International Press Service: "Egypt Unplugged" Hot Links

EGYPT: Why the Army Won't Shoot Protesters Mohammed Omer CAIRO, Feb 2 - Khalid Ibrahim Al-Laisi has been a soldier in the Egyptian army for 20 years. Today, far from shooting protesters, he says the time has come "to revolt against oppression." MORE >>

U.S.-EGYPT: Obama Calls for Transition "Now" Jim Lobe* WASHINGTON, Feb 1 - Hours after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak vowed to stay in place until September's elections, the Barack Obama administration sent its strongest signal yet that the aging autocrat and one-time staunch U.S. ally must relinquish his hold on power sooner rather than later. MORE >>

EGYPT: Litany of Abuses Fuelled Protesters' Fury Jasmin Ramsey and Aprille Muscara WASHINGTON, Feb 1 - In Egypt, where protestors continued to demonstrate Tuesday for the eighth day in a row, the use of torture by law enforcement officials over the past two decades has contributed to the growing unrest, rights groups say. MORE >>

Does it Matter if the Torturer Is Right-Handed or Left-Handed? Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, Feb 1 - Jeanne Kirkpatrick, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, once made the highly-debatable distinction between "friendly" right-wing "authoritarian" regimes (which were mostly U.S. and Western allies) and "unfriendly" left-wing "totalitarian" dictatorships (which the U.S. abhorred). MORE >>

EGYPT: A Million Voices, One Message Cam McGrath CAIRO, Feb 1 - Organisers called it Egypt’s "million man march". Whether they achieved that targeted head count is unclear, but their message was unequivocal. MORE >>

EGYPT: A Revolution, Unplugged Aprille Muscara WASHINGTON, Feb 1 - Despite the Hosni Mubarak regime's attempts at muzzling communication and dissent, and the reportedly government- sanctioned shutdown of Egypt's last standing Internet service provider to individual users Monday, Egyptians are still managing to get their voices heard and mobilise - both through advanced technical workarounds and older, traditional technologies. MORE >>

EGYPT: Unrest Spreads to Sinai Mohammed Omer SINAI, Feb 1 - A Bedouin youth casually spreads out a piece of cloth before a police headquarters in Sheikh Zwayyed town in Sinai, the vast desert area to the east of Cairo across the Suez. "I will leave when Mubarak leaves," he says. MORE >>

U.S.-EGYPT: Obama Looking Beyond Mubarak Jim Lobe* WASHINGTON, Jan 31 - With new anti-government demonstrations expected in Cairo and other Egyptian cities Tuesday, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama appears to have concluded that the 29- year reign of President Hosni Mubarak is coming to an end. MORE >>

Torn Egypt Resigned to Sudan Split Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa Al-Omrani CAIRO, Jan 31 - Egypt, now itself torn by strife, has worked since 2005 to promote the unity of Sudan, Africa's largest country that is its neighbour to the south. But after overwhelming support for independence for southern Sudan, Egyptians are now preparing to accept partition. MORE >>

EGYPT: Endgame Approaches for Mubarak Cam McGrath CAIRO, Jan 29 - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak named a vice-president and agreed to form a new government, but protesters calling for Mubarak’s removal said that they would not let up until the 83-year-old "Pharaoh" stepped down. MORE >>

EGYPT-U.S.: Washington Struggles to Catch Up Jim Lobe and Ali Gharib WASHINGTON, Jan 28 - With tens of thousands of demonstrators still milling around the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities Friday night, the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama was struggling to come up with a policy response to an uprising that may be on the verge of ousting Washington's most important ally in the Arab world. MORE >>

EGYPT: Mubarak to Dissolve Govt in Wake of Mass Protests Emad Mekay and Ali Gharib CAIRO/NEW YORK , Jan 28 - After a day in which thousands of protesters called for his ouster and clashed with security forces, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced on state television after midnight Friday that he was dismantling the current government immediately and will announce a replacement cabinet on Saturday. MORE >>

Uncertain Fate for Egypt's U.S.-Supplied Weapons Systems Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, Jan 28 - Besieged Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, a former air force officer whose 30-year old authoritarian regime is under attack, presides over a country described as one of the major military powers in the region, ranking next to Israel and Turkey. MORE >>

EGYPT: Embattled Regime Cuts Internet Services Cam McGrath CAIRO, Jan 28 - Twitter was an early casualty. Then Facebook access became spotty. But when the Internet itself went down, Egyptian pro-democracy activists knew their protests were having an effect. MORE >>

EGYPT: Public Noose Tightens Around Mubarak Emad Mekay CAIRO, Jan 26 - Demonstrations calling for the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt continued for the second day in several Egyptian cities with police cracking down violently, a development that many analysts here say reflects the nervousness of the regime. MORE >>

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