No Internet In Egypt

[~PalmTreeGurl~ 154]

Day 14 and still going. One thing I noticed is that the army isnt being as friendly as it was when they first came out. Adams cousin just went back to work and he lives in Cairo and is a Judge. When he gets up we will call his mom and sister and see how they are doing in Alex and Cairo since they been in their house for about 2 weeks.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Protest leaders and opposition figures met with Omar Suleiman - http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/20112764216497806.html

The government is giving a 15% raise to their employees, thinking they can buy their compliance

Copts held a mass in Tahrir, followed by an interfaith prayer for the martyrs of #Jan25

News broke that the Mubarak family is worth $70 BILLION, more than Bill Gates.

Youth leaders are being threatened and beaten up. According to AbuS, through his contacts in the 6 April movement, Asmaa Mahfouz was beaten, but I haven't found anything on it in english.

And, we are all anxiously awaiting confirmation of the supposed release of Wael Ghonim, who has been held by the government for more than a week.

[msheesha 548]

From the Wall Street Journal...

Google Executive Released by Egypt GovernmentArticle Comments Dispatch HOME PAGE By Keith Johnson

Google Inc. executive Wael Ghonim has been released from government custody in Egypt after going missing during massive protests Jan. 28, the U.S. State Department said Monday.

“We have indeed received confirmation of his release,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said.

Mr. Ghonim, Google’s marketing manager for the region and a father of two, has helped run social-networking sites critical of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s government and became a rallying symbol for the demonstrators demanding the resignation of the long-time president.

Mr. Ghonim’s brother Hazem said Sunday that members of the group who met with Mr. Mubarak’s vice president, Omar Suleiman, brokered his release.

Squeakster - any link on the info about Mubarak family wealth? I'd be interested in reading it, if it's you have it and can post it without inconvenience. Thanks.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Honestly, until I see a picture of him live on the street, I don't think I can believe it.

re: Mubarak wealth:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/04/hosni-mubarak-family-fortune

"The business ventures from his military and government service accumulated to his personal wealth," she told ABC news. "There was a lot of corruption in this regime and stifling of public resources for personal gain.

So, while the majority of Egyptians live on less than $2 a day, Mubarak used his position and authority to stockpile massive amounts of wealth. At least Bill Gates actually made something.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

Also, my fav NPR podcast did a piece on the Egyptian Military last week

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/02/07/133503696/the-friday-podcast-egypts-military-inc?ps=cprs

[~PalmTreeGurl~ 154]

Also, my fav NPR podcast did a piece on the Egyptian Military last week

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/02/07/133503696/the-friday-podcast-egypts-military-inc?ps=cprs

I have mixed feelings though about this. It seems that the military in Tahrir square is being harder on people. On the news and recent pictures from friends you dont really see them shaking hands or participating with the anti gov protesters.

[~PalmTreeGurl~ 154]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thecutline/20110207/ts_yblog_thecutline/egypt-media-watch-cooper-flies-home-google-exec-to-be-released

In other news, family members of Wael Ghonim, the Mideast Google executive who had been missing for 10 days, said he would be released by authorities Monday at 4 p.m.

[UmmSqueakster 54]

4 pm has come and gone in Egypt.

Tweeps who are in contact with Wael's family say that they deny that he has been released.

This is why Egypt needs a complete reboot of their legal system. We need a new constitution, and Law 162 of 1958 aka the Emergency Law needs to go the way of the dodo. A government should not be allowed to hold its citizens without charges, all the while denying that they're actually holding them. And, they should be allowed to indiscriminately kill them either without repercussions.

[~PalmTreeGurl~ 154]

4 pm has come and gone in Egypt.

Tweeps who are in contact with Wael's family say that they deny that he has been released.

This is why Egypt needs a complete reboot of their legal system. We need a new constitution, and Law 162 of 1958 aka the Emergency Law needs to go the way of the dodo. A government should not be allowed to hold its citizens without charges, all the while denying that they're actually holding them. And, they should be allowed to indiscriminately kill them either without repercussions.

Yes! Adam and my brother were just talking about this at lunch yesterday. Here you are innocent until proven guilty. Egyptians are guilty even when possibly innocent!

[msheesha 548]

I haven't finished reading this article yet, but wanted to share based on the first few paragraphs....

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/weekinreview/06held.html?_r=3&ref=weekinreview

[UmmSqueakster 54]

photographic proof, Wael is free!

http://twitpic.com/3xgz68

The NYTs, in particulare NIck Kristof, have written some great articles and op eds.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/opinion/06kristof.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/04/opinion/04kristof.html

AbuS has been putting together a history of the egyptian youth movement and the underlying causes. Part of that has been investigating the exposure of police corruption and abuse, including, but not limited to, police video of officers sodomizing prisoners with broom handles. Police abuse and corruption are unfortunately the rule, not the exception. I shudder to think what jailed protesters have experienced.

[FormerlyKnownAs 17]

That article breaks my heart. Thank you for sharing, though. The more we all are aware of the very sad reality, the better prepared and willing we will all be to help where we can.

[FormerlyKnownAs 17]

In the same vein:

http://english.aljazeera.net/video/middleeast/2011/02/201127160284430.html

[UmmSqueakster 54]

God, crying again at work while Wael Ghonim is being interviewed. This is why all the hand ringing about the MB upsets me to know end - it devalues the sacrifice of the youth of Egypt, those who were willing to risk imprisonment and even death to stand up to a dictator because they knew that he was wrong.

[Ban Hammer 13,427]

News broke that the Mubarak family is worth $70 BILLION, more than Bill Gates.

:blink: that's ridiculous!