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Posted on 01/28/2011 9:14:48 AM PST by SE Mom
From FOX:
DEVELOPING: Loud explosions and gunfire were heard in the Egyptian capital of Cairo Friday, as protesters demanding the removal of President Hosni Mubarak defied a curfew, Al Jazeera reported. Egyptian television reports the ruling party headquarters in Cairo are on fire.
From TWITTER:
WashingtonPost: Clinton: We urge #Egypt authorities to allow peaceful protest, reverse unprecedented steps it has taken to cut off communications less than 20 seconds ago
bout 40% of America thinks he’s doing a good job!
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but 90% if them could not tell you his name if asked...
Off Topic
This afternoon’s “document drop” oughtta be a beaute!
Never let a crisis go to waste.
Where, exactly, is Obama at this moment?
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Playing minature golf on the WH lawn...
/s
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner
‘Will they shoot?’
January 28, 2011 3:24 P.M. By Matthew Shaffer
I interviewed Elliott Abrams, an Egypt expert with the Council on Foreign Relations, about Al-Jazeera’s reports that the protesters greeted the military with celebrations, and that the military might in turn side against Mubarak. Here’s what he said:
The difference between military and the police, is that the police are constantly being used for 30 years now to suppress the people. It’s the police who are constantly in small confrontations with the citizens. When it comes to freedom of expression or freedom of assembly it’s the police. The army is very popular, a heroic institution that fought the Israelis, and the army led the revolution in ‘52 and ‘53, so the army has a very diff relationship with the people than with the police force. It is not true that the army hated Mubarak; he was in the air force and has always had a close relationship with the leadership.
But what about the people who are privates and sergeants, etc.? That’s the real question. The regimes always take very good care of the generals. But normally the people at the bottom live in poverty, they don’t have officers’ clubs or any of that. So the question is, when the moment comes when either the crowd is going to overwhelm you, or you shoot — what are you going to do? It’s a question about the people on the bottom; will they actually shoot, will they follow the orders? And will the people at the top actually give the order? In Tunisia the answer was no. Well Mubarak is 82 — what kind of future are you going to have if the army shoots at people? I don’t think we know yet.
The question now hinges on the crowds and the degree of confrontation. In all of these regimes – there’s no precedent. It hasn’t happened in these countries. It is reasonable to think that either the soldiers themselves won’t do it, or the generals won’t give the orders.
Our allies around the world must be thinking, oh I’m glad he has our backs.....not.
Obama's allies are not America's allies. Consider the British, who Obama so obviously hates and despises.
Everything the Administration is doing during this crisis tacitly supports the Muslim Brotherhood. Never forget that the radical Left and radical Islam have made common cause against their great enemy.... us.
Interesting to compare this to what we saw immediately after 9/11, a far more serious event.
This is truly amateur hour at the WH.
Wasn’t it painful. And embarrassing.
I would have no respect for this country if I were a foreigner watching Gibbs stumble and fumble.
The WH isn’t in touch with anyone.
Who is surprised?
Is Bill Clinton in back getting ready to take over presser?
WH not in touch with MB.
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Flat out lie. 0bizmo gave his Cairo speach infront of the Brotherhood, takes a bit of in touch to do that, doncha think?
Are you saying we may wake up tomorrow without an internet? ;^)
No, you’re right. We should keep our nose to the ground...
great question from British accent reporter
going on for a week and you can’t tell us if the President is in touch with other western allies?
Megan Kelly reported that some of the protestors were hugging soldiers.
I wonder how many of us reading this thread remember when Egypt was not our friend and was an enemy of Israel? I do.
Gibbs cont.
Good question- what if the price for getting freedoms of expression is a regime less friendly to US? Gibbs dodges.
Gibbs asked who exactly our govt has spoken to in Egyptian govt. Gibbs dodges- lots of conversations.
Gibbs- want free and fair elections, freedoms of expression.
British reporter is aghast that Obama hasn’t been in touch with world leaders to have common response. Gibbs dodges and says he doesn’t know what conversations may have taken place during press conference.
He appears very uncomfortable when talking about the MB.
How closely allied is the Muslim Brotherhood with revolutionary socialism?
Worth checking into:
http://www.merip.org/mer/mer242/hamalawy.html
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