Don't know if anyone is paying attention but there are major riots and an attempted revolution happening in Egypt right now.

The dictators in the Arab world should be justifiably nervous right now since Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali was violently deposed in Tunisia after 23 years of rule.

The Egyptian government is now using live ammunition in Cairo and Alexandria. They have shut off access twitter as well.
http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comm ... _in_egypt/

This started with a man setting himself on fire in Tunisia in protest and now as many as 13 other people have set themselves on fire in Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

http://www.peopleforum.cn/viewthread.ph ... a=page%3D1

Serious business.
I'll cheer for freedom from the sidelines.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

I only hope these movements turn out to be more lasting than the "Cedar Revolution" in Lebanon a few years back.

I've never been to any of these countries, so I'm only indirectly aware of the freedoms and conditions there. My brother has been to Algeria though, and he found it to be one of the most (if not the most) repressed countries in Africa. Changes sound like a good idea there.

Egypt has been under marshal law for 25 years, and good ole Hosni has been president for 30 years. Seems like they're long overdue for a change.

I don't know much about this, but I do know who has been shaping (or at least trying to) policy there for years. Let's see who's side our government takes. It seems they always take the side of who will benefit us most, and we can thank Teddy Roosevelt for this policy. I'll assume that we'll back the current regime in Egypt, or turn a blind eye.

Well Sec. Clinton has already warned Lebanon because Hezbolla is on the cusp of dominating and forming a new government there

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41247842/ns ... stn_africa

I don't think US foreign policy cares too much about north Africa really....no money and no oil.




Yep, this fact cannot be overstated. One of the protesters primary demands is the end to marshal law.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Protests are still escalating and it's just been reported that the internet access to the country has been shut down.
All BGP routes seem to have disappeared

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/networking/th ... -egypt/613

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Hold my beer and watch this...

It's absolutely crazy that governments have the power to do such a thing.

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Wheelhouse

Lots of people want to give a similar (official) authority to DHS, or essentially the executive branch at their sole discretion.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Are you talking about here in the States?

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Wheelhouse

Yes


http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20029282-281.html

actual legislation

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Protests still increasing.
Military deployed...tanks on the streets of Cairo

Hasni has just issued a statement that the government (parliament and his cabinet) will resign and he will appoint a new one tomorrow.

The question is if that is enough to make the people go home...I get the sense it's not.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Hosni replacing his cabinet isn't going to placate Egypt. The masses want Mubarak himself replaced.

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mechaphil

Craig Kannaley, Buffalo-born Huff Post reporter (@ckanal), just tweeted about ten minutes ago that Al Jazeera has had their media credentials revoked by the Egyptian government and they're closing up their Cairo office.

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mechaphil