Egyptian dictator gone, democracy fight continues


This video is called Mubarak stepping down, Switzerland freezes all his assets.

Michael Winship, Truthout: “‘The culture of democracy is still far away.’ That’s what Egypt’s Vice President Omar Suleiman told a group of the country’s newspaper editors on Tuesday. It was just two days before President Hosni Mubarak reconfirmed that he had no intention of resigning until September. But on Friday, Mubarak was gone. Suleiman had said the continued demonstrations in Cairo and across the nation were ‘disrespectful’ of Mubarak and warned of ‘the dark bats of the night emerging to terrorize the people,’ a threat that sounds more Transylvanian than Egyptian. But the blood of the more than 300 demonstrators who have died in Egypt was all too real”: here.

Hannah Allam and Shashank Bengali, McClatchy Newspapers: “Bowing to 18 days of a popular revolt that showed no sign of slowing down, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned Friday and handed over power to the military, an ignominious end to his 30 years of U.S.-backed authoritarian rule. The streets of Cairo erupted with celebratory gunfire, honking car horns and cheers from hundreds of thousands of protesters who’d braved tear gas, rubber bullets, attacks from government-allied thugs and communications disruptions to organize a revolt that was unprecedented in Egypt’s modern history”: here.

8 thoughts on “Egyptian dictator gone, democracy fight continues

  1. From the USA:

    VICTORY IN EGYPT!
    U.S. Hands off the Ongoing Egyptian Revolution!
    End US Military Aid to Egypt and Israel!

    A Statement by the United National Antiwar Committee

    On Friday, February 11th, the heroic Egyptian people won a historic victory with the ouster of Hosni Mubarak. Now they are proceeding to secure this victory by moving on to eliminate the rest of this hated regime, and to win the freedom, jobs, equality and dignity which has motivated their revolution from the start.

    Mubarak’s resignation was coupled with news that the officers of the Armed Forces are now running the country. This comes as more rank and file soldiers and lower-level officers were joining the protests, and as others stood by as protesters blockaded the state TV, parliament and other government facilities.

    No military regime in power in history has ceded true democracy to their people. We can be sure that the military hierarchy in alliance with what’s left of the old regime will do everything in their power to stop the blossoming revolution in its tracks, to tell the protesters they must go home now and to wait for gifts from on high. THE DANGER IS REAL THAT WHEN THE MASSES SAY NO THAT THE MILITARY WILL RESPOND WITH REPRESSION.

    We can be equally sure that Washington will give its full blessing and backing to these efforts of the remnants of the old regime and the military. Obama has made clear that he is solidly committed to the new face of the Egyptian regime, Omar Suleiman, who has proven over the years that he will collaborate with Washington in its torture and rendition policies. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was quoted in the New York Times saying that Washington would help organize political parties for future elections in Egypt — a maneuver used to subvert revolutions.

    The United National Antiwar Committee has urged supporters to mobilize for demonstrations called by Egyptian organizations in the US in solidarity with the revolution in Egypt and against US military and diplomatic intervention. As Egyptians in the US hold victory celebrations and protests to support continued progress, UNAC points out the special obligations of antiwar activists in the US given Washington’s efforts to obstruct the wishes of the majority of the Egyptian people.

    * The $1.3 billion a year in military aid which the US gives to Egypt must be cut off immediately.

    * All US soldiers serving in Egypt, such as those in the Multinational Force in the Sinai, must be immediately withdrawn.

    * US warships headed for Egypt must be immediately turned around.

    From its founding, UNAC has opposed all US aid to Israel. That position is particularly important now given the danger that as the Egyptian revolution advances, Israel will intervene to derail it — or launch new attacks against Lebanon, Gaza, or elsewhere as a diversionary tactic.

    Amidst the euphoria in Cairo, Al Jazeera interviewed a young woman in the crowd, who said: “It’s not just about Mubarak stepping down. It is about the process of bringing the people to power. The issue of women, the issue of Palestine, now everything seems possible.”

    TO DEFEND THE EGYPTIAN REVOLUTION, UNAC ENCOURAGES ALL ANTIWAR ACTIVISTS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT RALLIES PLANNED BY THE EGYPTIAN COMMUNITY, AND TO INITIATE THEM WHERE NONE ARE PLANNED.

    Finally, we urge all supporters of the Egyptian people to redouble efforts to build the national antiwar marches called by UNAC for April 9th in New York and April 10th in San Francisco. These marches, called to demand an end to US wars and occupations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, an end to support for Israeli occupation, and for social justice and jobs, take on even more importance with the revolts in Tunisia, Egypt, and elsewhere throughout the Arab world and Washington’s attempts to crush or derail them.

    SUPPORT THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY AND AGAINST EXPLOITATION AND OPPRESSION THROUGHOUT THE ARAB WORLD!
    BUILD THE NATIONAL ANTIWAR MARCHES ON APRIL 9TH AND 10TH!

    For more information: http://www.unacpeace.org, unacpeace@gmail.com

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  2. Top Mubarak spook dies

    EGYPT: Former spy chief Omar Suleiman died today, the Middle East News Agency has reported.

    Mr Suleiman died “early in the morning” at a hospital in the US, it said. He was 76.

    The top spook ran ex-despot Hosni Mubarak’s intelligence agency for two decades before being appointed vice-president in January 2011 at the height of the uprising which overthrew his boss.

    http://morningstaronline.co.uk/news/content/view/full/121616

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