US Sec of State Rice criticizes govt of US ally Egypt

[Ramo]

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.

I wasn't aware that being released from custody during a trial somehow negates being arrested. Of course, given how upright Egyptian police and courts are, I'm sure he'll get off fine.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by GePap




Hariri was assasinated ON FEBRUARY 14. 2005.

Oh, yes i did forget. thats why we had the whole Lebanon and the Iraq elections thing. There was ferment in Lebanon before the Hariri assasination I think?

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Ramo


I wasn't aware that being released from custody during a trial somehow negates being arrested.

In terms of being in custody it does. Usually dictatorships like to have their enemies in custody, not running around making speeches.

If he IS convicted, and kept off the ballot, and the admin does nothing, we will certainly have something to talk about. I wouldnt jump the gun though.

[GePap]

Originally posted by lord of the mark


Oh, yes i did forget. thats why we had the whole Lebanon and the Iraq elections thing. There was ferment in Lebanon before the Hariri assasination I think?

Not public.

After the Syrians forced Harari to let Lahoud get an extra term in October, he quit and went on the political offensive. That's why they killed him in February.

I seriously doubt the protestors in Egypt were glued to their seats because of a squabble between an ex-Syrian ally and his ex-patrons over how much power the patrons openly excercised.

[lord of the mark]

"The catchword for change is 'kifaya'
By Abdul Khaleq Abdullah | 09/03/2005 | Print this page


At last, the winds of change are blowing in the Arab world. The whiff of fresh air comes as a solace to the Arab peoples, following decades of political stagnation and popular subjugation to despotic regimes. The new phenomenon began with the kifaya movement in Egypt. Soon afterwards, it spread into Lebanon, where it picked up speed and uprooted the government of Omar Karami.

Now, what is kifaya? It is an Arabic word for enough. The message it conveys calls for democratisation and political reforms. Moreover, it is poised to spread into other parts in the region, where many nations are quite ripe to catch on.

Arab peoples have had enough of despotism and they have started to say enough to the practices of dictatorial regimes, whose human rights records are the worst all over the world.

Enough to the repressing governments, which have never listened to their subjects or allowed them the minimum sense of freedom, dignity or security.

Enough to the political systems with for-life rulers. Arab societies are not barren and can manage their destiny freely and democratically. These days, the Arab peoples are in a very bad mood and their collective conscience has established this popular "party" under the banner of kifaya.

Kifaya is the party of any citizen without a party. The membership is open to any Arab person concerned about the future of his or her nation. The only precondition for membership is to have enough courage and responsibility to say enough to repression, injustice, despotism, corruption and tutelage.

It is a platform for all those who believe in democratic reforms and reshaping the deformed policies that have blighted each individual country and the Arab world.

Kifaya is the only party which does not need official licensing because it is a reflection of the anger felt by suffocated Arab peoples. Patience can no more disguise their ever increasing anger.

Any Arab citizen who feels suffocated and willing to express his or her frustration in a peaceful way is automatically included within this party. Any Arab citizen whose anger has reached the point of no return is a founder member of kifaya.

Its constituencies are spread all over the Arab world and screaming enough to the grave injustice by Arab regimes. Arab peoples desperately need to have the rein over their destiny free from the despotism of their governments.

The place of birth was in Egypt, the bigger Arab nation. And despite its humble beginning, kifaya has represented the collective will of repressed masses in the country. Protestors chanted in one voice: "No to term extension for the president, No to the hereditary rule, No to the single party."

Power pyramid

Demonstrators said enough to presidential referendums without electoral competitors and with the predetermined result of 99.99 per cent "yes" vote. The moral authority of kifaya forced the Egyptian government to amend Article 76 of the Constitution ending the monopoly of power.

By allowing more than one candidate to run in the presidential elections, the amendment will at last put an end to the Pharaoh phenomenon in Egyptian political life. For the first time, the top of the power pyramid in the country will be open for communication with a marginalised public.

However, the bigger revolution triggered by kifaya logic has taken place in Lebanon where all the factions of political opposition rallied against the government after the brutal assassination of the former prime minister Rafik Hariri.

The Lebanese younger generation, who liberated their country from Israeli occupation, resolutely implement the kifaya logic today, saying enough to assassinations, secret police state, Syrian interference and government that does not represent an independent national will. Today, Lebanon which has taught us a lesson in national liberation sets a model for peaceful independence movement against internal and external repression.

Kifaya ousted the government in Lebanon and forced the Syrian regime to announce the withdrawal of its military and secret services from the country.

Kifaya is neither an Egyptian nor a Lebanese party. It is an Arab popular party. All the Arab peoples live the mood of kifaya rejecting puppet parliaments, appointed councils and the flagrant violations of human rights.

And the kifaya factor has recently shown up in the UAE, where many people have began to say enough to appointed national councils without any powers or women's representation which do not reflect the modernity and demographic facts among nationals.

The UAE 2020 Forum (organised by Al Bayan newspaper and the proceedings reported in the same) was one of the most important recent platforms where the kifaya mood prevailed. The Forum, attended by a group of reputable intellectuals, has set a new ceiling for national debate and political criticism.

Constitutional reform, democratic openness, political modernisation, demographic issue and stagnation at the federal level were the points raised at the Forum. While speakers praised the social and economic modernisation in the UAE, they all questioned the political stagnation regarding elections and women's participation.

The UAE which has adopted economic modernity and freedom of trade cannot afford to disregard political modernity and freedom of expression.

Kifaya is the dominant factor in the Arab world. Welcome to the new unannounced party of kifaya towards modernity and a better future for Arab peoples.

Dr Abdul Khaleq Abdullah is professor of political science at the UAE University, Al Ain.

[lord of the mark]

washington Post

"But across the region, political reformers are benefiting from the unifying forces of technology and mass media. Digital channels outside the control of states are carrying anything from a Kuwaiti woman's call for voting rights in her country to a Lebanese Christian's demands to drive Syrian troops out from his. The foot soldiers are Islamic political activists in some cases, Bob Dylan disciples, communists or Arab secular nationalists in others. Many are united only in their common desire for fair elections, free speech and political rights.

In his second inaugural address, President Bush said that "it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture." But many democracy advocates in the region are skeptical of U.S. intentions here, and truly free elections in such countries as Egypt and Saudi Arabia could usher in parties sharply at odds with the United States. At the same time, Bush's message has offered a measure of comfort to street activists, who believe that crackdowns will be harder to carry out now that the United States is watching.

A powerful influence on the region has been televised imagery of Georgia's street uprising, called the Rose Revolution, which resulted in the ousting of a president after a flawed election. Then came Ukraine's potent Orange Revolution, which also followed polling seen as rigged. These mass movements have helped inspire political strategies playing out today on the streets in Beirut and Bahrain.

The Iraq experience, by contrast, has had a mixed effect. Some democracy activists in the region have been inspired by the recent elections but remain concerned by the continuing violence there. In Egypt, outrage over the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and American policy toward the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians spurred some reformers to take to the streets to protest against President Hosni Mubarak, whom they view as a U.S. ally.

The Arab movements are, in many cases, increasingly tethered together by the work of U.S.-funded democracy programs, international anti-corruption groups and Arab satellite television. Seminars funded by groups such as Transparency International and the philanthropist George Soros have brought together novice parliamentarians, activist journalists and human rights advocates from Morocco to the Persian Gulf region.

In almost every case, they have faced off against a powerful yet unpopular autocrat, making the lessons learned in one place applicable in another.

"What we have benefited from enormously is that all the leaders of the Middle East were educated from the same book," said Francis, 38, who did some of his professional training in San Francisco. "They are so predictable, and the antidote is common for all of them."

[Ramo]

Demonstrators said enough to presidential referendums without electoral competitors and with the predetermined result of 99.99 per cent "yes" vote. The moral authority of kifaya forced the Egyptian government to amend Article 76 of the Constitution ending the monopoly of power.

By allowing more than one candidate to run in the presidential elections, the amendment will at last put an end to the Pharaoh phenomenon in Egyptian political life. For the first time, the top of the power pyramid in the country will be open for communication with a marginalised public.

This kind of rhetoric is quite ludicrous given that Kifaya themselves boycotted the referendum for the Amendment, and don't have the parliamentary influcence to be eligible to run in the new Presidential elections.