not guilty.
The sometimes difficult-to-follow court procedings that aired on Egyptian state tv came as hundreds of protesters clashed outside the police headquarters where the trial is being conducted.
Mubarek, 83, is suffering from a heart condition, but it did not keep the provisional military government from putting him on trial in front of the whole country and world. The generals wanted to the country to see they are conductiung the promised trial, hoping the public display would demonstrate that the promised transition in Egypt is underway.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Egyptian Military Remains Loyal to the Revolution
Egyptian activists are very optimistic today that the house arrest of Hosni Mubarak and his sons Alaa and Gamal is a sign that the military government has not abandoned the will of the people who have peacefully moved Egypt towards democratic reform.
"Good Bright Morning," Tweeted Egyptian Medhat Etman. "Hope it's not a day dream Mubarak's family interrogated... Now look to Egypts future. Stop talking and start working.”
It looked grim for the Egyptian pro-democracy movement at the end of last week, when hundreds of soldiers stormed demonstrators gathered in historic Tahrir Square to call for the prosecution of the deposed Mubarak on corruption charges.
Frustrated that Mubarak and his family were living comfortably in Sharm-el-Sheikh, protesters in Tahrir also demanded the resignation of military leader, Field Marshal Mohamad Hussein Tantawi.
"Tantawi is Mubarak and Mubarak is Tantawi," the protesters chanted.
Tantawi apparently heard them, but not before at least open protester was killed by the security forces at Tahrir over the weekend, while dozens of others were beaten with batons.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces let the protesters know Mubarak's arrest was in response to their demands, especially amid rumors that he had fled the country.
"Out of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces belief in the importance of maintaining communication with the Egyptian people and the youth of the revolution, we stress news of the departure of former president Mohamed Hosni Mubarak to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia is not true, as he is under house arrest along with his family," the military leaders said in a statement.
"Good Bright Morning," Tweeted Egyptian Medhat Etman. "Hope it's not a day dream Mubarak's family interrogated... Now look to Egypts future. Stop talking and start working.”
It looked grim for the Egyptian pro-democracy movement at the end of last week, when hundreds of soldiers stormed demonstrators gathered in historic Tahrir Square to call for the prosecution of the deposed Mubarak on corruption charges.
Frustrated that Mubarak and his family were living comfortably in Sharm-el-Sheikh, protesters in Tahrir also demanded the resignation of military leader, Field Marshal Mohamad Hussein Tantawi.
"Tantawi is Mubarak and Mubarak is Tantawi," the protesters chanted.
Tantawi apparently heard them, but not before at least open protester was killed by the security forces at Tahrir over the weekend, while dozens of others were beaten with batons.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces let the protesters know Mubarak's arrest was in response to their demands, especially amid rumors that he had fled the country.
"Out of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces belief in the importance of maintaining communication with the Egyptian people and the youth of the revolution, we stress news of the departure of former president Mohamed Hosni Mubarak to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia is not true, as he is under house arrest along with his family," the military leaders said in a statement.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Meet the Interim Leaders of Egypt
UPDATED 5:30 p.m. est
Vice President Omar Suleiman announced Friday in a 30-second statement that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces will assume interim control of Egypt:
“Citizens, in these difficult circumstances that our country is going through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to relinquish the office of the presidency and has instructed the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to take over the affairs of the country."
The Supreme Council, which appears to have forced out deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, issued a statement saying it would end the state of emergency and schedule free and fair elections in the future. Lt. Gen. Sami Enan, the armed forces chief of staff, and Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the defense minister, head the Supreme Council.
Statements issued so far by the Supreme Council:
First Statement 2/10/11
Second Statement 2/11/11
Third Statement 2/11/11
Here is what we know about the Supreme Council from:
The New York Times
The Wall Street Journal
AlJazeera English
NewsFlick
Democratic Underground
International Business Times
President Obama reacts to news of Mubarak's ouster:
Vice President Omar Suleiman announced Friday in a 30-second statement that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces will assume interim control of Egypt:
“Citizens, in these difficult circumstances that our country is going through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to relinquish the office of the presidency and has instructed the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to take over the affairs of the country."
The Supreme Council, which appears to have forced out deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, issued a statement saying it would end the state of emergency and schedule free and fair elections in the future. Lt. Gen. Sami Enan, the armed forces chief of staff, and Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the defense minister, head the Supreme Council.
Statements issued so far by the Supreme Council:
First Statement 2/10/11
Second Statement 2/11/11
Third Statement 2/11/11
Here is what we know about the Supreme Council from:
The New York Times
The Wall Street Journal
AlJazeera English
NewsFlick
Democratic Underground
International Business Times
President Obama reacts to news of Mubarak's ouster:
A Stunned Obama Reacts to Mubarak's Statement
President Obama does not even have to mention Hosni Mubarak by name (nor does he) to make his point that the Egyptian leader is clueless to the will of his people and should have just said 'thank you and good-bye' tonight. Instead Mubarak remains president of a divided Egypt.
Obama's statement:
"The Egyptian people have been told that there was a transition of authority, but it is not yet clear that this transition is immediate, meaningful or sufficient. Too many Egyptians remain unconvinced that the government is serious about a genuine transition to democracy, and it is the responsibility of the government to speak clearly to the Egyptian people and the world. The Egyptian government must put forward a credible, concrete and unequivocal path toward genuine democracy, and they have not yet seized that opportunity.
"As we have said from the beginning of this unrest, the future of Egypt will be determined by the Egyptian people. But the United States has also been clear that we stand for a set of core principles. We believe that the universal rights of the Egyptian people must be respected, and their aspirations must be met. We believe that this transition must immediately demonstrate irreversible political change, and a negotiated path to democracy. To that end, we believe that the emergency law should be lifted. We believe that meaningful negotiations with the broad opposition and Egyptian civil society should address the key questions confronting Egypt’s future: protecting the fundamental rights of all citizens; revising the Constitution and other laws to demonstrate irreversible change; and jointly developing a clear roadmap to elections that are free and fair.
"We therefore urge the Egyptian government to move swiftly to explain the changes that have been made, and to spell out in clear and unambiguous language the step by step process that will lead to democracy and the representative government that the Egyptian people seek. Going forward, it will be essential that the universal rights of the Egyptian people be respected. There must be restraint by all parties. Violence must be forsaken. It is imperative that the government not respond to the aspirations of their people with repression or brutality. The voices of the Egyptian people must be heard.
"The Egyptian people have made it clear that there is no going back to the way things were: Egypt has changed, and its future is in the hands of the people. Those who have exercised their right to peaceful assembly represent the greatness of the Egyptian people, and are broadly representative of Egyptian society. We have seen young and old, rich and poor, Muslim and Christian join together, and earn the respect of the world through their non-violent calls for change. In that effort, young people have been at the forefront, and a new generation has emerged. They have made it clear that Egypt must reflect their hopes, fulfill their highest aspirations, and tap their boundless potential. In these difficult times, I know that the Egyptian people will persevere, and they must know that they will continue to have a friend in the United States of America."
Obama is one angry U.S. leader.
Obama's statement:
"The Egyptian people have been told that there was a transition of authority, but it is not yet clear that this transition is immediate, meaningful or sufficient. Too many Egyptians remain unconvinced that the government is serious about a genuine transition to democracy, and it is the responsibility of the government to speak clearly to the Egyptian people and the world. The Egyptian government must put forward a credible, concrete and unequivocal path toward genuine democracy, and they have not yet seized that opportunity.
"As we have said from the beginning of this unrest, the future of Egypt will be determined by the Egyptian people. But the United States has also been clear that we stand for a set of core principles. We believe that the universal rights of the Egyptian people must be respected, and their aspirations must be met. We believe that this transition must immediately demonstrate irreversible political change, and a negotiated path to democracy. To that end, we believe that the emergency law should be lifted. We believe that meaningful negotiations with the broad opposition and Egyptian civil society should address the key questions confronting Egypt’s future: protecting the fundamental rights of all citizens; revising the Constitution and other laws to demonstrate irreversible change; and jointly developing a clear roadmap to elections that are free and fair.
"We therefore urge the Egyptian government to move swiftly to explain the changes that have been made, and to spell out in clear and unambiguous language the step by step process that will lead to democracy and the representative government that the Egyptian people seek. Going forward, it will be essential that the universal rights of the Egyptian people be respected. There must be restraint by all parties. Violence must be forsaken. It is imperative that the government not respond to the aspirations of their people with repression or brutality. The voices of the Egyptian people must be heard.
"The Egyptian people have made it clear that there is no going back to the way things were: Egypt has changed, and its future is in the hands of the people. Those who have exercised their right to peaceful assembly represent the greatness of the Egyptian people, and are broadly representative of Egyptian society. We have seen young and old, rich and poor, Muslim and Christian join together, and earn the respect of the world through their non-violent calls for change. In that effort, young people have been at the forefront, and a new generation has emerged. They have made it clear that Egypt must reflect their hopes, fulfill their highest aspirations, and tap their boundless potential. In these difficult times, I know that the Egyptian people will persevere, and they must know that they will continue to have a friend in the United States of America."
Obama is one angry U.S. leader.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Obama: U.S. Will Support Emerging Egypt Democracy
President Obama spoke only a few words about Egypt at the start of an unrelated speech in Michigan today, yet what came out of his mouth said so much about Egypt's future and its relationship with the United States.
"I just want to say that we are following today's events in Egypt very closely. And we'll have more to say as this plays out. But what is absolutely clear is that we are witnessing history unfold. It's a moment of transformation that's taking place because the people of Egypt are calling for change," Obama said.
"They've turned out in extraordinary numbers, representing all ages and all walks of life, but it's young people who've been at the forefront -- a new generation, your generation, who want their voices to be
heard. And so going forward, we want those young people and we want all Egyptians to know America will continue to do everything that we can support an orderly and genuine transition to democracy in Egypt," Obama continued.
"Now as we watch what's taking place, we're also reminded that we live in an interconnected world. What happens across the globe has an impact on each and every one of us," Obama added, just before announcing his plan to expand high-speed broadband.
Those few lines translated into "diplo speak" essentially were a signal to Egypt's military leaders and establishment that the U.S. checks are still going to flow, as long as the pro-democracy protesters are not harmed and democratic reforms are put in place. The U.S. provides Egypt with at least $1.3 billion a year.
For two weeks sources have disclosed that U.S. military officials have assured their Egyptian counterparts that the U.S. will not cut off the much-needed revenue stream. "They've been telling them 'You will get paid. Protect the protesters, and you will get paid,'" said a source with deep military connections.
Obama made the remarks as the world waited to hear from doomed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
"I just want to say that we are following today's events in Egypt very closely. And we'll have more to say as this plays out. But what is absolutely clear is that we are witnessing history unfold. It's a moment of transformation that's taking place because the people of Egypt are calling for change," Obama said.
"They've turned out in extraordinary numbers, representing all ages and all walks of life, but it's young people who've been at the forefront -- a new generation, your generation, who want their voices to be
heard. And so going forward, we want those young people and we want all Egyptians to know America will continue to do everything that we can support an orderly and genuine transition to democracy in Egypt," Obama continued.
"Now as we watch what's taking place, we're also reminded that we live in an interconnected world. What happens across the globe has an impact on each and every one of us," Obama added, just before announcing his plan to expand high-speed broadband.
Those few lines translated into "diplo speak" essentially were a signal to Egypt's military leaders and establishment that the U.S. checks are still going to flow, as long as the pro-democracy protesters are not harmed and democratic reforms are put in place. The U.S. provides Egypt with at least $1.3 billion a year.
For two weeks sources have disclosed that U.S. military officials have assured their Egyptian counterparts that the U.S. will not cut off the much-needed revenue stream. "They've been telling them 'You will get paid. Protect the protesters, and you will get paid,'" said a source with deep military connections.
Obama made the remarks as the world waited to hear from doomed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)