Posted on 02/02/2011 7:31:01 AM PST by SE Mom
URGENT: Gunfire heard in Cairo's Tahrir Square as supporters of President Mubarak and anti-government demonstrators clash hours after the embattled leader defiantly said he would serve out his term in office.
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Obama Approach to Mubarak Exit Questioned as Violent Clashes Erupt
For the most part, President Obama’s cautious, but firm, tone has won praise from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Though the Obama administration was clearly caught off guard by how quickly a regime’s ouster in Tunisia inspired uprisings across Egypt and other Middle Eastern capitals, the president was applauded for striking a delicate balance.
He did not take sides from the outset, but at the same time also urged President Hosni Mubarak to fix the problems in his broken government. When the momentum shifted further away from Mubarak, so did Obama, telling the 30-year ruler it’s time to step aside.
But something went wrong. Though Mubarak announced Tuesday night he would not seek re-election, the vigil-like scene from that night has given way to a bloody series of clashes between protesters and pro-government supporters.
Your reference made me chuckle. I especially liked that part about the streets being cleared. Best idea of the day! If a photo such as the one you mentioned does make them all go home nothing will.
Thanks George, I can’t get anything live either.
twitter activity /#Jan25 / there is some live gun fire on the bridge.
Al Jizz live feed just came back up. Hard to see much; still dark and a lot of the street lights have been taken out.
Gunfire heard; rumors of snipers taking out demonstrators in the square.
The military is moving in. This will be a bloodbath.
Interesting
Tanks moving - heavy automatic fire; sounds like a .50 BMG answering small arms fire. One recently killed by gunfire.
Somethings going on!
Uh oh- been away from tv and computer for a couple of hours- going to check now.
The Imam on Hannity: “Sharia is coming to America”.
I am going to watch a movie.
Yesterday there were several reports that there would be a full 24-hour curfew on Thursday.
May be just a rumor, but ahead of possible big trouble on Friday, I wouldn’t be surprised if the pro-government forces try to throw a scare into a lot of people.
Anyone have any updates. In the dark myself.
Tweets from the BBC blog on Egypt:
0022: Brian Katulis of the Center for American Progress tells the BBC’s Matt Frei that most of what the US is doing on Egypt is happening behind the scenes. He says there is an “aggressive diplomatic surge” to push Egypt’s rulers to the next stage: a negotiation over power. That looks to be a complicated political negoitation involving a diverse array of opposition figures. Mr Katulis says we should not forget the real fragility of the situation: this is a country that has suffered before at the hands of Islamic extremists.
0019: The BBC’s Katty Kay says that despite extensive aid and incredibly close military ties, the Obama administration does not seem to be able to say to President Mubarak that he must leave now and make the transition peaceful. He is digging in his heels. The army wants to make sure that there is stability but in such a way that it benefits the army. But if there are genuine free and fair elections, the army will lose some of its power.
0015: Dr Essam el-Erian, a spokesman for the Islamist opposition movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, tells the BBC: “Nobody in Egypt can trust this promise. Mr Mubarak, staying in power for 30 years, made many promises and did not fulfil them at all. He promised that we could have a free and fair election. All the world knows that [last] election was rigged. And he’s still saying that election was good.”
0013: Anthony DeRosa of Reuters tweets: “Mubarak supporters have smashed the lights near the area they have quartered off and gathered rocks so they cannot be well seen.”
0010: In a blog, Nadim Houry of Human Rights Watch writes: “Sources in Damascus told me that at around 8:30pm, Syrian security forces violently dispersed a candlelight vigil held for Egyptian protestors. The vigil was held in the Bab Touma neighborhood in old Damascus. The police beat those gathered and took some of them, including known activist Suheir Atassi, to the Bab Touma police station. Suheir has been released and is doing fine.”
Pause, then another burst of fire. Tracers not going up in the air any more - seems to be targeted. They just interviewed a woman in sq. - exhausted and terrified - lots of casualties.
Automatic gunfire going off in the city... sounds like a bloodbath is going on. Sounds like a 50 cal or something, not small arms fire.
You don’t want to watch CNN or MSNBC-—they are both Pharoah Obama official propaganda channels!
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According to an anti Mubarak protestor in the square, soldiers refusing to return fire or protect people getting shot, despite pleas of the victims. Now another reporter says that tanks are pulling out - only a few APCs left around square. He says “very high caliber rounds” but hasn’t seen anyone hit with one yet. Says he’s seen a few people who had pistols but hard to tell which side they are on.
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