Discussion: North Africa & Southwest Asia Regional Issues

[Shemtov]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110125...lYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA2VneXB0aWFuc3JhZw--

 

[wokattack]

interesting - especially the comments by US Foreign secretary Hillary Clinton. Doesn't seem like the US really want a regime change in Egypt.

hhmmmm - spoke too soon: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70P71O20110126

 

[Violet Lantern]

^They didn't change their mind on that. They're encouraging him to reform in order to prevent a violent revolution, I'm sure. A revolution in Egypt would only lead to very bad things, IMO.

 

[Kaleb]

seems they protesting in Yemen now too, if only the ppl of Zimbabwe would catch a wake up and protest there as well

 

[dudamundo]

Egypt as certainly been one of our best allies in the Middle East. US not in a great position no matter what they do on this one.

 

[Dr. Evil]

seems they protesting in Yemen now too, if only the ppl of Zimbabwe would catch a wake up and protest there as well

If that happens, Mugabe will probably seek asylum in your country.

 

[Violet Lantern]

A destabilized Egypt is NOT good news for the Israel/Palestine conflict, which in turn, is not good news for the whole region.

I'll say it again: a revolution in Egypt can only lead to bad things for U.S. interests in the region.

 

[Kaleb]

If that happens, Mugabe will probably seek asylum in your country.

Sadly you are proberbly right.

 

[Paradoxium]

http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/01/whats-happening-egypt-explained

Looks like somebody decided to shutoff the intarewbz.

 

[Matt Mortem]

Hmmm, I like idea of a people fighting for democracy and freedom and all that, but further unrest in the Middle East is bad news IMO.

 

[Violet Lantern]

^Yup. The Egyptian government being overthrown will lead to no good for the United States in the region, or for the Israel/Palestine conflict.

 

[Paroxysm]

I know the US is in a tough position strategically, but Obama's rhetoric about the two sides in Egypt being able to resolve their differences peacefully is as accurate as his rhetoric about the two sides in Congress being able to do the same

 

[Spidey-Bat]

I like how Obama called them "peaceful protesters."

 

[Scourge2099]

I like how Obama called them "peaceful protesters."

Yeah , peaceful protesters don't set fire to a police department or police cars.

 

[terry78]

Now they got tanks rolling onto the scene.

 

[enterthemadness]

Cleary they need a new govt. Some serious changes, people don't just riot for giggles. People seem fed up over there and no one can blame them. Granted, being VIOLET isn't way to go...

 

[Marx]

What a mess...

 

[Paroxysm]

It looks like the Chinese have blocked searches for "Egypt."

They don't want their people getting any silly ideas!

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2011/01/201112991712140318.html

 

[Kelly]

They totally screwed my stocks....the stock market lost all of its gains since the first of the year yesterday....

 

[Spidey-Bat]

http://ozarksfirst.com/fulltext?nxd_id=395286

(Cairo, Egypt) -- The museum in Cairo where the world's largest collection of Pharaoh-era antiquities are on display has been targeted by looters and protesters.

Some of the display cases were emptied of their priceless contents, and statues and porcelain figures were smashed into pieces.

Museum officials say two mummies were damaged by looters who gained access to the building from the rooftop. The museum is also home to most of the ancient King Tutankhamen collection.

Egyptians on the street had tried unsuccessfully to prevent protesters from getting inside.

The building is next to the headquarters for the National Democratic Party, which was set on fire by demonstrators.

(Copyright 2011 by VERTEXNews/Newsroom Solutions)

Peaceful protests my ass. These people are acting like animals with a complete disregard to their country's rich history.

 

[Kelly]

Yeah what they are doing to the museums is heartbreaking....

 

[Spidey-Bat]

I've seen the curator of the museum on some documentary specials. He must be in tears right now.

Here's another article with more details:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110129/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_egypt_protest_antiquities

LOOTERS RIP OFF 2 HEADS OF MUMMIES AT EGYPTIAN MUSEM

CAIRO – Would-be looters broke into Cairo's famed Egyptian Museum, ripping the heads off two mummies and damaging about 10 small artifacts before being caught and detained by army soldiers, Egypt's antiquities chief said Saturday.

Zahi Hawass said the vandals did not manage to steal any of the museum's antiquities, and that the prized collection was now safe and under military guard.

With mass anti-government protests still roiling the country and unleashing chaos on the streets, fears that looters could target other ancient treasures at sites across the country prompted the military to dispatch armored personnel carriers and troops to the Pyramids of Giza, the temple city of Luxor and other key archaeological monuments.

Hawass said now that the Egyptian Museum's collection is secure from thieves, the greatest threat to the collection inside is posed by the torched ruling party headquarters building next door.

"What scares me is that if this building is destroyed, it will fall over the museum," Hawass said as he watched fire trucks spray water on the still smoldering NDP headquarters.

The museum, which is home to the gold mask of King Tutankhamun that draws millions of tourists a year, also houses thousands of artifacts spanning the full sweep of Egypt's rich pharaonic history.

"It is the great repository of Egyptian art. It is the treasure chest, the finest sculptures and treasures from literally 4,000 years of history," said Thomas Campbell, the director of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art by telephone. "If it is damaged through looting or fire, it would be a loss to all humankind."

The museum is located near some of the most intense of the mass anti-government protests sweeping the capital, and Egyptian army commandoes secured the building and its grounds early Saturday morning.

Before the army arrived, young Egyptians — some armed with truncheons grabbed off the police — created a human chain at the museum's front gate to prevent looters from making off with any of its priceless artifacts.

"They managed to stop them," Hawass said. He added that the would-be looters only vandalized two mummies, ripping their heads off. They also cleared out the museum gift shop.

The prized King Tutankhamun exhibit had not been damaged and was safe, he said.

An Associated Press Television News crew that was allowed into the museum saw two vandalized mummies and at least 10 small artifacts that had been taken out of their glass cases and damaged.

Fears of looters have prompted authorities elsewhere to take precautions to secure antiquities at other sites.

The military closed the pyramids on the outskirts of Cairo to tourists, and armored personnel carriers could be seen outside the famed archaeological site.

Archaeologist Kent Weeks, who is in the southern temple town of Luxor, said that rumors that attacks were planned against monuments prompted authorities to erect barriers and guard Karnak Temple while tanks were positioned around Luxor's museum.

Sharon Herbert, director of the Kelsey Museum at the University of Michigan, which is home to a collection of Egyptian artifacts, said any looting or damage at Egypt's museums would be a tragedy.

"Anything can happen when crowds get out of control," Herbert said. "You're hard put to put any monetary price on these things. They're priceless. They're parts of the whole world heritage that can't be replaced."

 

[Kelly]

That makes me sick....

 

[Dr. Evil]

Egyptians in the United States also protest the Mubarak regime, but they do it peacefully:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110130/ts_alt_afp/egyptpoliticsunrestdemous

 

[terry78]

Not to make light, but it seems that no one over there has ever watched a movie focusing on what happens when you desecrate a mummy and its items.