US Sec of State Rice criticizes govt of US ally Egypt

[GePap]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


agreed. Those events, especially the massive anti-Syrian demos, led to the withdrawl of Syrian troops from Lebanon. Now who was emphasizing their importance, and who was trying to minimize it?

Hmm, no one.

I emphasized the importance of the Hizbullah march, which was then overshadowed by the following opposition march.

That variable memory again.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by GePap


Hmm, no one.

I emphasized the importance of the Hizbullah march, which was then overshadowed by the following opposition march.

That variable memory again.

and why was the march by an established and well organanized group important, other than to minimize the importance of the opposition group?

[lord of the mark]

More factw re Egypt, from Haaretz:


"Last update - 07:27 23/06/2005
Deal close on Egyptian troops' deployment along Rafah border

By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent

Israel and Egypt are close to agreeing on the deployment of 800 Egyptian policemen along the western side of the Philadelphi route on the Rafah border. On the other hand, it looks like Israel is retracting for now the idea of expanding the deployment to the border segment between Kerem Shalom in the north and Eilat in the south.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who had previously expressed support for the deployment of between 3,000 and 5,000 Egyptian policemen along the more southern segment, told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee this week that the deployment would be restricted at this point to 800 policemen across from Rafah. The Egyptian policemen, who are slated to deploy in the region close to the Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip, are meant to assist in combating weapons smuggling into the territories.

Deploying these policemen will speed up an Israeli decision on clearing the route of Israel Defense Forces troops, thereby making the Gaza pullout complete"

[lord of the mark]

"And thus, what's going on with the constitution? "

ask, and you shall receive:

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq's Sunni Arabs endorsed a list of 15 men Thursday to represent the minority on a Shiite-dominated committee drafting the new constitution.

The agreement removes the final obstacle hampering efforts to get the minority's representatives to sit on the committee, which has just until mid-August to draft a charter to guide Iraq in the post- Saddam Hussein era.

The list of 15 was approved by a group of 50 Sunni Arab religious, tribal and political leaders who met in Iraq's old parliament building in downtown Baghdad.

They and a single representative of Iraq's small Sabian community, will sit on a special committee that will be formed in tandem with an existing 55-member body exclusively made up of elected legislators.

"The atmosphere in the meeting was very cordial," said Abdul-Rahman al-Noami, one of the two Sunni Arab legislators on the 55-member committee. "We cannot satisfy everyone on the Sunni street but I can say that we have achieved about 90 percent of this and that's excellent."

[GePap]

That says nothing about the constitution, but instead about Sunni representation at the table when they move on about writing it.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by GePap
That says nothing about the constitution, but instead about Sunni representation at the table when they move on about writing it.

You asked "whats going on"

Whats going on has been the selection of the Sunni representatives. Which is now complete, apparently as of today. Friday is the muslim holy day, so I guess its Saturday at the earliest before the sessions begin.

[Ramo]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/28/AR2005062801274.html

So, the leader of al-Ghad, Nour, has been arrested on trumped on charges. Apparantly, he was the only person campaigning against Mubarak. Since the MB, Kifaya are barred from running by the election law, I don't see who's left (not that it makes much of a difference, given how absurdly fraudulent the referendum vote was).

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N28399306.htm

And the House tried to reduce military aid to Egypt, but the bill died pretty badly - 326 to 87.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Ramo

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/28/AR2005062801274.html

So, the leader of al-Ghad, Nour, has been arrested on trumped on charges. Apparantly, he was the only person campaigning against Mubarak. Since the MB, Kifaya are barred from running by the election law, I don't see who's left (not that it makes much of a difference, given how absurdly fraudulent the referendum vote was).

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N28399306.htm

And the House tried to reduce military aid to Egypt, but the bill died pretty badly - 326 to 87.

Youre a tad late. He was arrested. He was then released under pressure from Rice. Hes on trial, though not in govt custody. And hes dominating his trial, from what I hear.

from the WaPo article:
"Police jailed Nour for six weeks last winter while the forgery case was under investigation. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice canceled a visit to Cairo in response, but came to the capital last week and met with democracy activists, including Nour, who is free and who has been stumping for president."

I suggest all click the link and actually READ the WaPo piece.

[GePap]

Wow, he is out on bail.

Now can Rice make it so he is found innocent after a bunch of his supporters "confessed"?

They don't even have to jail him, just convict him and make it thus illegal for him to run.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by GePap
Wow, he is out on bail.

Now can Rice make it so he is found innocent after a bunch of his supporters "confessed"?

I dont know, why dont we wait and see what happens?

I will note the article says nothing like this has happened at a trial in Egypt before. It suggests ferment.

oh, and the article also has this

"Political protests have become common in Cairo during the past few months, with an increasing number of participants. Organizers include a variety of political and nongovernmental groups under the label Kifaya, or Enough. The Muslim Brotherhood, which Egyptians widely regard as the largest and best-organized opposition group, has also taken to the streets. On Tuesday, Brotherhood leaders called for joint demonstrations of all reform movements."

but our local mideast expert said

"Are you high on something?

A few hundred people march a couple of blocks, then go home, and all of a sudden this means change?

Jesus, H. Christ, you must be high.

But if your track record in Egypt turns out to be as sterling as your Iraq record, then Mubarak is nice and safe until he dies or retires."

[GePap]

those protest having startted long before Rice opened her mouth and based on internal realities and not US pressure.

You point in this thread is just how important Rice's comments were.

Those two things are different, or don;t you understand that?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by GePap
those protest having startted long before Rice opened her mouth and based on internal realities and not US pressure.

You point in this thread is just how important Rice's comments were.

Those two things are different, or don;t you understand that?

The OP was about Rice. A subsequent post was about a demo in Cairo. Which you lashed out at, claiming i was focusing on something trivial.

When exactly did the protests start GePap? Which month? Tell me, cause the WaPo didnt tell me, and you know SO MUCH.

And I never said that Rices comments were the dominating events in Egyptian politics.

[GePap]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


The OP was about Rice. A subsequent post was about a demo in Cairo. Which you lashed out at, claiming i was focusing on something trivial.

When exactly did the protests start GePap? Which month? Tell me, cause the WaPo didnt tell me, and you know SO MUCH.

Well, by the articles already posted: DECEMBER. Re-read them.

And I never said that Rices comments were the dominating events in Egyptian politics.

No, you didn't. You said they were important. I argue that given the overall position of the admin. they are not.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by GePap


Well, by the articles already posted: DECEMBER. Re-read them.
.

ah yes, December. Shortly after the demonstrations in Lebanon. But there COULDNT have been any outside influence on Egypt, it was PURELY internal. And OF COURSE the events in Lebanon had nothing to do with American policy, they were simply the result of the Harariri assasination, which itself was unrelated to pressure on Syria.

[GePap]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


ah yes, December. Shortly after the demonstrations in Lebanon. But there COULDNT have been any outside influence on Egypt, it was PURELY internal. And OF COURSE the events in Lebanon had nothing to do with American policy, they were simply the result of the Harariri assasination, which itself was unrelated to pressure on Syria.

Hariri was assasinated ON FEBRUARY 14. 2005.