Showing posts with label Murbarak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Murbarak. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Egypt’s Mubarak detained over graft, protest probe
Hosni Mubarak was ordered detained for 15 days today, a move that may help quell protests and quash suspicions that Egypt’s ruling army generals had been shielding their former commander from investigation.
Mubarak, toppled on February 11 after mass demonstrations against his 30-year rule, was admitted to hospital yesterday suffering what state media called a “heart crisis”. There were conflicting reports about the seriousness of his illness.
The public prosecutor had summoned Mubarak for questioning on Sunday over the killing of protesters and embezzling of public funds. His two sons, Alaa and Gamal, were also summoned for questioning over graft and ordered detained, state TV said.
“Former President Hosni Mubarak was detained for 15 days for investigation,” state television reported in a brief headline.
In his first public comment since stepping down, broadcast on Al Arabiya on Sunday, Mubarak denied wrongdoing.
A security source said that Mubarak was likely to remain for security reasons in detention in Sharm el-Sheikh, the Red Sea resort where he has been in internal exile since leaving office.
An airport source in Sharm el-Sheikh said Mubarak’s sons had left the town for a prison in Cairo. They join a list of ex-ministers and officials under investigation and held in jail.
Gamal, 47, Mubarak’s younger son, held a top post in the ruling party. Many Egyptians believed he was being groomed for top office, although both father and son denied any such plan.
“This is a serious step forward in holding the president accountable and ends any suspicion that the state and the military were in cahoots with Mubarak,” said Hassan Nafaa, a political scientist and activist for reform.
“Most of the people had been suspicious of the army,” he said.
The army council, which has ruled since Mubarak quit, had faced increasingly loud calls for Mubarak to be held to account. Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians criticised the army in a protest on Friday over the failure to prosecute him swiftly.
Soldiers yesterday broke up a five-day sit-in at Tahrir Square, which became the epicentre of Egypt’s uprising in January. Protesters had vowed to keep up the pressure.
‘We want our money’
There were conflicting reports about Mubarak’s condition. A state television report said he was in intensive care after a “heart crisis” during questioning. Al Arabiya said he was fit enough to be questioned in hospital in Sharm el-Sheikh.
The timing of his health setback had prompted scepticism among some hard-core protesters who have complained about the failure of the military to pursue Mubarak and his allies more swiftly and argue that they are protecting one of their own.
The army had praised and thanked Mubarak when he left office, but protesters criticised his rule by emergency law and say he encouraged a rich and poor divide.
“We want our money. We want the thief to be tried,” chanted dozens of people gathered near the hospital in the glitzy resort where Mubarak spent more and more time before leaving office.
Mubarak has suffered from health problems in recent years and went to Germany for gall bladder surgery in March 2010. There were frequent rumours about his health as he aged, particularly after his last bout of surgery.
Mubarak had vowed to die in Egypt when he addressed the country’s 80 million people shortly before he stepped down.
After Friday’s demonstration, soldiers and police used tasers and batons to try to drive out the protesters after nightfall. In clashes, medical sources said 13 men were wounded by gunfire and two died. The army denied using live ammunition.
Angry protesters demanded the army hand power to civilians, but soldiers moved in on Tuesday to end the sit-in.
A Reuters photographer saw hundreds of troops in the middle of Tahrir and in military vehicles at every entrance to the normally busy thoroughfare.
Troops with machineguns rounded up several young men and pushed them into vans. Others hauled coils of barbed wire used by demonstrators and makeshift barriers erected during the protest onto military trucks.
By early evening traffic was flowing through Tahrir, a major junction of roads that was the focus of the protests. Many ordinary Egyptians are tired of the protests that have hammered the economy and disrupted their lives.
A youth coalition that helped organise the uprising said it had persuaded the remaining protesters to reopen Tahrir because they were doing the country no good by staying.
“We met with the (ruling) military council yesterday and discussed opening Tahrir. We agreed to end the protest and give the army a chance to proceed,” said Mohamed Sukri, a member of the Revolutionary Youth Coalition.
Mohamed Zaidan, who said he belonged to no group and was in the square when the army arrived, gave a different account.
“We didn’t agree with anyone to clear Tahrir,” said the 25-year-old. “We were attacked by rock-throwing people who wanted to force us out and then the army came, didn’t speak to us and suddenly moved in to force us out of the square.”
Friday, April 8, 2011
Protesters pack Cairo square, pile pressure on army
Protesters packed Cairo’s Tahrir Square today, piling pressure on the ruling military council to meet demands including the prosecution of Hosni Mubarak in one of the biggest demonstrations since he was ousted.
By early afternoon, the protest had swollen to more than 100,000. Thousands waved red, white and black Egyptian flags in scenes reminiscent of the height of the protests that toppled Mubarak and helped ignite revolts in other Arab countries.
“Oh Field Marshal, we’ve been very patient!” chanted some of the protesters, gathered in the square that was the hub of protests that toppled Mubarak from the presidency and left the army, led by Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, in charge.
“Tantawi, Tantawi get your act together or do you want a pool of blood?” chanted some of the protesters.
The military has enjoyed broad support since it took control of the country on February 11 but frustrations have grown over the pace of reform. Attention is now focussed on the perceived tardiness of legal steps against Mubarak and his entourage.
Mubarak and his family have been living in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh since he left Cairo on February 11.
The public prosecutor, who has filed charges against some but not all of the Mubarak-era officials, was also the focus of anger during a demonstration that one activist group declared “The Friday of Purification and Accountability”.
A military helicopter hovered over the city centre as protesters poured into the square after Friday prayers to support demands including the removal of remaining Mubarak-era officials, such as the powerful provincial governors.
Banners included economic demands, such as the imposition of minimum and maximum wages. “The revolution is continuing until democracy is achieved,” read one banner.
“It’s a strong message that the revolution is not over yet and is still going on and will not quieten down before its goals are realised,” said Hassan Nafaa, a professor of political science and a prominent figure in the reform movement.
Street action remained “the real guarantee to the success of the revolution”, a coalition of youth activists said in a statement. “There has to be continued pressure for the quick and effective realisation of the demands of the revolution,” it said.
“Oh Field Marshal, oh Field Marshal, we are staying in Tahrir”, read one of the banners directed at Tantawi, who served as defence minister in Mubarak’s administration from 1991 until he was ousted from the presidency.
The military has scheduled a parliamentary election for September. It has said a presidential election will be held in either October or November. Until then, the army will hold presidential powers.
At one point, eight young men in military uniform appeared on stage, calling for Tantawi’s removal. It was not possible to verify whether they were serving in the military.
“The people want the Field Marshal to fall,” one shouted over loudspeakers. Some in the crowd applauded and repeated the refrain.
Others declared them imposters seeking to create trouble between the army and the reform movement and urged them to get off the stage.
‘Enough collusion’
“We are calling on the Field Marshal to meet the demands of the people,” said Ibrahim Ahmed, a 20-year old student. “Enough collusion in not carrying out prosecutions,” he said.
The interim government installed by the military council has set up a committee to uncover corruption from Mubarak’s 30-year rule. The illicit gains panel is set to question Gamal Mubarak, the president’s son, next week.
“If Mubarak is not prosecuted, we will go to Sharm el-Sheikh”, read another banner held aloft by the protesters.
The military has said the 82-year-old president, himself a former military officer, is banned from leaving the country.
The campaign against Mubarak-era figures has resulted in the arrest of once untouchable figures including the former interior minister and other ministers who held economic portfolios and are accused of corruption.
Zakaria Azmi, a leading Mubarak aide, was the latest high-profile figure to be arrested. He was detained yesterday on accusations of illegal gains. Reformists questioned why it had taken so long.
“There is a feeling that the military council faces many restrictions,” Nafaa, the political science professor, said.
“The aim of the protest isn’t to criticise or revolt, but to express a sense of frustration because of the tardiness in bringing to trial those responsible for corruption,” he said.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Stripped, punched and whipped with flag poles: Full horror of Lara Logan's attack emerges
More details have emerged of Lara Logan's terrifying ordeal at the hands of a frenzied mob.
The 39-year-old foreign correspondent for CBS News show 60 Minutes was separated from her film crew in Cairo on February 11 and surrounded by as many as 200 men in Tahrir Square at the height of the anti-Mubarak demonstrations.
According to one source, reported in The Sunday Times newspaper, sensitive parts of her body were covered in red marks that were originally thought to have been bite marks.
After further examination they were revealed to be from aggressive pinching.
It has also been revealed that she was stripped, punched and slapped by the crowd, which was labelling her a spy and chanting 'Israeli' and 'Jew' as they beat her.
After further examination they were revealed to be from aggressive pinching.
It has also been revealed that she was stripped, punched and slapped by the crowd, which was labelling her a spy and chanting 'Israeli' and 'Jew' as they beat her.
CBS News was not revealing any more information about the incident, except to say that she was the victim of a 'brutal and sustained assault' at the hands of around 200 men who had been 'whipped into a frenzy' on the night Hosni Mubarak resigned from power.
Guards who had escorted her into the square were also badly beaten by the mob, with one suffering a broken hand, and it took women in the square and about 20 soldiers to finally rescue her from her attackers.
She was taken to the Four Seasons hotel, where she was treated and sedated by the hotel doctor.
Within hours of the attack she was was flown out of the country and spent five days in a New York hospital.
Witnesses say the mainly peaceful protests to end Mubarak's rule had taken a more violent turn after the Egyptian president announced his resignation.
The military presence controlling the amount of people entering Tahrir Square seemed to evaporate, and an angrier element had flowed in.
Miss Logan was attacked around 1am as she filmed in the square.
Egyptian state media had been publishing negative stories about foreign journalists, with many reports alleging that many Israeli spies were masquerading as news crews.
Days before her attack, Miss Logan had been held in Alexandria on suspicion of being foreign spies.
The 39-year-old foreign correspondent for CBS News show 60 Minutes was separated from her film crew in Cairo on February 11 and surrounded by as many as 200 men in Tahrir Square at the height of the anti-Mubarak demonstrations.
According to one source, reported in The Sunday Times newspaper, sensitive parts of her body were covered in red marks that were originally thought to have been bite marks.
Vow to return: Despite her ordeal, Miss Logan intends to return to work, as well as the Middle East
After further examination they were revealed to be from aggressive pinching.
It has also been revealed that she was stripped, punched and slapped by the crowd, which was labelling her a spy and chanting 'Israeli' and 'Jew' as they beat her.
After further examination they were revealed to be from aggressive pinching.
It has also been revealed that she was stripped, punched and slapped by the crowd, which was labelling her a spy and chanting 'Israeli' and 'Jew' as they beat her.
CBS News was not revealing any more information about the incident, except to say that she was the victim of a 'brutal and sustained assault' at the hands of around 200 men who had been 'whipped into a frenzy' on the night Hosni Mubarak resigned from power.
Guards who had escorted her into the square were also badly beaten by the mob, with one suffering a broken hand, and it took women in the square and about 20 soldiers to finally rescue her from her attackers.
She was taken to the Four Seasons hotel, where she was treated and sedated by the hotel doctor.
Within hours of the attack she was was flown out of the country and spent five days in a New York hospital.
Witnesses say the mainly peaceful protests to end Mubarak's rule had taken a more violent turn after the Egyptian president announced his resignation.
The military presence controlling the amount of people entering Tahrir Square seemed to evaporate, and an angrier element had flowed in.
Miss Logan was attacked around 1am as she filmed in the square.
Egyptian state media had been publishing negative stories about foreign journalists, with many reports alleging that many Israeli spies were masquerading as news crews.
Days before her attack, Miss Logan had been held in Alexandria on suspicion of being foreign spies.
Clashes continue in Yemen - Yemeni students protest in renamed 'Tahrir square'-President calls for talks as thousands stage sit-ins...
AP Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh is vowing to undertake political and constitutional reforms, in a bid to calm protests that have been shaking the country for more than ten days.
Britain’s Cameron first leader to visit new Egypt
British Prime Minister David Cameron today became the first foreign leader to visit Egypt since the downfall of Hosni Mubarak which electrified the Middle East and forced the West to rethink its policies in the region.
Cameron’s arrival came hot on the heels of a visit by William J. Burns, US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, who started a visit to Egypt in which he will meet with the army-led interim government as well as political groups.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is due to arrive in Egypt tomorrow to discuss the post-Mubarak era in which the army is running the country while setting up free elections to deliver civilian rule and democracy.
Uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia have spread like wildfire in the Arab world, threatening entrenched dynasties from Libya to Bahrain. The West has watched with alarm as long-time allies and foes came under threat, urging reform and restraint.
The Muslim Brotherhood, once banned and playing a growing role in the new Egypt, rejected a government reshuffle today, calling for a purge of the old guard Cabinet appointed by Mubarak.
“I think this is a great opportunity to talk to those currently running Egypt to make sure this really is a genuine transition from military rule to civilian rule,” the British prime minister (picture) said before arriving in Cairo.
A British official travelling with Cameron said he would meet members of the former opposition to Mubarak but not the Brotherhood, which is Egypt’s most organised political grouping and regarded with suspicion in the West.
In a bid to placate pro-democracy activists, the reshuffle late yesterday named several Mubarak opponents but disappointed those eager for a new line-up as key defence, foreign, justice, interior and finance portfolios were left unchanged.
Egypt’s new military rulers, who took over after an 18-day uprising ended 30 years of Mubarak’s iron rule, have said change in the constitution for elections in six months should be ready soon and hated emergency laws would be lifted before the polls.
But for many democracy advocates, who want a completely new Cabinet with no links to Mubarak’s corrupt and autocratic elite to govern the Arab world’s most populous nation, the military needs to put fresh faces in office.
“No one offered us any post and had they done so, we would have refused because we request what the public demands that this government quit as it is part of the former regime,” said Essam El-Erian, a senior member of the Brotherhood.
“We want a new technocratic government that has no connection with the old era,” he told Reuters.
The Brotherhood, which says it wants a democracy wih Islamic principles, is represented on a constitutional change committee, a council to protect the revolution and will register as soon as new rules allow.
Uncertainty remains over how much influence Egypt’s military will seek to exert in reshaping a ruling system which it has propped up for six decades, with diplomats saying it is vital to “create an open political space”.
Wary of a clampdown, the Brotherhood took a cautious line early in the protests but has slowly assumed a more prominent role. It still treads warily, saying it will not field a presidential candidate or seek a majority in parliament.
Any sign the army is reneging on its promises of democracy and civilian rule in this key US ally which has a peace treaty with Israel could reignite mass protests on the street.
Friday’s celebrations which marked a week since Mubarak’s overthrow served as a reminder to the military of people power.
The military today announced an amnesty for weapons stolen during the revolution and there were pockets of protests in and around Cairo over pay and conditions despite an order aimed at ending strikes and protests damaging the economy.
In moves to appease democracy advocates, authorities said yesterday they released 108 political prisoners and Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq on Monday ordered that streets be renamed to honour some of the 356 “martyrs” who died in the revolt.
But it is increasingly clear that demands for a complete Cabinet overhaul top many political activists’ agendas along with lifting emergency rule and freeing political prisoners.
Mubarak, 82, shuffled his Cabinet shortly after protests over corruption, poverty and repression erupted on January 25 in an attempt to assuage rage over his autocratic rule and to try and distance himself from his own regime.
Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, who leads the ruling military council that is running Egypt, has been defence minister for 20 years and, according to diplomats, had the job thrust upon him and wants to get back to running the military.
The latest reshuffle brought into the Cabinet some new faces including three from registered political parties, a staggering change in Egypt where just four weeks ago opposition groups were harried, fragmented and weakened by decades of oppression.
Yehia el-Gamal, a professor of law and a leader in activist Mohamed El Baradei’s coalition called the National Association for Change, was appointed deputy prime minister.
Mounir Abdel Nour, secretary-general of the Wafd party, a decades old liberal, nationalist party, became minister in charge of tourism, which has been badly damaged by the unrest with visitors reluctant to visit the pyramids and the Nile.
In other changes, the post of information minister was scrapped after the former minister, Anas el-Fekky, angered protesters with state media playing down or ignoring protests in Tahrir Square and elsewhere for much of the revolution.
Amr Hamzawy, a member of the so-called council of “Wise Men” which sought to mediate a resolution between Mubarak and the protesters during the uprising, became minister for youth.
On the foreign policy front, the new military rulers, in their first diplomatic test, have approved the passage of two Iranian naval vessels through the Suez Canal, causing concern in Israel. Canal officials said yesterday their passage had been delayed until Wednesday.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Protests continue in Middle East, North Africa
Violent protests continued to cloud several countries in the Middle East and North Africa on Friday, as nearly 30 bodies of protesters were found in Libya, three protesters were killed in Yemen and dozens wounded in Bahrain.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Is Mubarak in a coma? Rumours rife about health of ousted 82-year-old Egyptian president
Ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak's health has seriously deteriorated and he may even be in a coma, according to reports in the Arab media.
Rumours are rife about the medical condition of the 82-year-old former leader, who is said to have been treated for cancer before.
Egyptian newspaper Masry al-Youm has reported that Mubarak went into a coma on Saturday.
Sameh Shoukry, Egypt's ambassador to the U.S., added some substance to the rumours yesterday in a TV interview but refused to be drawn on the details
He has been holed up in the Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Sheikh since he gave his last speech as Egypt's president on Thursday last week.
Locals claim his guards have told them that he is currently bedbound and unable to walk unaided.
'Mubarak is very sick – they say he has cancer,' a teacher called Ahmed told the Telegraph.
Sameh Shoukry, Egypt's ambassador to the U.S., added some substance to the rumours yesterday but refused to be drawn on the details.
He told NBC's Today show that he 'might have received some communication at a personal level indicating that (Mubarak) is possibly in somewhat of bad health'.
But he was quick to add: 'I really don't have sufficient information so I wouldn't like to speculate (on Mubarak's health).'
The coma reports were denied by pro-government newspaper Al-Gomhuria, but it admitted Mr Mubarak was 'in a severe psychological condition and is declining treatment, despite his illness'.
The former president had his gall bladder removed in March 2010 at a German clinic and since then doubts have increased over his health.
After losing power last week the Swiss government announced that his assets had been frozen. His family is understood to have built up a £25billion fortune during his 30 years in power.
'I can confirm that Switzerland has frozen possible assets of the former Egyptian president with immediate effect,' spokesman Lars Knuchel said.
He added: 'As a result of this measure any assets are frozen for three years.'
Egypt Suez Canal told Iran warship passing scrapped
Egypt’s Suez Canal was informed that plans by two Iranian naval vessels to cross through the strategic waterway heading north to the Mediterranean had been cancelled, an official said today.
The Suez Canal Authority was “informed today about the cancellation of two scheduled trips of two Iranian warships and no new date was set to cross the Suez as part of the southern convoy coming from the Red Sea,” the canal official, who declined to be named, said.
The official, who identified the ships as the Alvand and Kharg, said the vessels were near the Saudi Red Sea port of Jeddah.
Shipping experts had earlier said the ships were the Alvand frigate and Kharg supply ship.
Earlier, a canal official said the Iranian warships, which Israel reported would cross the Suez Canal overnight, did not enter the canal with the daily convoy today that heads from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman had said two Iranian warships planned to sail through the canal en route to Syria overnight yesterday, describing it as a “provocation”.
The northbound ship convoy starts entering the canal from the Red Sea end at 6am (0400 GMT) daily, the Suez Canal website says. Ships head south from the Mediterranean at other times of the day.
“No Iranian warships ships crossed the Suez Canal today. The Suez Canal does not have any Iranian warship on its waiting list for tomorrow Friday,” said Ahmed El Manakhly, a member of the canal’s board who is responsible for shipping movement.
Another canal source said 26 ships, including one French warship, had entered in the morning northbound convoy but also said the convoy did not include Iranian warships.
Manakhly said warships of any country needed approval to pass from Egypt’s defence and foreign ministries.
Defence Minister Ehud Barak said Israel was tracking them and had alerted “friendly nations in the region” accordingly.
Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper described the two Iranian ships as an MK-5 frigate and a supply vessel, which would not present a significant danger to the Jewish state.
Syria is one of Israel’s neighbouring adversaries. It has an alliance with Iran which has deepened along with Tehran’s isolation from the West over its disputed nuclear programme, which the Jewish state sees as an existential threat.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported on January 26 that Iranian navy cadets were going on a year-long training mission into the Red Sea and through Suez to the Mediterranean.
The Suez Canal is a vital commercial and strategic waterway between Europe and the Middle East and Asia. It is also a major source of revenues for the Egyptian government.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Reporter Lara Logan leaves hospital six days after Cairo mob sex-attack
* Was set upon by mob of more than 200 in Tahrir Square
* 'Thugs yelled Jew, Jew at her' during attack
* Saved by group of women and 20 Egyptian soldiers
Former GMTV reporter Lara Logan will be released from hospital today as she vows to return to work 'within weeks' following an horrific sex assault in Egypt.
The mother-of-one was hospitalised after the 'sustained and brutal' assault on February 11 as she reported from Cairo on the resignation of President Mubarak.
She was surrounded by a mob of 200 men after becoming separated from her TV crew in Tahrir Square and had to be rescued by a group of women and up to 20 Egyptian soldiers.
According to U.S. website TMZ, Miss Logan is vowing to return to work and has told friends what happened to her in Egypt 'will not destroy her.'
A source told the website that the details of her assault are horrible - but that she is determined to go back to work within weeks.
According to the source, Miss Logan is 'unbelievably strong' and has been candidly discussing what happened.
'She is going to be OK,' added a friend.
The 39-year-old spoke of her safety fears just one day before she suffered a sex attack in Egypt, it also emerged today.
CBS issued a statement yesterday, saying: 'On the day Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak stepped down, CBS correspondent Lara Logan was covering the jubilation in Tahrir Square for a "60 Minutes" story when she and her team and their security were surrounded by a dangerous element amidst the celebration.
'It was a mob of more than 200 people whipped into frenzy. In the crush of the mob, she was separated from her crew.
'She was surrounded and suffered a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating before being saved by a group of women and an estimated 20 Egyptian soldiers.
'She reconnected with the CBS team, returned to her hotel and returned to the United States on the first flight the next morning. She is currently in the hospital recovering.'
Last night, on the 5pm CBS news bulletin, anchor Katie Couric - who herself had been 'manhandled' while reporting from Egypt - said: 'We’re pleased to report she’s recovering well in the hospital.
'Our thoughts and prayers are with her and, of course, we wish her the very best.'
The New York Post reported that a CBS source claims her attackers shouted 'Jew! Jew!' during the assault.
The attack comes just a week after Miss Logan and her crew were detained overnight in Cairo before being interrogated and deported back to New York.
She said she was marched at gunpoint back to her hotel in the Egyptian capital in ‘a very frightening experience and one that was repeated throughout the day for us.
'Everywhere we went we were approached by people,’ she said at the time. ‘We were accused of being more than journalists, very frightening suggestions were being made. Suggestions that really could be very dangerous for us,’ she added.
She and her crew were then deported to New York but were soon planning their return. She then gave an interview with Esquire.com where she spoke of her desire head back to the Middle Eastern country.
The newscaster said it was 'in her blood' to be covering the tumultuous events. The interview was published the day before she was attacked in Tahrir Square where this time Egyptian soldiers rescued her.
'We were not attacked by crazy people in Tahrir Square,' she told the website. 'We were detained by the Egyptian army.
'Arrested, detained, and interrogated. Blindfolded, handcuffed, taken at gunpoint, our driver beaten. It's the regime that arrested us.
'We were accused of being Israeli spies. We were accused of being agents. We were accused of everything.'
Yet despite the traumatic experience Ms Logan said she still felt compelled to return to the country.
She reiterated the sentiments on the Charlie Rose show last Monday saying: 'It's very hard for me to be away from this story,' she said. 'I feel, in one sense, like a failure professionally.
'I feel like I failed because I didn't deliver, and I take that responsibility very seriously.'
The South-African born veteran war correspondent was tipped at one time to be a presenter on GMTV before leaving to work for CBS in 2002.
She found herself at the centre of a row over sexism on the front line after ITV correspondent Julian Manyon wrote in a Spectator article about ‘the considerable physical charms of my travelling companion, the delectable Lara Logan, who exploits her God-given advantages with a skill that Mata Hari might envy'.
Ms Logan angrily hit back at the claim, saying good contacts and a devotion to her job were the reason she enjoyed such good access to Northern Alliance leaders in Afghanistan.
She was also featured in a front-page tabloid report claiming her skimpy tops were upsetting soldiers in the combat zone.
During her two years with GMTV, she covered floods in Mozambique and land invasions in Zimbabwe as well as the war in Afghanistan.
She has regularly filed reports from Afghanistan and Iraq for CBS over the last decade.
Ms Logan was previously married to professional basketball player Jason Siemon, whom she wed in 1998. The pair separated while she was in Iraq.
In 2007, about two years after her separation, she began a short-lived relationship with CNN correspondent Michael Ware, after she began dating Joseph Burkett.
She met Mr Burkett in Iraq, where he worked as a U.S. defence contractor.
Mr Burkett also has a daughter with his ex-wife Kimberly, to whom he was still legally married when he met Logan , although they had been separated for years.
Ms Logan became tabloid fodder in early 2008 when Kimberly overdosed on tranquilisers after her husband filed for divorce.
She recovered and her lawyer reportedly told a US publication that 'Kimberly believes Lara stole her husband.'
Ms Logan and Mr Burkett married in autumn 2008 and in December 2008 Logan gave birth to son Joseph Washington Burkett V.
Prior to Mubarak stepping down, the Egyptian military had been rounding up members of the press for their own safety after several were stabbed, punched, kicked, marched back to their hotel by gunpoint or hijacked in their cars.
Pro-Mubarak supporters had blamed the press for encouraging the uprising and publishing pro-democracy views.
CNN's star reporter Anderson Cooper was pulled out of Egypt ten days ago after he was physically assaulted.
Cooper described how he was 'roughed up by thugs' and hit in the back of the head in the pro-Mubarak crowd, calling it 'pandemonium' and 'out of control'.
ABC's Katie Couric and Christiane Amanpour were also physically attacked.
Miss Couric was said to have been manhandled in the city while Miss Amanpour's car was surrounded by rioters shouting they hated America, though she escaped unhurt.
A Greek photographer was stabbed in the leg, while the BBC's Jerome Boehm was also targeted by thugs.
Reuters said one of its television crews were beaten up close to Tahrir Square while filming a piece about shops and banks being forced to shut during the clashes.
Ms Logan delivering a report for GMTV on immigrants trying to get into England from France
* 'Thugs yelled Jew, Jew at her' during attack
* Saved by group of women and 20 Egyptian soldiers
Former GMTV reporter Lara Logan will be released from hospital today as she vows to return to work 'within weeks' following an horrific sex assault in Egypt.
The mother-of-one was hospitalised after the 'sustained and brutal' assault on February 11 as she reported from Cairo on the resignation of President Mubarak.
She was surrounded by a mob of 200 men after becoming separated from her TV crew in Tahrir Square and had to be rescued by a group of women and up to 20 Egyptian soldiers.
Ms Logan seen here in another image from Tahrir Square moments before she was assaulted. The image was only released yesterday. There is no suggestion any of the men pictured were responsible for the attack
Attack: CBS News correspondent Lara Logan pictured shortly before she was assaulted in Tahrir Square while she was reporting on the Egyptian protests. There is no suggestion any of the men pictured were involved in the attack
According to U.S. website TMZ, Miss Logan is vowing to return to work and has told friends what happened to her in Egypt 'will not destroy her.'
A source told the website that the details of her assault are horrible - but that she is determined to go back to work within weeks.
According to the source, Miss Logan is 'unbelievably strong' and has been candidly discussing what happened.
'She is going to be OK,' added a friend.
The 39-year-old spoke of her safety fears just one day before she suffered a sex attack in Egypt, it also emerged today.
CBS issued a statement yesterday, saying: 'On the day Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak stepped down, CBS correspondent Lara Logan was covering the jubilation in Tahrir Square for a "60 Minutes" story when she and her team and their security were surrounded by a dangerous element amidst the celebration.
'It was a mob of more than 200 people whipped into frenzy. In the crush of the mob, she was separated from her crew.
'She was surrounded and suffered a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating before being saved by a group of women and an estimated 20 Egyptian soldiers.
'She reconnected with the CBS team, returned to her hotel and returned to the United States on the first flight the next morning. She is currently in the hospital recovering.'
Last night, on the 5pm CBS news bulletin, anchor Katie Couric - who herself had been 'manhandled' while reporting from Egypt - said: 'We’re pleased to report she’s recovering well in the hospital.
'Our thoughts and prayers are with her and, of course, we wish her the very best.'
The New York Post reported that a CBS source claims her attackers shouted 'Jew! Jew!' during the assault.
The attack comes just a week after Miss Logan and her crew were detained overnight in Cairo before being interrogated and deported back to New York.
She said she was marched at gunpoint back to her hotel in the Egyptian capital in ‘a very frightening experience and one that was repeated throughout the day for us.
'Everywhere we went we were approached by people,’ she said at the time. ‘We were accused of being more than journalists, very frightening suggestions were being made. Suggestions that really could be very dangerous for us,’ she added.
She and her crew were then deported to New York but were soon planning their return. She then gave an interview with Esquire.com where she spoke of her desire head back to the Middle Eastern country.
The newscaster said it was 'in her blood' to be covering the tumultuous events. The interview was published the day before she was attacked in Tahrir Square where this time Egyptian soldiers rescued her.
'We were not attacked by crazy people in Tahrir Square,' she told the website. 'We were detained by the Egyptian army.
'Arrested, detained, and interrogated. Blindfolded, handcuffed, taken at gunpoint, our driver beaten. It's the regime that arrested us.
'We were accused of being Israeli spies. We were accused of being agents. We were accused of everything.'
Yet despite the traumatic experience Ms Logan said she still felt compelled to return to the country.
She reiterated the sentiments on the Charlie Rose show last Monday saying: 'It's very hard for me to be away from this story,' she said. 'I feel, in one sense, like a failure professionally.
'I feel like I failed because I didn't deliver, and I take that responsibility very seriously.'
The South-African born veteran war correspondent was tipped at one time to be a presenter on GMTV before leaving to work for CBS in 2002.
She found herself at the centre of a row over sexism on the front line after ITV correspondent Julian Manyon wrote in a Spectator article about ‘the considerable physical charms of my travelling companion, the delectable Lara Logan, who exploits her God-given advantages with a skill that Mata Hari might envy'.
Ms Logan angrily hit back at the claim, saying good contacts and a devotion to her job were the reason she enjoyed such good access to Northern Alliance leaders in Afghanistan.
She was also featured in a front-page tabloid report claiming her skimpy tops were upsetting soldiers in the combat zone.
During her two years with GMTV, she covered floods in Mozambique and land invasions in Zimbabwe as well as the war in Afghanistan.
She has regularly filed reports from Afghanistan and Iraq for CBS over the last decade.
Ms Logan was previously married to professional basketball player Jason Siemon, whom she wed in 1998. The pair separated while she was in Iraq.
In 2007, about two years after her separation, she began a short-lived relationship with CNN correspondent Michael Ware, after she began dating Joseph Burkett.
She met Mr Burkett in Iraq, where he worked as a U.S. defence contractor.
Mr Burkett also has a daughter with his ex-wife Kimberly, to whom he was still legally married when he met Logan , although they had been separated for years.
Ms Logan became tabloid fodder in early 2008 when Kimberly overdosed on tranquilisers after her husband filed for divorce.
She recovered and her lawyer reportedly told a US publication that 'Kimberly believes Lara stole her husband.'
Ms Logan and Mr Burkett married in autumn 2008 and in December 2008 Logan gave birth to son Joseph Washington Burkett V.
Prior to Mubarak stepping down, the Egyptian military had been rounding up members of the press for their own safety after several were stabbed, punched, kicked, marched back to their hotel by gunpoint or hijacked in their cars.
Pro-Mubarak supporters had blamed the press for encouraging the uprising and publishing pro-democracy views.
CNN's star reporter Anderson Cooper was pulled out of Egypt ten days ago after he was physically assaulted.
Cooper described how he was 'roughed up by thugs' and hit in the back of the head in the pro-Mubarak crowd, calling it 'pandemonium' and 'out of control'.
ABC's Katie Couric and Christiane Amanpour were also physically attacked.
Miss Couric was said to have been manhandled in the city while Miss Amanpour's car was surrounded by rioters shouting they hated America, though she escaped unhurt.
A Greek photographer was stabbed in the leg, while the BBC's Jerome Boehm was also targeted by thugs.
Reuters said one of its television crews were beaten up close to Tahrir Square while filming a piece about shops and banks being forced to shut during the clashes.
Mob: CNN's Anderson Cooper was filmed by his crew as they were attacked by pro-Mubarak supporters in Egypt. He left the country shortly afterwards. Last night he sent Miss Logan his best wishes via Twitter
Crowd: The scene in Tahrir Square minutes after the resignation of President Mubarak - and shortly before Miss Logan was attacked. She was saved by a group of women and 20 Egyptian soldiers
Ms Logan at Bagram air base when she was covering the conflict in Afghanistan for GMTV
Brave: Miss Logan reporting from South Africa in 2002 for British morning news programme GMTV. She has reported extensively from Iraq and Afghanistan and is now chief foreign correspondent for CBS News
Ms Logan, pictured when she was pregnant, with her husband Joseph Burkett, whom she met while they were both working in Iraq. Right, the former model, on her wedding day in 1998 to American-born basketball player, Jason Siemon. The pair separated while she was in Iraq covering the war there
Monday, February 14, 2011
Army asserts command as Egypt drifts back to work
Egypt’s generals are asserting their command over the country following the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak, preparing today to ban strikes and to warn they will act against “chaos and disorder”.
Having suspended the constitution and dissolved parliament yesterday, moves welcomed by those who saw both institutions as perverted to Mubarak’s personal ends, the armed forces council was planning, a military source said, to issue orders intended to stifle further disruption and get the country back to work.
Disgruntled employees are already pressing for better deals.
Free and fair elections would come, the army said, under a revised constitution — but it gave no timetable beyond saying that the military would be in charge “for a temporary period of six months or until the end of elections to the upper and lower houses of parliament, and presidential elections”.
Nor did it detail what civilian or other participation there would be in amending basic laws during the transition. The cabinet appointed by Mubarak last month will go on governing, submitting legislation to the army chiefs for approval.
Workers protest
Inspired by the success of the 18 days of popular protests that, with the blessing of the army, forced Mubarak to end his 30 years in power on Friday, workers across Egypt have begun to agitate for better deals.
Bank staff forced officials to make today an unscheduled bank holiday — running into a public holiday already set for tomorrow. And employees elsewhere took to the streets.
There have been reports of protests, sit-ins and strikes at, in the main, state-owned institutions. These include the stock exchange, textile companies, media organisations, steel companies, the postal service and railways, the police and the health ministry.
The workers cite an array of grievances. What unites them is a new sense of being able to speak out in the post-Mubarak era.
“Finally we have been encouraged to come out and speak,” said Hala Fawzi, a 34-year-old mother of two protesting yesterday outside the offices of the state-owned insurance company where she works for US$20 (RM61) a month. “We want equality,” she said.
The army, however, is keen to get Egypt working again. It will be aware of the turmoil still going on in Tunisia, where an uprising that unseated another ageing Arab autocrat last month provided the inspiration for Egyptians to take to the streets.
The army source said military authorities would issue an order today that would ban meetings by labour unions or professional syndicates, effectively forbidding strikes, and would tell all Egyptians to get back to work.
There will also be a warning from the military against those who create “chaos and disorder”, the source said, adding the army would, however, acknowledge the right to protest.
After three weeks of economic dislocation that has had tourists fleeing the pyramids and beaches, and trade and factories facing difficulties, millions of Egyptians are anxious to start earning again in order to survive.
Soldiers scuffled with protesters yesterday as the authorities let traffic flow through Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the focal point of the “revolution on the Nile”. Some of the protesters remain camped out, determined to see through their demands for civilian rule and a free, democratic system.
Jihad Laban, an accountant, said much work remained to make sure the revolution did not squander what it had gained.
“The goal was never just to get rid of Mubarak. The system is totally corrupt and we won’t go until we see some real reforms,” he said. “I am going to be buried in Tahrir. I am here for my children.”
Military manoeuvres
After six decades underpinning presidents who have all been drawn from its ranks, the army can still draw on deep reserves of public sympathy. That was enhanced by its refusal to join police in attacking demonstrators during the uprising.
However, leaders of the protest movement have warned that they stand ready to demonstrate in force if their demands are not met for a complete change from the old ways. A major “Victory March” is in the planning for this coming Friday.
“The two big questions now are who is going to be on the constitutional committee to redraft (the constitution), and are there any guarantees that what they come up with is then going to be deemed the way ahead,” said Rosemary Hollis, professor of Middle East Policy Studies at City University London.
Many opposition figures were pleased with the army’s first steps, however. “It is a victory for the revolution,” said Ayman Nour, who challenged Mubarak for the presidency in 2005 and was later jailed. “I think this will satisfy the protesters.”
They have demanded the release of political prisoners, the lifting of a state of emergency, the abolition of military courts, fair elections and a swift handover to civilian rule.
The army has said it would lift emergency law, used to stifle dissent under Mubarak, when “current circumstances end”. But it has not specified a timetable.
“There are still a lot of grey areas, but it is clear that these decisions are opening the door for an entirely new system to come to order,” said Hassan Abu Taleb of Cairo’s Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies.
Any transition to democracy will be fraught with difficulty and old ways of doing things may die hard in a country where the ruling party routinely rigged elections and candidates used bribery, hired thugs and dirty tricks to ensure victory.
Existing registered parties are mostly small, weak and fragmented. The Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, which under the now suspended constitution could not form a party, may be the best organised group, but its true popularity has yet to be tested.
Its strength worries some in the United States, a key backer of Mubarak, as well as in Israel, for which Mubarak’s Egypt was an important ally in an otherwise hostile Arab region.
On Saturday, the army said it would uphold Egypt’s international obligations. These include a peace treaty with Israel, whose defence minister has been in touch with his Egyptian counterpart, who heads the military council.
As the momentous events in Egypt continued to ripple across the region, demonstrators in Yemen, inspired by protests in Tunisia and Egypt, clashed with police blocking them from marching on Ali Abdullah Saleh’s presidential palace.
Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq said Mubarak was in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh and that the cabinet had not made any request to freeze the deposed president’s assets abroad.
A British minister said there should be an international approach to dealing with Mubarak’s overseas assets. Many believe he and his family may have billions of dollars worth of assets abroad, which Egyptians may in time try to retrieve.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Fireworks, carnival erupt at toppling of ‘Pharaoh’
Egyptians declared triumph over their “Pharoah” yesterday when President Hosni Mubarak stood down, and huge street parties took the place of the protests which had demanded his downfall for the past two weeks.
“We have brought down the regime, we have brought down the regime,” chanted the hundreds of thousands packed into Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the heart of protests that toppled Mubarak in a show of people power unprecedented in Egypt’s modern history.
They waved flags, cried, cheered, embraced and ululated when the news reached them through a public address system. Fireworks burst over Tahrir Square as Egyptians wept in joy and disbelief at a day some never thought would come.
“We have done something unprecedented in 7,000 years, we have brought down the Pharaoh. Egypt is free, it will never go back to what it was, we won’t let it,” said Tareq Saad, a 51-year-old carpenter in the square.
Egyptians from all walks of life, Muslims and Christians, liberals and Islamists, poured into central Cairo to join a street party that ran late into the night. Cars choked the streets, honking in celebration and flying the Egyptian flag.
The two weeks of protests have united the many Egyptians who have long harboured deep grievances against Mubarak, from young people who have never been to be able to find a job to activists who have faced political oppression and others who have suffered brutality at the hands of the police.
Many said they finally saw hope of a better future in a country which they feel has lost its place as the political, cultural and economic heart of the Arab world.
“Corruption and 30 years of injustice are over,” said Alaa al-Naggar, a 23-year-old. “I felt we had no value as humans. Now, Egyptians are proud of their country,” he said.
“The Egyptians got their dignity back. We did it, that’s what counts,” said Fatima Mahfouz, a psychologist. “It’s amazing, I am in disbelief,” said the 32-year old, one of many Egyptians who remember no president other than Mubarak.
“I am proud to be Egyptian, that’s the only way I can say it ... We are finally going to get a government we choose, perhaps we will finally get to have the better country we always dreamed of,” said Rasha Abu Omar, 29, a call centre worker.
“NIGHTMARE GONE”
Cars and music filled the streets of Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt’s second city. “Game Over!” and “Checkmate” read some of the banners in Tahrir Square.
The square, which takes its name from the Arabic word for “Liberation”, turned into a sea of red, white and black Egyptian flags. Some chanted: “God alone brought down Mubarak.” “I’m so happy with what happened to the Egyptian people,” said Tareq Ismail, an engineer. “God willing we will become the emerging African tiger, we will become one of the great nations,” he said.
“I’m one of the ones who helped take him down. I’ve been out here for 17 days. The future of Egypt is now in the hands of the people,” said singer Hani Sobhy, 31, celebrating in the square.
“We can’t believe it. This is the end of all the injustices,” said Mohammed Abu Bakr, 17, a student. Mubarak handed power to the army, ending his three decades at the helm of the Arab world’s largest nation.
Outside Egypt’s state television building, protesters shook hands with soldiers who had been stationed there to protect the building. Some jumped up on to their tanks.
“I can’t believe I am going to see another president in my lifetime!” said Sherif el-Husseiny, a 33-year old lawyer. “Nothing can ever stop the Egyptian people any more. It’s a new era for Egypt,” he said.
“This should have happened a week ago,” said Hassan Abdel Halim, a retired sports coach. “The only problem is that it’s now military rule. I would have liked a smooth transition through elections. Now it has to be military rule but hey, that’s what the people want,” he said,
Saad el Din Ahmed, a 65-year-old tailor, said: “I only have two words to say: ‘Nightmare gone!’.”
Army: Egypt to respect international treaties
Soldiers move razor wire at the frontline near Tahrir Square in Cairo February 12, 2011. Pro-democracy activists in Cairo’s Tahrir Square vowed today to stay there until the Higher Military Council now running Egypt after the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak accepts their agenda for democratic reform.
Egypt’s new military rulers said today the existing cabinet would stay until a new one was formed and the country would respect international treaties, a statement that will reassure Israel and the United States.
“The current government and governors undertake to manage affairs until the formation of a new government,” a senior army officer said in a statement delivered on state television, a day after President Hosni Mubarak stepped down.
“The Arab Republic of Egypt is committed to all regional and international obligations and treaties,” he said.
Egypt’s treaties include a 1979 peace accord with US ally Israel, which has been watching developments in Egypt with concern.
The army also announced that it would “look to guarantee the peaceful transition of power in the framework of a free, democratic system which allows an elected, civilian power to govern the country to build a democratic, free state”
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Egyptians stage big protest, dismiss power plan
Egyptians staged one of their biggest protests yet yesterday demanding President Hosni Mubarak step down now, their wrath undiminished by the vice president’s announcement of a plan to transfer power.
Protesters, many moved by a Google executive’s tearful account of his detention by security forces, poured into Cairo’s Tahrir Square to pack a space that can hold a quarter of a million people.
While the government refuses to budge on the demonstrators’ main demands, Vice President Omar Suleiman promised there would be no reprisals against the protesters for their three-week-old campaign to eject Mubarak, 82, after 30 years in office.
But they dismissed his promises, accusing the government of playing for time, and swore they would not give up until the current “half revolution” was complete.
By bringing at least as many people onto the streets as the last big demonstration last Friday, the protesters showed their movement has not lost momentum. The next big test will be whether as many people can be mobilised on Friday.
US Vice President Joe Biden also added pressure, pressing Suleiman for an orderly transition of power that is “prompt, meaningful, peaceful and legitimate,” the White House said, and calling for the immediate lifting of Egypt’s emergency law.
Freed Google executive Wael Ghonim addressed the cheering crowd.
“You are the heroes. I am not a hero, you are the heroes,” said Ghonim, who broke down as he described being blindfolded during 12 days of detention.
Ghonim has for now at least been thrust to the forefront of a protest movement that has yet to produce a leader. Activists say Ghonim was behind a Facebook group that helped to inspire the wave of protests. His interview also appears to have persuaded many Egyptians to side with the demonstrations.
“Ghonim’s tears have moved millions and turned around the views of those who supported (Mubarak) staying,” website Masrawy.com wrote two hours after the interview. In that short span, 70,000 people signed up to Facebook pages supporting him.
Later Ghonim expressed his sorrow for the victims of the violence that has claimed an estimated 300 lives.
“I saw young people dying and now the president has a responsibility to see what the people demand,” he told Reuters.
Google had launched a service to help Egyptians circumvent government restrictions on using the social network Twitter, enabling them to dial a telephone number and leave a voice mail that would then be sent on the online service.
The state news agency said 34 political prisoners had been released, the first to be set free since Mubarak promised reforms to quell the popular uprising.
The White House called on Egypt to release all arrested protesters and journalists immediately.
“The government has got to stop arresting protesters and journalists, harassment, beatings, detentions of reporters, of activists, of those involved in civil society,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said at a daily news briefing.
Meanwhile, comments by Suleiman who said Egypt was not ready for democracy were “unhelpful,” Gibbs said.
FIRST TIMERS
Protesters completely filled Tahrir Square for the third time since the demonstrations began on January 25.
“I came here for the first time today because this cabinet is a failure, Mubarak is still meeting the same ugly faces,” said Afaf Naged, 71, a former member of the board of directors of the state-owned National Bank of Egypt. “He can’t believe it is over. He is a very stubborn man,” she said.
Suleiman, a long-time intelligence chief, led talks this week with opposition groups including the Muslim Brotherhood -- Mubarak’s sworn enemies.
In comments broadcast on state television, he said: “A clear road map has been put in place with a set timetable to realize the peaceful and organized transfer of power.”
So far the government has conceded little ground in talks and Mubarak has promised only to stand down when his term expires in September.
Many in a country where about 40 percent of people live on less than US$2 (RM6) a day are desperate to return to work and normal life, even some of those wanting to oust Mubarak.
But some telecoms and steel workers were emboldened by the demonstrations and went on strike to demand better wages.
“HALF A REVOLUTION”
People on Tahrir Square were skeptical about the talks and suspicious of Mubarak’s motives. Youssef Hussein, a 52-year-old tourist driver from Aswan, held up a sign saying: “Dialogue prolongs the life of the regime and gives it the kiss of life. No dialogue until Mubarak leaves.”
“This dialogue is just on paper, it is just political maneuvering to gain time,” said Sayed Hagaz from the Nile Delta.
Ayman Farag, a Cairo lawyer, said the protesters’ work was far from complete. “What has happened so far is only half a revolution and I hope it will continue to the end,” he said.
Suleiman promised the harassment of protesters would end.
“The president emphasised that Egypt’s youth deserve the appreciation of the nation and issued a directive to prevent them being pursued, harassed or having their right to freedom of expression taken away,” he said.
Tuesday’s rally and another called for Friday are tests of the protesters’ ability to maintain pressure on Mubarak.
Opposition figures have reported little progress in the talks with the government. The official news agency said Mubarak issued a decree ordering the establishment of a committee to study and propose legal and constitutional amendments.
The Muslim Brotherhood, by far the best-organised opposition group, said on Monday it could quit negotiations if protesters’ demands were not met, including the immediate exit of Mubarak.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Over 200,000 in Egypt square call on Mubarak to go
More than 200,000 Egyptians poured into Tahrir Square in Cairo today hoping to gather a million people to bring an end to 30 years of President Hosni Mubarak’s authoritarian rule.
The army’s pledge yesterday not to use force against demonstrators emboldened Egyptians to push for the biggest shake-up of the political system since 1952, when army officers deposed King Farouk.
“Mubarak go away to Saudi or Bahrain” and “We don’t want you, we don’t want you”, chanted men, women and children in a sea of people that began gathering from the early hours.
The scenes in Tahrir, or Liberation Square, were in sharp contrast to Friday when police beat, exploded tear gas and sprayed water cannon on protesters.
There had been talk that the protesters, some shouting “Revolution, Revolution, until victory”, yesterday would march on the presidential palace but by midday with numbers still swelling, the crowd had not moved from the square, the focal point of the unrest.
Initially unorganised, the protests against Mubarak are gradually coalescing into a loose reformist movement encompassing many sections of Egyptian society. Young, unemployed mixed with members of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, the urban poor held hands in solidarity with doctors and teachers.
“We are calling for the overthrow of the regime,” said Ahmed Abdelmoneim, 25, a computer engineer. “We have one goal, and that is to remove Hosni, nothing else. Our politicians need to step in and form coalitions and committees to propose a new administration.”
Effigies of Mubarak, who like all his predecessors was a senior military officer, were strung up from traffic lights.
Absent Mubarak
Mubarak has not addressed the nation since Friday, when he sacked his cabinet. Yesterday, it was his newly appointed vice-president, Omar Suleiman, who announced a call for dialogue with all political forces. Protesters scent victory.
“The revolution won’t accept Omar Suleiman, even for a transitional period,” said Mohamed Saber, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. “We went a new democratic leader.”
Said Mahmoud Ali, 42, a civil servant: “We are very patient, we can stay here a long time . . . For the last 30 years this regime brought the worst out of the people. Now everyone is speaking out. Before, everyone was negative and passive.”
What will come after Mubarak if he steps down is not so clear. Egypt’s opposition has been fragmented and weakened under Mubarak. The Muslim Brotherhood has the biggest grassroots network with its health and other social charity projects.
The group, banned from politics under Mubarak, says it wants an Islamic, pluralistic and democratic state.
“Our country has many people capable of being president,” said Essam Kamel, 48, a lawyer, although he said he did not want Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, who has said he was ready to take on a role in the transition.
But Kamel added: “We are Muslims, but we don’t need an Islamic government.”
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