Ahmadinejad: US Expansion Of War In Middle East Imminent Steve Watson www.prisonplanet.com www.infowars.net Tuesday, Jul 27th, 2010 Iranian ...
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Video Report from Afghanistan: How the U.S. Counterinsurgency Campaign Is Failing
At a conference in Portugal over the weekend, NATO countries agreed to hand over responsibility for Afghanistan’s security to Afghan forces by the end of 2014. In his speech, President Obama claimed there has been significant progress in the fight against the Taliban. But reports from the ground in Afghanistan question these upbeat claims about the ongoing NATO operation. Last spring, NATO launched a major operation in the Taliban-held town of Marjah. The offensive was supposed to showcase America’s new counterinsurgency campaign and demonstrate that victory is still possible. Independent filmmaker Rick Rowley of Big Noise Films recently traveled to Marjah and discovered the counterinsurgency campaign in crisis. [includes rush transcript]
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Sunday, January 30, 2011
Ahmadinejad: US Expansion Of War In Middle East Imminent! - Alex Jones Tv
Ahmadinejad: US Expansion Of War In Middle East Imminent! - Alex Jones Tv: "
Ahmadinejad: US Expansion Of War In Middle East Imminent Steve Watson www.prisonplanet.com www.infowars.net Tuesday, Jul 27th, 2010 Iranian ...
Ahmadinejad: US Expansion Of War In Middle East Imminent Steve Watson www.prisonplanet.com www.infowars.net Tuesday, Jul 27th, 2010 Iranian ...
6:26pm Mohamed ElBaradei has joined protesters at Tahrir Square in central Cairo. The Muslim Brotherhood has said that ElBaradei is to negotiate for the opposition.
Egypt tense after night of unrest - Middle East - Al Jazeera English
Egypt tense after night of unrest - Middle East - Al Jazeera English
| Egypt tense after night of unrest | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Several key buildings in the capital, Cairo, continue to smoulder on Sunday morning, and thousands of protesters calling for the resignation of Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, remain camped out in the city's Tahrir Square. Main roads in the capital have now been blocked by military tanks and armoured personnel carriers.
He said that extra military roadblocks have been set up in an apparent attempt to divert traffic away from Tahrir Square, which has been a focal point for demonstrators. "It's still a very tense scene to have so much military in the capital city of the country." Earlier in the morning, Al Jazeera's Jane Dutton, also in Cairo, reported that the city appeared deserted in the early hours. "The streets are very dirty, there is debris everywhere. The police have just disappeared. Any security at this stage is in the hands of the army." The absence of police has given looters a free rein, forcing ordinary citizens to set up neighbourhood patrols. "Vigilantes have been taking to the streets to try and prevent people from looting. We're hearing stories of widespread looting across many cities ... [local neighbourhood patrols] haven't been very effective," Dutton added. Nolan added that there are frequent reports of the police being complicit in the looting. According to Dina Magdi, an eyewitness, unidentified men on Sunday came out of the interior ministry compound in a car and dumped a body on a street. They then opened fire on people present in the area and fled. There were no immediate reports of casualties in that attack. 'Chaotic' scenes Al Jazeera's sources have indicated that the military has now also been deployed to the resort town of Sharm el Shaikh. Sherine Tadros, Al Jazeera's correspondent in the city of Suez, said the city had witnessed a "completely chaotic night", but that the streets were quiet as day broke.
"People are trying to get back to normal, but of course this is anything but," she said, adding that as the day wore on, the military had set up several checkposts in an attempt to "show people that they are here and ... will provide some kind of security". Rawya Rageh, our correspondent in the port city of Alexandria, reported similar scenes, saying that people were particularly concerned about their personal safety and that of their property. Amid the chaos, there were indications that protests seeking Mubarak's resignation would continue. Dutton said that protesters are unlikely to stop demonstrating across the country, as they "want one thing, and one thing only: they want the leadership to go". International pressure Meanwhile, global powers have urged Mubarak to refrain from violence against unarmed protesters and to work to create conditions for free and fair elections. The US told Mubarak on Saturday that it was not enough simply to "reshuffle the deck" with a shake-up of his government and pressed him to make good on his promise of genuine reform. "The Egyptian government can't reshuffle the deck and then stand pat," State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said in a message on Twitter after Mubarak fired his government but made clear he had no intention of stepping down. "President Mubarak's words pledging reform must be followed by action," Crowley said, echoing Obama's appeal on Friday for Mubarak to embrace a new political dynamic.
"We call on President Mubarak to renounce any violence against unarmed civilians and to recognise the demonstrators' peaceful rights," the joint statement said. "We call on President Mubarak to begin a transformation process that should be reflected in a broadly based government, as well as free and fair elections." The European trio appealed to Mubarak to respond to his people's grievances and take steps to improve the human rights situation in the country. "We recognise the balanced role that President Mubarak has played for many years in the Middle East. We call on him to adopt the same moderate approach to the current situation in Egypt," the statement said. "Human rights and democratic freedom must be fully recognised, including freedom of expression and assembly, and the free use of means of communication such as telephone and internet." The Gulf Cooperation Council, a loose economic and political bloc of states in the Arabian Gulf, said on Sunday that it wanted a "stable Egypt". "We are looking for a stable Egypt and hoping things will be restored soon," Abdulrahman al-Attiyah, the GCC's secretary general, said on the sidelines of a Malaysian investment forum. He also downplayed concerns about the possible economic fallout of the unrest. Key appointments The international messages came hours after Mubarak appointed the country's head of intelligence to the post of vice-president, in a move said to be a reaction to days of anti-government protests in cities across the country. Omar Suleiman, Egypt's chief spy, was sworn in on Saturday, marking the first time Mubarak has appointed a vice-president during his 30-year rule. Ahmad Shafiq, a former air force commander, was appointed prime minister. The appointments, however, failed to satisfy protesters. Tens of thousands of people continued to rally in the capital Cairo on Saturday, demanding an end to Mubarak's presidency. Al Jazeera's Ayman Mohyeldin, reporting from the capital, said that soldiers deployed to central Cairo did not intervene in the protests. Similar crowds gathered in the cities of Alexandria and Suez on Saturday, Al Jazeera's correspondents reported. More than a 100 people have been killed in the violence since Friday. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Suleiman: Egypt’s strongman who kept Islamists in check
Suleiman: Egypt’s strongman who kept Islamists in check
Omar , the chief of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate who was appointed vice president by besieged President on Saturday, is a powerful figure who has kept Islamists in check at home while managing contacts at the highest level with Israel, Fatah and Hamas abroad.
Prof. Hillel Frisch, an expert on Islamic politics at Bar-Ilan’s Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, described Suleiman as a veteran and highly effective security chief, who made a powerful impression on those who met him.
“He speaks little and asks questions with much authority,” Frisch said.
Within Egypt, Suleiman, 74, is far more popular than Mubarak, and has escaped the widespread anger over corruption, maintaining a clean image.
Born in southern Egypt in 1936, Suleiman enrolled at the country’s Military Academy aged 18. He rose through the ranks, and took part in the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War against Israel.
In 1993, he was appointed by Mubarak to head the all-powerful General Intelligence Directorate, which has been described by Egyptian journalist Issandr Amrani as an organization that “combines the intelligence-gathering elements of the CIA, the counterterrorism role of the FBI, the protection duties of the Secret Service, and the high-level diplomacy of the State Department.”
Following his appointment, Suleiman was tasked with stemming a major terrorism campaign launched by the al-Gamal al-Islamiyya group, which killed hundreds of members of the Egyptian security forces and foreign tourists, in a string of attacks throughout the 1990s. In 2003, al-Gammal al-Islamiyya renounced terrorism, and other Islamist elements had been weakened or forced to disband by Suleiman’s war against them.
On a regional level, Suleiman is Egypt’s most important envoy to Israel, Fatah and Hamas. He is extremely well versed in the affairs of both Israel and the Palestinians, according to Dr. Ely Karmon, a senior researcher at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism at the in Herzliya.
Suleiman oversaw numerous mediation efforts aimed at getting Fatah and Hamas to agree to a power-sharing deal over the past two decades.
At the same time, Egypt’s secular regime has always regarded secular Fatah as a natural ally, and remained suspicious of Hamas and its Islamist ideology. Under Suleiman’s auspices, Egypt provided military training for Fatah’s security forces, with a view to enabling it to keep control of the Gaza Strip, prior to Hamas’s 2007 coup.
“Suleiman knows the Israeli and Palestinian arenas better than anyone in Egypt,” Karmon said.
Prof. Hillel Frisch, an expert on Islamic politics at Bar-Ilan’s Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, described Suleiman as a veteran and highly effective security chief, who made a powerful impression on those who met him.
“He speaks little and asks questions with much authority,” Frisch said.
Within Egypt, Suleiman, 74, is far more popular than Mubarak, and has escaped the widespread anger over corruption, maintaining a clean image.
Born in southern Egypt in 1936, Suleiman enrolled at the country’s Military Academy aged 18. He rose through the ranks, and took part in the Six Day War and the Yom Kippur War against Israel.
In 1993, he was appointed by Mubarak to head the all-powerful General Intelligence Directorate, which has been described by Egyptian journalist Issandr Amrani as an organization that “combines the intelligence-gathering elements of the CIA, the counterterrorism role of the FBI, the protection duties of the Secret Service, and the high-level diplomacy of the State Department.”
Following his appointment, Suleiman was tasked with stemming a major terrorism campaign launched by the al-Gamal al-Islamiyya group, which killed hundreds of members of the Egyptian security forces and foreign tourists, in a string of attacks throughout the 1990s. In 2003, al-Gammal al-Islamiyya renounced terrorism, and other Islamist elements had been weakened or forced to disband by Suleiman’s war against them.
Suleiman oversaw numerous mediation efforts aimed at getting Fatah and Hamas to agree to a power-sharing deal over the past two decades.
At the same time, Egypt’s secular regime has always regarded secular Fatah as a natural ally, and remained suspicious of Hamas and its Islamist ideology. Under Suleiman’s auspices, Egypt provided military training for Fatah’s security forces, with a view to enabling it to keep control of the Gaza Strip, prior to Hamas’s 2007 coup.
“Suleiman knows the Israeli and Palestinian arenas better than anyone in Egypt,” Karmon said.
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Western powers push Mubarak to fulfill vows, call for 'free' elections - CNN.com
Western powers push Mubarak to fulfill vows, call for 'free' elections - CNN.com
Western powers push Mubarak to fulfill vows, call for 'free' elections
January 29, 2011 9:02 p.m. EST
Demonstrators rally in front of the White House in support of protesters in Egypt.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: In an interview to air Sunday, U.K. leader calls Mubarak a 'friend of Britain'
- NEW: Cameron says of Egypt: "We support ... reform, not revolution"
- The heads of Germany, France, U.K. call for reforms and respect for rights
- A U.S. State Department
official says Mubarak must not just "reshuffle the deck"
(CNN) -- Several Western powers banded together Saturday in urging Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to do all he can to prevent bloodshed and speedily fulfill his promises of reform.
) -- Several Western powers banded together Saturday in urging Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to do all he can to prevent bloodshed and speedily fulfill his promises of reform.The heads of England, France and Germany joined their counterpart in the United States on Saturday in calling on Egypt's leader to institute substantive policy changes in short order as well as new, open elections.
"It is essential that the further political, economic and social reforms President Mubarak has promised are implemented fully and quickly, and meet the aspirations of the Egyptian people," said a joint statement issued by British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"The Egyptian people have ... a longing for a just and better future," the statement continued. "We urge President Mubarak to embark on a process of transformation, which should be reflected in a board-based government and in free and fair elections."
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Acknowledging the "moderating role" played by Mubarak in the Middle East, the Western leaders urged him to "show the same moderation" in Egypt and allow people to demonstrate peacefully. They also called for "full respect for human rights and democratic freedoms, including freedom of expression and communication."
Meanwhile, Washington continued Saturday to keep up pressure on the Egyptian leader, on the same day he announced a new deputy, among other Cabinet changes.
U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley tweeted that the Egyptian government "can't reshuffle the deck and then stand pat." He added that Mubarak's "words pledging reform must be followed by action."
"With protesters still on the streets" in Egypt, he wrote, "we remain concerned about the potential for violence and again urge restraint on all sides."
The people of Egypt "no longer accept the status quo," Crowley added. "They are looking to their government for a meaningful process to foster real reform."
President Barack Obama had said Friday that he had spoken with Mubarak after the Egyptian president made a televised speech. Mubarak, in his address, said he understands "these legitimate demands of the people and I truly understand the depth of their worries and burdens, and I will not part from them ever and I will work for them every day."
had said Friday that he had spoken with Mubarak after the Egyptian president made a televised speech. Mubarak, in his address, said he understands "these legitimate demands of the people and I truly understand the depth of their worries and burdens, and I will not part from them ever and I will work for them every day."Obama said he told Mubarak "he has a responsibility to give meaning to those words, to take concrete steps and actions that deliver on that promise."
"Violence will not address the grievances of the Egyptian people," Obama said in a televised appearance Friday. "Suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away."
Members of Obama's diplomatic and national security teams, including Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, National Security Advisor Tom Donilon and Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, held a two-hour discussion on Egypt Saturday morning, according to White House spokesman Tommy Vietor.
Obama himself convened a similar meeting on the situation in the early afternoon.
In an interview conducted Friday morning in Davos, Switzerland, British Prime Minister Cameron told CNN's Fareed Zakaria that "reform and progress in the greater strengthening of democracy and civil rights" is needed in Egypt. The interview will air at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Sunday on the "Fareed Zakaria GPS" program on CNN.
Cameron said "just the act of holding an election isn't enough," urging a "more mature and thoughtful approach" to build a stronger democracy.
He made a point that he didn't think the overthrow of Mubarak -- whom he called "a friend of Britain" -- was necessary.
"What we support is evolution, reform, not revolution," the prime minister said.
"We'd all be better off if there were more countries with more democratic institutions," he added. "But let's recognize those institutions need to be built from the bottom up, not always sort of dropped in from the top down."
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