Mubarak orders army to back police against unrest (Tanks open fire @ Suez Canal?)

Yahoo ^ | 1/29/11 | Shaimaa Fayed and Yasmine Saleh

[Libloather]

Mubarak orders army to back police against unrest
Shaimaa Fayed and Yasmine Saleh, Reuters
January 29, 2011, 3:16 am

CAIRO (Reuters) - President Hosni Mubarak imposed a curfew and ordered troops to back up police as they struggled to control crowds who flooded the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities on Friday to demand that he step down.

In unrest never before seen during Mubarak's 30 year-rule, police and demonstrators fought running street battles. Dozens of people were wounded as security forces fired rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon at the crowds and baton charged them.

The protesters hurled back stones and shouted "Down, Down, Hosni Mubarak."

Al Jazeera television said at least one person was killed in a square in central Cairo, although the report could not be confirmed.

Tens of thousands of Egyptians took to the streets after Friday prayers in by far the biggest of four consecutive days of protests by people fed up with unemployment, poverty, corruption and the lack of freedom under Mubarak.

"This protest is not going to stop. They won't and can't trick the people again and give us some lame concessions. Hosni has to go," protester Mohamed Taha in Hussein said after fleeing a police attack.

[Libloather]

Fox News just reported that tanks protecting the Suez Canal were jumped on by protesters. The tanks fired into the crowd. Developing?

[screaminsunshine]

Let em have it. A good chamce to get rid of the Muzzie Brotherhood and wipe them out.

[MeganC]

Oh no, this is not going to end well.

[refermech]

The real question is: will hardcore muslims step into the power vacuum?

[org.whodat]

Turn the machine guns on clean the streets.

[Allegra]

I’m seeing it on Al Jazeera right now. Not good.

[AU72]

Mubarak must remember what the Army did to put him in power.

[Kartographer]

I believe we are looking at a live demonstration of ‘The Domino Effect’.

[GeronL]

going downhill very fast

[NRG1973]

Two things:

1. There is some talk that demonstartions are supposed to spread to Saudi Arabai starting tomorrow.

2. Although the Suez Canal is not a major supply line for oil, there is a pipeline from SA to Egypt that can be used if something happens in the Persian Gulf (Straits of Hormuz). If the Suez Canal (and the backup pipeline) are shut down then Iran could essentially shut off the world’s oil supply by blocking the Straits of Hormuz).

[robowombat]

Unfortunately the Egyptian Army is composed of conscripts who are not likely to have any stomach for firing on the populace they came from. The officer corps is heavily populist with the majority coming from the lower middle class and the middle classes. Many officers are covert Islamacists or Islamacists leaning as Egyptian society has quietly been shifting towards the norms of stricter Islamic observance. Even ‘elite’ units such as the parachute infantry and the commandos cannot be considered to have any great loyalty to the regime. I suspect if the disorder is protracted we will see the significant collapse of the Egyptian armed forces as large numbers of uniformed personnel vote with their feet and self demobilize and go home or , in the case of officers, just don't come to work.
As with the larger society as the regime collapses the strongest and most coherent group emerging will be Islamacists particularly the Muzzy Brothers. This is only the beginning of the time of troubles for that troubled region.

[Allegra]

Good grief, Hillary...

[GonzoGOP]

Turn the machine guns on clean the streets.

If they were some of Egypt's M1s then they have the 120mm smooth bore. The XM1028 canister round is a phenomenal riot control device. Nothing says disperse immediately like 1150 tungsten balls traveling at supersonic speed. It will disperse the crowd, as in turn them into a dispersing cloud of red vapor.

[Libloather]

going downhill very fast

Good news - Hillary is 'deeply concerned' about Egypt.

[NavyCanDo]

The ripple effect this and the unrest in Tunisia will have on the price of oil will I think drive us to that $5 a gal of gas.

Oh and both of those countries were port-o-calls for my Naval ship back during the Reagan years. Us sailors could walk the streets of Tunis or Cairo without fear. My how things have change for the worse.

[PapaBear3625]

Although the Suez Canal is not a major supply line for oil, there is a pipeline from SA to Egypt that can be used if something happens in the Persian Gulf (Straits of Hormuz). If the Suez Canal (and the backup pipeline) are shut down then Iran could essentially shut off the world’s oil supply by blocking the Straits of Hormuz).

This just might be the game plan. Put Iran into a position where they can cut off oil supplies in the middle of winter if attacked. Checkmate.

[Nervous Tick]

>> shouted “Down, Down, Hosni Mubarak.”

They protest in English??!? That must be the version of the protest they’re putting on for CNN cameras.

[Padams]

I am stuck watching Airport TV aka CNN. The reporterette just said “they are protesting because they want a better life. What is unemployment there? I’m resisting the urge to throw my shoe at TV.

[dfwgator]

My fear is that we could see a full-scale Civil War.

[Pan_Yan]

Iranian Mullah dreams ...