Monday, January 31, 2011

Tunisia Was the Trigger, Egypt Is the Prize

CRS: BACKGROUND ON EGYPT, TUNISIA

The Congressional Research Service is not equipped to provide up-to-the-minute coverage of current news events, like the continuing upheaval in Egypt. But CRS does provide deeply researched background on factual matters including U.S. economic and military aid to Egypt, as well as a detailed account of many aspects of U.S.-Egypt political relations. See the newly updated report "Egypt: Background and U.S. Relations" (pdf), January 28, 2011.

On events in Tunisia, see "Tunisia: Recent Developments and Policy Issues" (pdf), January 18, 2011.

Syria Strongman: Time for 'Reform'

The triviality of US Mideast policy

US Mideast policy has been irrelevant and fails to accommodate the current movement that is sweeping across the region.

Robert Grenier

Will Egypt Split the U.S. & Israel?

Could Syria be the next domino to fall? Syrians are watching Egypt's popular uprising carefully.

Could Syria be the next domino to fall?

Syrians are watching Egypt's popular uprising carefully.

How Food Riots Start - Evan Fraser & Andrew Rimas, Foreign Affairs

The Shame Factor When will dictators learn not to treat their people like fools? By Christopher Hitchens

The Shame Factor

When will dictators learn not to treat their people like fools?

By Christopher Hitchens

In Egypt, the Time Has Come for Mubarak to Go

Army, Allah and America: on Pakistani pitfalls and the future of Egypt

Egypt, Afghanistan and Failed States Judah Grunstein

Egypt, Afghanistan and Failed States

Judah Grunstein

A Realist Policy for Egypt - Stephen Walt, Foreign Policy

Exit the Israel Alibi By ROGER COHEN

Time to end the Arab exception-FT Editorial

Time to end the Arab exception

What the U.S. Loses if Mubarak Goes By Tony Karon

President Obama on the Situation in Egypt: "All Governments Must Maintain Power through Consent, Not Coercion"

The White House Blog

President Obama on the Situation in Egypt: "All Governments Must Maintain Power through Consent, Not Coercion"

Posted by Jesse Lee on January 28, 2011 at 07:42 PM EST

From an overnight memo from his National Security Advisor, to a Presidential Daily Briefing that was 40 minutes in length and focused entirely on Egypt, and on through the day, the President and much of the White House spent the day focused on the unfolding situation in Egypt. This evening the President spoke out after a phone call with President Mubarak:

THE PRESIDENT: Good evening, everybody. My administration has been closely monitoring the situation in Egypt, and I know that we will be learning more tomorrow when day breaks. As the situation continues to unfold, our first concern is preventing injury or loss of life. So I want to be very clear in calling upon the Egyptian authorities to refrain from any violence against peaceful protestors.
The people of Egypt have rights that are universal. That includes the right to peaceful assembly and association, the right to free speech, and the ability to determine their own destiny. These are human rights. And the United States will stand up for them everywhere.
I also call upon the Egyptian government to reverse the actions that they’ve taken to interfere with access to the Internet, to cell phone service and to social networks that do so much to connect people in the 21st century.
At the same time, those protesting in the streets have a responsibility to express themselves peacefully. Violence and destruction will not lead to the reforms that they seek.
Now, going forward, this moment of volatility has to be turned into a moment of promise. The United States has a close partnership with Egypt and we've cooperated on many issues, including working together to advance a more peaceful region. But we've also been clear that there must be reform -- political, social, and economic reforms that meet the aspirations of the Egyptian people.
In the absence of these reforms, grievances have built up over time. When President Mubarak addressed the Egyptian people tonight, he pledged a better democracy and greater economic opportunity. I just spoke to him after his speech and I told him 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. And suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. What’s needed right now are concrete steps that advance the rights of the Egyptian people: a meaningful dialogue between the government and its citizens, and a path of political change that leads to a future of greater freedom and greater opportunity and justice for the Egyptian people.
Now, ultimately the future of Egypt will be determined by the Egyptian people. And I believe that the Egyptian people want the same things that we all want -- a better life for ourselves and our children, and a government that is fair and just and responsive. Put simply, the Egyptian people want a future that befits the heirs to a great and ancient civilization.
The United States always will be a partner in pursuit of that future. And we are committed to working with the Egyptian government and the Egyptian people -- all quarters -- to achieve it.
Around the world governments have an obligation to respond to their citizens. That's true here in the United States; that's true in Asia; it is true in Europe; it is true in Africa; and it’s certainly true in the Arab world, where a new generation of citizens has the right to be heard.
When I was in Cairo, shortly after I was elected President, I said that all governments must maintain power through consent, not coercion. That is the single standard by which the people of Egypt will achieve the future they deserve.
Surely there will be difficult days to come. But the United States will continue to stand up for the rights of the Egyptian people and work with their government in pursuit of a future that is more just, more free, and more hopeful.
Thank you very much.

President Barack Obama discusses the situation in Egypt with Vice President Joe Biden and the national security team during the Presidential Daily Briefing in the Oval Office, Jan. 28, 2011. Attending the briefing, clockwise from the President are: National Security Advisor Tom Donilon; Chief of Staff Bill Daley; Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communication Ben Rhodes; Tony Blinken, National Security Advisor to the Vice President; Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough; John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; and Robert Cardillo, Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Intelligence Integration. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Israel braces for 'new Middle East'

Israelis are watching events in Egypt with uncertainty as they debate how they will impact regional politics.

		Beyond Mubarak: Protesters' Anger Turns on US, Israel
		ElBaradei: US 'Losing Credibility by the Day' on Egypt
		Ex-Officials Urge Obama to Suspend Aid to Egypt

Mubarak Clings to Power, But for How Long?

		*Egypt Protesters Camp Out, Mubarak Turns to Army*
		*Everybody But Mubarak: Muslim Brotherhood Calls for Unity Govt*
		*ElBaradei's Stock Rises With Muslim Brotherhood's Approval*
		*Egyptian Government Blocks al-Jazeera over Protest Coverage*

World's Muslims Look on as Govts Deny Being the Next Egypt

		*Iraqis Watch Egypt Unrest With Sense of Irony*
		*Eyeing Egypt, Kurdish Party Calls on Iraqi Regional Govt to Resign*
		*Netanyahu to World: Lay Off Mubarak*

Analyst Warns of 2015 Bank Crisis Amid ‘Upbeat’ Davos

The China domino

Moody’s downgrades Egypt to Ba2 FTAlphaville

Don’t Look Back, New Yorker

The US State Department's Position on Egypt

The US State Department's Position on Egypt

I must note that per the New York Times, the memo appears to have gone out that Mubrak no longer has US support, but that is a very long way from saying that the US is in favor of uncontrolled outcomes, despite the sudden adoption of "pro democracy" spin:

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called on Sunday for "an orderly transition to meet the democratic and economic needs of the people" in Egypt, stopping short of asking its embattled president, Hosni Mubarak, to resign, but laying the groundwork for his departure.
Related

Mrs. Clinton, making a round of Sunday talk shows, said Mr. Mubarak's future was up to the Egyptian people. But she said on "State of the Union" on CNN that the United States stood "ready to help with the kind of transition that will lead to greater political and economic freedom."

Speaking more bluntly than administration officials have so far, Mrs. Clinton said Mr. Mubarak's appointment of a vice president was only the "bare beginning" of a process that must include a government dialogue with the protesters and "free, fair, and credible" elections, scheduled for September.

I'd love to have overheard the call with Netanyahu.

This little piece strikes me as a tad closer to the truth:

Given the fact that our little policy of backing dictators that are willing to bend to our interests has just backfired in a rather serious way, one might think a fundamental reassessment might be in order. As former CIA director Emile Nakhleh writes in the Financial Times:

The possible toppling of the regime of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, following unprecedented street protests, will be as dramatic for US policy as the removal of the Shah of Iran over three decades ago. US policymakers were caught just as off guard in 1978 as they were last week. The question of "who lost Iran" that bedevilled US policy and intelligence leaders must now be crackling again in the air as those sitting in Washington watch Cairo burn. They were not prepared for the chaos following the Shah's collapse, and they are not prepared for what may follow Mr Mubarak today…

The problems that faced the US since the ayatollahs took power in Iran could quickly be repeated in post-Mubarak Egypt. When Tunisia's dictator was ousted three weeks ago, Washington and other western capitals did not believe the scenario could be replicated in Egypt, for the same tired arguments: the state is too strong, the security services are in full control, and the army is loyal to the ruler. A variant of this argument says that secular elites, frightened of Islamists, would not rise up against a fellow "secular" regime. Or even more condescendingly: the Egyptian people are apathetic and afraid….

Failure to anticipate the intensity, size and persistence of these anti-Mubarak protests show that US policymakers have ignored the social and economic realities. They have been lulled by a pro-stability narrative that has been spun out by Mr Mubarak and other Arab autocrats. Unfortunately for Cairo and Washington, the street is saying the game is up.

Before I left the US government four years ago, my colleagues and I on numerous occasions briefed policymakers on Egypt's dire economic and social conditions. If those conditions were not addressed, we argued, the "Arab street" would boil over. We said the tipping point would occur when different segments of the population – notably secular and religious – coalesced against the regime. Yet when our policymakers expressed concern to Mr Mubarak and other autocrats, they were told: "Don't worry about it, we have it under control." No longer fighting foreign wars, their militaries and security services were trained against their peoples.

So the uprising was not a "whocouldanode"; the powers that be were warned, but changing course no doubt looked inconvenient and costly. And while Nakhleh is hopeful that Obama will live up to his promises of a "new beginning" in Cairo, those of us who have seen his "change" bait and switch at close range know better.

Political Opposition to Mubarak's Autocratic Regime Settles on Mohamed ElBaradei to Negotiate Egypt's Future

This move by Egyptian opposition groups potentially offers a peaceful path out of the crisis. READ MORE

By Robert Naiman / TruthOut.org

How Much Longer Can Autocrat Mubarak Cling on to Power?

Reports from Cairo on the growing confidence of the country's citizens who want an end to Mubarak's despotic rule. READ MORE

By Robert Fisk / Independent UK

# # Pakistan Doubles Its Nuclear Arsenal By: Karen DeYoung | The Washington Post

Pakistan Doubles Its Nuclear Arsenal
By: Karen DeYoung | The Washington Post

# # Washington Intensifies Push Into Central Asia By: Rick Rozoff | Eurasia Review

Washington Intensifies Push Into Central Asia
By: Rick Rozoff | Eurasia Review

Iran's Weapons Smuggling Ring By: Con Coughlin | The Wall Street Journal

Iran's Weapons Smuggling Ring
By: Con Coughlin | The Wall Street Journal

The Two Likeliest Political Outcomes for Mubarak By: Stephen J. Hadley | The Wall Street Journal

The Two Likeliest Political Outcomes for Mubarak
By: Stephen J. Hadley | The Wall Street Journal

A Proud Moment in Egypt's History By: Scott MacLeod | Los Angeles Times

A Proud Moment in Egypt's History
By: Scott MacLeod | Los Angeles Times

# # Tunisians Wary as Islamists Emerge From Hiding By: Borzou Daragahi | Los Angeles Times

Tunisians Wary as Islamists Emerge From Hiding
By: Borzou Daragahi | Los Angeles Times

alestinian Authority's Back to Wall After Al Jazeera Revelations By: Jonathan Cook | The National

Palestinian Authority's Back to Wall After Al Jazeera Revelations
By: Jonathan Cook | The National

Nile Insurgency Creates Uncertain Future for Egypt Der Spiegel

Nile Insurgency Creates Uncertain Future for Egypt
Der Spiegel

In Yemen, Calls for Revolution but Many Hurdles By: Sudarsan Raghavan | The Washington Post

In Yemen, Calls for Revolution but Many Hurdles
By: Sudarsan Raghavan | The Washington Post

U.S., South Korea: Dangerous Policy Toward the North By: Lee Byong-Chul | Asia Sentinel

U.S., South Korea: Dangerous Policy Toward the North
By: Lee Byong-Chul | Asia Sentinel

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Israel mulling Sinai attack?

The Egyptian Masses Won't Play Ally to Israel By Gideon Levy

The Egyptian Masses Won't Play Ally to Israel

By Gideon Levy

As long as the masses in Egypt and in the entire Arab world continue seeing the images of tyranny and violence from the occupied territories, Israel will not be able to be accepted, even it is acceptable to a few regimes. Continue

Uprising in Egypt: 'This Is How Regimes Fall' By Gywnne Dyer

Uprising in Egypt: 'This Is How Regimes Fall'

By Gywnne Dyer

The likely winner of a genuinely free Egyptian election, according to most opinion polls, would be the Muslim Brotherhood. The Brothers are not particularly radical as Islamists go, but the first thing they have promised to do if they win power is to hold a referendum on Egypt's peace treaty with Israel. Continue

Egypt: Death Throes of a Dictatorship By Robert Fisk

Egypt: Death Throes of a Dictatorship

By Robert Fisk

Robert Fisk joins protesters atop a Cairo tank as the army shows signs of backing the people against Mubarak's regime. Continue

Obama's betrayal / As goes Mubarak, so goes U.S. might By Ari Shavit

Obama's betrayal / As goes Mubarak, so goes U.S. might

By Ari Shavit
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/obama-s-betrayal-as-goes-mubarak-so-goes-u-s-might-1.340244

How China censors Egypt news, and why the story is so sensitive in China

Libya Next? by Tyler Durden

The one country landlocked between Tunisia and Egypt has so far been oddly silent. Not so much any more. Al Jazeera reports that the Libyan government has imposed a state of emergency for "fear of demonstrations and rallies" comparable to those in Tunisia and Egypt. And ranked 17 in the world for oil production (and 9th in proven reserves), this is one that crude HFT algos may want to keep an eye on.

From Al Jazeera, google translated:

Libyan sources familiar with the island revealed that a state of alert security prevail in the east of the Libyan cities, confirmed that elements of the police and support central and distributed to all government buildings.

The sources said that the Libyan government imposed a state of emergency and security alert since the outbreak of the revolution, Tunisia, for fear of demonstrations and rallies similar in Libyan cities.

The sources of the existence of orders to stop any gathering, whether in government or outside.

Under these instructions - Sources confirm - The Libyan government later abolished the league matches of Libyan Football Association which was to be organized during the month.

In conjunction with the ongoing events in neighboring Egypt, the forces imposed from the central support and the police since yesterday evening checkpoints in several major regions in both the white and Benghazi and Derna and Tobruk.

These enhancements come at a time when Libya is following with interest the Libyan street events taking place in Egypt over the satellite news channels deployed in all the cafes and shops in cities of Libya.

He said the Libyans before the popular revolution that swept cities in Tunisia and has succeeded in toppling President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, after 23 years of rule.

It is feared the Libyan regime of infection along the Tunisian and Egyptian into Libya, especially in light of similar conditions and problems such as poor living conditions and the absence of freedoms

Will We Ever Find Osama Bin Laden? Don't Count On It. -- Peter Bergen, Washington Post

We have almost 100,000 troops in Afghanistan. We've launched more than 200 drone attacks in Pakistan's remote tribal regions. We've spent billions of dollars on intelligence. And as the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks approaches, we're still no closer to finding Osama bin Laden.

It seems possible, even likely, that we'll be saying much the same on the 15th anniversary of Sept. 11, and again on the 20th. Given the sorry state of the hunt for the man who masterminded the largest mass murder in U.S. history, we should not be surprised if bin Laden dies, years from now, in the comfort of his own bed.

Read more ....

Israeli, Saudi and American Leaders Say Arabs Are Not Ready for Democracy

→ Washington’s Blog
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday:

I'm not sure the time is right for the Arab region to go through the democratic process.

Also on Friday, Saudi King Abdullah said he support Egyptian president Mubarak and called the protesters troublemakers for calling for freedom of expression:

Saudi King Abdullah has expressed his support for embattled President Hosni Mubarak and slammed those "tampering" with Egypt's security and stability, state news agency SPA reported on Saturday.

The Saudi ruler, in Morocco recovering from back surgery performed in the United States, telephoned Mubarak early Saturday, the report said.

During the conversation, Abdullah condemned "intruders" he said were "tampering with Egypt's security and stability ... in the name of freedom of expression."

As FireDogLake notes, the U.S. State Department has taken a similar position.
As a large group of well-respected American academics wrote in an open letter today to President Obama:

As political scientists, historians, and researchers in related fields who have studied the Middle East and U.S. foreign policy, we the undersigned believe you have a chance to move beyond rhetoric to support the democratic movement sweeping over Egypt. As citizens, we expect our president to uphold those values.

For thirty years, our government has spent billions of dollars to help build and sustain the system the Egyptian people are now trying to dismantle. Tens if not hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in Egypt and around the world have spoken. We believe their message is bold and clear: Mubarak should resign from office and allow Egyptians to establish a new government free of his and his family’s influence. It is also clear to us that if you seek, as you said Friday 'political, social, and economic reforms that meet the aspirations of the Egyptian people,' your administration should publicly acknowledge those reforms will not be advanced by Mubarak or any of his adjutants.

There is another lesson from this crisis, a lesson not for the Egyptian government but for our own. In order for the United States to stand with the Egyptian people it must approach Egypt through a framework of shared values and hopes, not the prism of geostrategy. On Friday you rightly said that “suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away.” For that reason we urge your administration to seize this chance, turn away from the policies that brought us here, and embark on a new course toward peace, democracy and prosperity for the people of the Middle East. And we call on you to undertake a comprehensive review of US foreign policy on the major grievances voiced by the democratic opposition in Egypt and all other societies of the region.

As Agence France-Presse reports:

"Egypt remains a major pawn in the Middle East," said [Didier Billion, an expert at Institute for International and Strategic Relations (IRIS) in Paris]. The West fears "a domino effect if Mubarak falls, with a protest movement that could grow across the world." [And the Egyptian situation is already affecting the Saudi stock market.]

***

"One of the lessons here is that we need to be on the right side of history in these countries," said US Senator John McCain, who lost his 2008 White House bid to Obama.

"We need to do a better job of emphasizing and arguing strenuously for human rights," he said on the CNN news channel.

"You can't have autocratic regimes last forever. The longer they last, the more explosive the results."

Indeed, the U.S. is now becoming concerned that continuing to back Mubarak will ensure that it is on the losing side of history.
For that reason, Obama changed his tune today, saying that he supports an "orderly transition" in Egypt. This is not a change in America's foreign policy so as to embrace democracy in the Middle East. Rather, it is simply a realization that America's puppet in Egypt has lost his grip on power and is impossible to save. And see this.
As a prominent writer told me:

We really should be embarrassed. TE Lawrence promised the Arabs democracy in return for their support in WWI (it was critical to Allied victory) and Great Britain welched on the promise. This is more of the same BS.

It goes without saying that the hostility of the State Department and our "allies" in the War on Terror Israel and Saudi Arabia towards democracy in Egypt gives lie to the claim that the War on Terror is about bringing "democracy" to the Middle East.

Google updates service tracker amid Egypt shutdown

January 29, 2011 A portion of a Google Transparency Report that charts worldwide Internet traffic patterns was modified

Enlarge

An Internet blockade in Egypt inspired Google on Friday to provide an improved tool for tracking access to the firm's popular websites.

An Internet blockade in Egypt inspired Google on Friday to provide an improved tool for tracking access to the firm's popular websites.

This has little to do with Islamists, or with Washington

Farewell to Modernity in the New Age of Surveillance

Jan Widacki LLD, Truthout: "The world we were aiming at was to be a free one, granting people peace, equality, riches and healthcare, and allowing us to extend our lives and rid ourselves of numerous illnesses - and yet, the world we are approaching, which Fukuyama calls 'our posthuman future,' may be far more hierarchical and focused on competition than the present one: a world where the powers-that-be will be able to achieve full control over governed communities, and the governed communities, in turn, will manifest full control over the individuals. It is going to be a world of different - possibly genetically modified - people. Perhaps humankind, Adam and Eve's tribe, is reaching for the forbidden fruit. Will that effort result in an end to a possible life in a paradise of democracy and human rights?"
Read the Article

http://www.truth-out.org/farewell-modernity-new-age-surveillance67257

Clinton Urges Diplomacy With Mubarak, New Government

Clinton Urges Diplomacy With Mubarak, New Government
Brian Knowlton, The New York Times News Service: "Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday issued a strong endorsement of key groups working to exert their influence on the chaotic Egyptian protests - the military, civil society groups and, perhaps most importantly, the nation’s people - while carefully avoiding any specific commitment to the embattled President Hosni Mubarak. She urged a national dialogue that would lead to free and fair elections this fall. But while speaking in general terms of a transition on CNN’s 'State of the Union,' she referred to Mr. Mubarak as someone remaining in power."
Read the Article

The Wrong Friends: The Uncomfortable Lesson of the Uprisings in the Middle East

The Wrong Friends: The Uncomfortable Lesson of the Uprisings in the Middle East
David Mednicoff, The Boston Globe: "This rising tide of mass protests against Arab secular strongmen urges us to think again about the role of Islam and government. Decades of Western policy have pushed Middle Eastern governments toward secular reforms. But a more nuanced view of the region - one that values authenticity as much as Western dogma - suggests something different. If we are concerned about stability, balance, even openness, it may be Arab Islamic governments that offer a better route to those goals."
Read the Article

ElBaradei, Muslim Brotherhood Offer Political Path Out of Egyptian Confrontation

ElBaradei, Muslim Brotherhood Offer Political Path Out of Egyptian Confrontation
Robert Naiman, Truthout: "Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leader Essam el-Eryan said today that Egyptian opposition groups have agreed to back former IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei to negotiate with the government... No doubt some folks who subscribe to the 'cooties' school of international diplomacy may object to any U.S. endorsement of a process that involves the Muslim Brotherhood. But refusing to support this reasonable, pragmatic, and moderate proposal, just because the Muslim Brotherhood also supports it, would be extremely short-sighted.... The U.S. should take advantage of ... this proposal for negotiations, and act decisively to forestall a bloody confrontation between protesters and forces loyal to Mubarak which could be significantly worse than what we have seen already, and for which the U.S. would bear substantial responsibility."
Read the Article

The Worst of Both Worlds

As the revolt in Egypt spreads, Barack Obama faces a familiar dilemma in the Middle East.

Egypt protests draw mixed reaction in region By the CNN Wire Staff


	Saudi King Slams Egypt Protests

Arab Nations Evacuate Their Citizens From Egypt

Beijing Blocks Searches for 'Egypt' From Microblogging Site

Egypt not trending in China

Beijing blocks searches for "Egypt" from microblogging site following protests there.

Goldstone's Legacy for Israel (War and Peace)

The Goldstone Report is a fair-minded and disturbing document—which is precisely why the Israeli strategy since its publication has been to talk about everything except what’s in it.

Naomi Klein

Analysis: Why Egypt matters

By Roger Hardy Middle East analyst, Woodrow Wilson Center

Egypt protests show George W. Bush was right about freedom in the Arab world

Inside the White House's Egypt Scramble

Inside the White House's Egypt Scramble -- Newsweek
http://www.newsweek.com/2011/01/30/inside-the-white-house-s-egypt-scramble.html

Inside the White House's Egypt Scramble

As protests erupted in Egypt, Washington struggled desperately to find the right response to the crisis.

Egypt presents a delicate balancing act for Obama -- L.A. Times
Mubarak's Defiance Makes Life Harder for Obama -- Time Magazine
Obama Administration Conveying Specific Reform Ideas to Mubarak -- ABC News
President Obama pulls away from Mubarak -- Politico
Amid Egyptian crisis, Obama meets with security team -- CNN
Clinton Calls for Egypt's Transition to Democracy, Urges Path to Avoid Power Vacuum -- FOX News
Egypt protests: Hillary Clinton urges 'orderly transition' -- BBC
Clinton, Obama team say there are 'no easy answers' in Egypt -- USA Today

Al Jazeera told to shut down in Egypt, signal cut. -- Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera told to shut down in Egypt, signal cut. -- Al Jazeera
Egypt Closes Offices of Al Jazeera Television, Disrupts Signal on Nilesat -- Bloomberg
Arabic broadcaster Al-Jazeera banned in Egypt -- Yahoo News/AP
Egyptian government orders Al Jazeera shutdown -- CNN
Al Jazeera Tweets After Shutdown -- Wall Street Journal
Seizing a Moment, Al Jazeera Galvanizes Arab Frustration -- New York Times
As Egypt Erupts, Al Jazeera Offers Its News for Free to Other Networks -- Epicenter

Days of Unrest Egypt Updates

Days of Unrest
Egyptians Defiant as Military Does Little to Quash Protests - New York Times
Egyptian Protesters Demand U.S. Condemn Mubarak - Washington Post
Egypt: Looting Spreads as Vigilantes Roam - Los Angeles Times
Chaos Engulfs Cairo; Mubarak Points to Succession - Associated Press
Egyptian Soldiers Show Solidarity with Protesters - Washington Post
No End in Sight for Protests in Egypt - Voice of America
Looting Engulfs Cairo, Other Egyptian Cities - Associated Press
Lawlessness on Egypt Streets, Mubarak Clings On - Reuters
Appointments Continue Egypt's Martial Style of Rule - Washington Post
Protesters Challenge Regimes Around Middle East - Los Angeles Times
Obama Presses for Change, Not New Face at the Top - New York Times
Urging Restraint, U.S. Military Faces Test of Influence - New York Times
Egypt Crisis Puts Obama to the Test - Los Angeles Times
Egypt: Protesters Again Defy Curfew; Police Stand Down - Los Angeles Times
Egypt Vigilantes Defend Homes as Police Disappear - Reuters
Looters Smash Treasures And Mummies In Egyptian Museum - Reuters
Hosni Mubarak Under World Pressure - BBC News
ElBaradei: President Mubarak Must Go - Voice of America
Nobelist Has an Unfamiliar Role in Protests - New York Times
Yearning for Respect, Arabs Find a Voice - New York Times
Egypt: U.S. Wants to See an Overhaul, Not Overthrow - Los Angeles Times
Arab Executives Predict Regime Change in Egypt - New York Times
Egyptians Wonder What’s Next - New York Times
Choice Likely to Please the Military, Not the Crowds - New York Times
Regional Reaction Mixed For Egypt Protests - Voice of America
Israel Fears Unrest in Egypt Could Jeopardize Peace Treaty - Voice of America
Jordanians Rally Against Corruption And Poverty - Reuters
Iraqis Watch Egypt Unrest With Sense of Irony - Associated Press
Egypt Protests Draw Mixed Reaction in Region - CNN News
Dictatorship to Democracy? Tunisia's Risky Venture - Associated Press
Canada Intends to Extradite Wealthy Tunisian Fugitive - Voice of America
Ruling Party Urges Talks In Yemen to Halt Protests - Reuters
As it Happened: Egypt Unrest Day Five - BBC News
Arab Rulers Only Have One Option: Reform - Daily Star editorial
The New Arab World Order - Foreign Policy opinion
White House Wobbles on Egyptian Tightrope - The Guardian opinion
Egypt's Military Now Pivotal - The Atlantic opinion
Egypt Needs Reform, Not Revolution - Daily Telegraph opinion
Is Qaddafi the Next to Fall? - The Daily Beast opinion
African Leaders Clinging to Power - Irish Times opinion
Israel Casts an Uneasy Glance at Protests - Global Post opinion
Egypt Protests Show Bush was Right - Washington Post opinion

Guest Post: Is the Egyptian Government Using Agents Provocateur to Justify a Crack Down On the Protesters? → Washington’s Blog

Analysis: Obama tough — not too tough — with Egypt -- Yahoo News/AP
Watching a new beginning in Egypt -- Peter Bouckaert, Washington Post
Egypt blogger: 'We want to change the entire regime' -- BBC
Will Egypt's Military Officers Free the Revolution? -- Michael Hanna, The Atlantic
How should the U.S. respond to the protests in the Middle East? -- Washington Post
Cairo's restless streets -- L.A. Times editorial
Washington and Mr. Mubarak -- New York Times editorial
A Long March to Seize the Heart of Cairo -- Charles Levinson, Wall Street Journal
Egyptians’ Fury Has Smoldered Beneath the Surface for Decades -- Michael Slackman, New York Times
Egypt's Revolution -- Wall Street Journal editorial
Egypt: A pivotal moment -- The Guardian editorial
Fear of Islamists Paralyzes the U.S. -- Tony Karon, Time Magazine
Israel Has Faith Mubarak Will Prevail -- Karl Vick, Time Magazine
Obama administration could still get it right on Egypt -- Jackson Diehl, Washington Post
Peering into Egypt's Internet Black Hole -- Joshua Keating, Foreign Policy
What is happening in Egypt is not our business -- Peter Oborne, The Telegraph
Egypt Protests Show American Foreign-Policy Folly -- Stephen Kinzer, The Daily Beast
Egypt on Fire -- John McCormack, Weekly Standard
White House wobbles on Egyptian tightrope -- Simon Tisdall, The Guardian
ANALYSIS-Egyptian army could hold key to Mubarak's fate -- Reuters
Protests Rock Egypt -- Steven Cook, Council Of Foreign Relations
U.S. seeks balanced approach to Mideast turmoil -- Joby Warrick and Scott Wilson, Washington Post
Obama blowing it again in the Middle East -- Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post
ElBaradei's last stand: ElBaradei's return to Egypt could offer the opportunity for a good alternative to the current leadership. -- Alaa Bayoumi, Al Jazeera
Rebellion in the Land of the Pharaohs -- Fouad Ajami, Wall Street Journal
Danger in Egypt: Dustbins I Have Known -- Richard Fernandez, Pajamas Media

Egypt Closes Banks, Stock Market; Protests Spread to Saudi Arabia, Jordan; Saudi King Backs Mubarak; Reflections on Misguided US Policy

Egypt Protests Shine Light on How U.S. Profits From Foreign Aid By Mark Engler

Egypt Protests Shine Light on How U.S. Profits From Foreign Aid

By Mark Engler

Beware Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood by Leslie H. Gelb Info

Beware Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood

by Leslie H. Gelb

As Washington reviews its policy toward Cairo this weekend, officials should think hard about fostering a Mubarak-led transition rather than one led by protesters.

A man who places himself at the helm for three decades inevitably becomes the target of all the realm's discontents.

Pharaoh's End

Protests rocked Egypt, calling into question whether President Hosni Mubarak's regime can survive. FP asked five top experts how Barack Obama should respond to the growing signs of revolt on Egypt's streets.

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Monday, January 31, 2011

Syria Strongman: Time for 'Reform'

Will Egypt Split the U.S. & Israel?

Could Syria be the next domino to fall?

The Shame Factor

When will dictators learn not to treat their people like fools?

In Egypt, the Time Has Come for Mubarak to Go

Army, Allah and America: on Pakistani pitfalls and the future of Egypt

President Obama on the Situation in Egypt: "All Governments Must Maintain Power through Consent, Not Coercion"

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Analyst Warns of 2015 Bank Crisis Amid ‘Upbeat’ Davos

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Obama's betrayal / As goes Mubarak, so goes U.S. might

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Israeli, Saudi and American Leaders Say Arabs Are Not Ready for Democracy

Google updates service tracker amid Egypt shutdown

This has little to do with Islamists, or with Washington

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As the revolt in Egypt spreads, Barack Obama faces a familiar dilemma in the Middle East.

Fire in Cairo: Will the Army Hold?

Analysis: Why Egypt matters

Egypt protests show George W. Bush was right about freedom in the Arab world

Inside the White House's Egypt Scramble

As protests erupted in Egypt, Washington struggled desperately to find the right response to the crisis.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Egypt Protests Shine Light on How U.S. Profits From Foreign Aid

Beware Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood

How Washington can help Tunisia and other Arab revolutions

Jonathan Kay: Democracy will prevail in Egypt and across the Middle East

Rebellion in the Land of the Pharaohs

A man who places himself at the helm for three decades inevitably becomes the target of all the realm's discontents.

Protests rocked Egypt, calling into question whether President Hosni Mubarak's regime can survive. FP asked five top experts how Barack Obama should respond to the growing signs of revolt on Egypt's streets.

Shadi Hamid: How Obama Got Egypt Wrong