**UPDATED** Oddly enough, the union battle in Wisconsin, which has the added element of Pres. Obama and the DNC entering, adds a U.S. labor element to workers rising up from Tunisia to Egypt to Bahrain and even Libya. Col Muammar Gaddafi is the longest-serving leader in the Arab world. Protests are not allowed in Libya, [...]
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Arafat’s Ghost
From Foreign Policy’s Colum Lynch on “Turtle Bay”: The U.S. informed Arab governments Tuesday that it will support a U.N. Security Council statement reaffirming that the 15-nation body “does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity,” a move aimed at avoiding the prospect of having to veto a stronger Palestinian resolution calling the [...]
Nir Rosen No Longer Deserves his NYU Fellowship
UPDATE: Nir Rosen has submitted his resignation and the NYU Center of Law & Security has accepted it. Emphasis original. From Karen J. Greenberg, Executive Director, Center on Law and Security Nir Rosen is always provocative, but he crossed the line yesterday with his comments about Lara Logan. I am deeply distressed by what he [...]
The Egyptian Dawning
… 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. … – CBS News News that Lara Logan experienced a “sustained sexual assault and beating” [...]
Sect. Clinton’s Speech on Internet Freedom
**UPDATED** … In an awkward bit of timing, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is to deliver a major speech on Internet freedom in Washington on Tuesday just hours after Justice Department lawyers are scheduled to be in federal court a few miles away in the first public courtroom showdown over the probe into WikiLeaks and [...]
Pres. Obama: ‘I think history will end up… in the situation in Egypt we were on the right side of history.’
NBC’s Chuck Todd got under Pres. Obama’s skin when he asked “What was the point of the fiscal commission…?” Obama was visibly annoyed: “Still provides a framework for a conversation… You guys are pretty impatient.” “I definitely feel folks pain,” Obama said in response to tough budget cuts. “It’s frustrating.” On Egypt: “… I think [...]
Egyptian Revolution Inspired by Liberalism
“He gave me a lesson in democracy and said: ‘We see the democracy the United States spearheaded in Iran and with Hamas, in Gaza, and that’s the fate of the Middle East,’” Ben-Eliezer said. “‘They may be talking about democracy but they don’t know what they’re talking about and the result will be extremism and [...]
ARMY TAKES OVER – MUBARAK STEPS DOWN
The Supreme Council for the Armed Forces has taken power from the Egyptian President. The Pharaoh has been toppled. From Al Jazeera, who played such an essential role in this story. Watch it live, it’s really chilling. The lump in my throat is keeping back the tears. What an incredible moment for the Egyptian people, [...]
Lost in Translation, Mubarak Edition
**UPDATED** Egypt Ambassador to the U.S. Sameh Shoukray speaking on CNN says that Pres. Mubarak has no actual power and that “Suleiman is now the de-facto President of Egypt.” Mubarak has “delegated the authority of the presidency to the vice president,” according to Amb. Shoukray. He said this has been “verified to him that this [...]
Mubarak Digs In
**UPDATED** President Hosni Mubarak addressed an expectant Egypt on Thursday, saying that he had delegated his powers to his vice president, Omar Suleiman, but would not leave the country, according to NBC News translation. – MSNBC Pres. Mubarak redefined out of touch today in his speech to Egypt. Transferring some powers to V.P. Suleiman, Mubarak [...]
Mubarak Reportedly Handing Power to Suleiman, Admin Sources ‘Need to See it Happen’
**UPDATED** CNN and MSNBC are reporting that a “senior U.S. official” says Pres. Mubarak is about to hand over Egypt’s government to V.P. Omar Suleiman, solidifying yet another military dictatorship, this time under the C.I.A.’s man on rendition. C.I.A. Director Leon Panetta weighed into this news, saying it’s a “strong likelihood,” via a congressional hearing. [...]
Obama Gets Pwned by GOP on Econ Talking Points
It’s nothing but a snapshot in time, but it does tell a significant story. Even as the perception of Obama’s presidency takes a positive jump, mainly due to how he’s being covered by traditional and new media, Gallup’s numbers tell another story. This should once again teach Pres. Obama, the Blue Dogs and the rest [...]
Austerity Pushing Europe into Another Recesssion. Got it America?
Texan4Hillary offers his perspective as a movement progressive activist. Austerity is a loser. We all lose with it. The politicians lose with it. As the Right in America eye austerity and our conservative Dem President aims to make cuts in t he budget let us look to Europe. And hope America’s government wakes up. Economist [...]
Realpolitik Versus Egyptian Idealism
Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman warned Tuesday that “we can’t put up with” continued protests in Tahrir for a long time, saying the crisis must be ended as soon as possible in a sharply worded sign of increasing regime impatience with 16 days of mass demonstrations. — AP Realpolitik has prevailed so far, but Egyptians [...]
An Interruption for a Reality Update
Finding out Pres. Obama’s special envoy to Egypt, Frank Wisner, has economic conflicts is causing a flurry of understandable rhetorical indignation and all around sputtering. Mr. Wisner’s conflict of interest on Egypt and his Mubarak message doesn’t forward the theme of Pres. Obama’s “orderly transition” beginning now. However, given how the old guard has responded [...]
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