Libya and the Arab revolt in perspective

This is a great article that brings the whole situation in Libya, North Africa and Arabian Peninsula into broader economic and political perspective. Highly recommended read.

Libya and the Arab revolt in perspective
Imperialism has nothing to offer the Middle East
 What is taking place across the Middle East and North Africa is the third great wave of revolts and revolutions against colonialism, neo-colonialism, and the regimes installed and sustained by imperialism. It is a reaffirmation that there is indeed an Arab Nation divided into many countries.

Mubarak Steps Down, The Fight Continues

Mubarak has revealed that he has stepped down and turned over control to his vice president Omar Suleiman. This stands as a victory for the Egyptian people that the corrupt dictator Mubarak has been forced to resign. However, Suleiman has been a long time ally of the United States and the CIA in particular. He's engaged in torture and the so call "extraordinary rendition" program where the United States turned over suspects to the Egyptian government for torture. Nevertheless, this remains a great victory for the Egyptian people.

In less than three weeks, they have gone from an open and brutal dictatorship to that dictator resigning. However, so long as the structure remains the same and the stooges of the American government remain in place, real democracy cannot be achieved. The Egyptian people have spoken decisively against the open dictatorship within their government and it seems likely that they will continue to speak out against the covert dictatorship continuing under Suleiman. We must not tire in our support for the Egyptian people.

Those of us in privileged countries must continue to follow events in the Middle East and not be distracted by con men like Suleiman who will continue to carry out the same policies as the dictatorship. We must continue to raise awareness about the on going struggle against dictatorship in the region. Finally, we must create a new movement to pressure First World government from withdrawing military support for dictators who wish to repress their own people.

This is a clear victory for the Egyptian people. Let us hope they have many more.

Who is Suleiman?

Suleiman: The CIA's man in Cairo

Suleiman, a friend to the US and reported torturer, has long been touted as a presidential successor.

from Al Jazeera.

As people in Egypt and around the world speculate about the fate of the Mubarak regime, one thing should be very clear: Omar Suleiman is not the man to bring democracy to the country. His hands are too dirty, and any 'stability' he might be imagined to bring to the country and the region comes at way too high a price. Hopefully, the Egyptians who are thronging the streets and demanding a new era of freedom will make his removal from power part of their demands, too.

BREAKING! Mubarak may abdicate today!

from Alternet

Update, 11:47am Eastern: Al Jazeera is now reporting on-air that President Mubarak will address the country this evening on state TV. The world eagerly awaits what he will say.

Updated: Multiple sources are reporting that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak could step down as soon as this evening.

The United States and the "excruciating" balancing act that it's been trying to perform on Egypt

This entry sheds some light on the massive economic ties that bind US monopoly-capitalism with Egypt's military State apparatus, as well as the diplomatic maneuvering the White House has had to do since the popular rebellion began on January 25th.

(brief excerpt from Simon Tisdall's column in The Guardian)
The Guardian's Simon Tisdall describes the "excruciating" balancing act that the US has been trying to perform on Egypt.

Caught off guard by the escalating unrest in Egypt, the Obama administration is desperate to avoid any public appearance of taking sides. But Washington's close, longstanding political and military ties to President Hosni Mubarak's regime, plus annual financial support worth about U$S1.5 billion, undermine its claims to neutrality.

While the US favours Egyptian political reform in theory, in practice it props up an authoritarian system for pragmatic reasons of national self-interest. It behaved in much the same way towards Saddam Hussein's regime in the 1980s, when Iraq was at war with Iran. A similar tacit bargain governs relations with Saudi Arabia. That's why, for many Egyptians, the US is part of the problem.
[end]

• America spreading democracy in Egypt:

Goodrich awarded U$S10 million contract for fighter aircraft from Egyptian Air Force
Goodrich has been awarded a $10.84 million contract for one DB110 reconnaissance pod system for use on the F-16C/D Block 50/52 fighter aircraft being purchased by the Egyptian Air Force. According to Goodrich, the DB-110 generates simultaneous high-resolution


L-3 Ocean Systems wins U$S24 million contract for detection of submarine threats from Egyptian Navy
L-3 Ocean Systems announced today that it has been awarded a $24 million firm fixed-price contract from the Egyptian Navy for its Low Frequency Active Towed Sonar (LFATS) system. LFATS is a long-range active/passive variable depth sonar used by surface ships


CAE was awarded a U$S21 million contract of C-130H weapons system to Egypt
CAE USA, Inc., Tampa, Fla., was awarded a $21,289,460 contract which will provide one C-130H weapons system trainer device, in the initial flight test ready operational flight for the Egyptian Air Force. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. AS


CAE awarded contract to build simulator for Egypt
CAE announced today it has won a United States Air Force contract to design and manufacture a C-130H full-mission simulator for the Egyptian Air Force. The contract was awarded to CAE USA under the United States foreign military sale (FMS) program. The value


Raytheon wins a contract for electronic warfare for F-16 from Egyptian Air Force
Raytheon Company's newest integrated electronic warfare suite "ACES" has been selected by the Egyptian Air Force to provide self-protection capabilities for its F-16 aircraft. The EAF recently agreed to purchase 20 Block 52 F-16 aircraft from prime contractor


Lockheed Martin wins U$S46 million contract for AH-64 Apache TADS/PNVS for Saudi Arabia, Egypt,and Netherlands
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Orlando, Fla., was awarded on April 9 a $46,242,947 contract. This contract is for the issuance of an undefined contract action for the purchase of AH-64 Apache modernized target acquisition designation sight/pilot night vision sensors systems;


Halter Marine wins U$S165 million contract for Egypt's fast missile craft
VT Halter Marine, Inc, Pascagoula, Miss., is being awarded a $165,361,305 contract for the detail, design, and construction of the fourth Egyptian Navy Fast Missile Craft under the Foreign Military Sales program. The effort will also include technical manuals


Lockheed Martin receives U$S213 million contract for 20 F-16s for Egypt
The U.S. government has awarded an initial $213 million to Lockheed Martin for long-lead tasks for the production of 20 new Advanced Block 52 F-16 aircraft for Egypt. "This is a great day for Lockheed Martin and a testament to the enduring partnership and com


USA to sell U$S240 million FMC to Egypt
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress Dec. 17 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Egypt of the Fast Missile Craft (FMC) program and associated parts, equipment, training and logistical support for a complete package worth approximately $240 million.


L-3 Communications awarded U$S25 million contract for naval by U.S.
L-3 Communications, Ocean Systems, Calif., is being awarded a $24,711,376firm-fixed-price contract for Low Frequency Active Towed Sonar (LFATS) for the Egyptian Navy (100 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The LFATS is a long-range active/passive variable-depth sonar.


USA likely to sell U$S51 million HELLFIRE II missiles to Egypt
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress today of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Egypt of 450 AGM-114K3A HELLFIRE II missiles and associated parts, equipment, training and logistical support for a complete package worth approximately $51,000,000


Cubic Defense to provide P5 air combat training system to Egyptian Air Force
Cubic Defense Applications, Inc., the defense systems business of Cubic Corporation, is supplying its latest-generation air combat training system to the Egyptian Air Force. Cubic and principal subcontractor DRS Technologies, Inc. will provide the new "rangeless" P5 Combat Training System (P5CTS) to Egypt under an $8.5 million contract.


US plans U$S3.2 Billion sale of 24 F-16 Block 50/52s Fighters to Egypt
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress today of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Egypt of 24 F-16C/D Block 50/52 Aircraft and associated parts weapons and equipment, as well as other Non-MDE equipment and construction services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $3.2 Billion.

source: 
http://www.defenseworld.net/go/searchresults.jsp?st=Foreign%20Military%20Sales%20Egypt

Washington Faces the Arab Revolts: Sacrificing Dictators to Save the State

from James Petras' website here.

The major obstacle to ousting Mubarak is that a major sector of the state apparatus, especially the 325,000 Central Security Forces and the 60,000 National Guard are directly under the Interior Ministry and Mubarak. Secondly, top Generals in the Army (468,500 members) have buttressed Mubarak for 30 years and have been enriched by their control over very lucrative companies in a wide range of fields. They will not support any civilian ‘coalition’ that calls into question their economic privileges and power to set the political parameters of any electoral system. The supreme commander of the Egyptian military is a longtime client of the US and a willing collaborator with Israel.

This is a good analysis of U.S. Imperialism in relation to the situation in Egypt. The U.S. has a long standing history of propping up dictatorships in the world from Chile with Pinochet to Indonesia with Suharto. When the media talks about U.S. Interest being threatened and the need to look out for it, what they mean is the economic interest of the capitalist class and not the interest of the people.

Suez Canal Workers go on Strike!

from here.

Suez Canal Company workers from the cities of Suez, Port Said, and Ismailia began an open-ended sit in today. Disruptions to shipping movements, as well as disasterous econmic losses, are expected if the strike continues. Over 6000 protesters have agreed that they will not go home today once their shift is over and will continue their sit-in in front of the company's headquarters until their demands are met. They are protesting against poor wages and deteriorating health and working conditions.

The importance of this announcement cannot go unnoticed. The Suez Canal remains one of the largest trade routes in the world. We can see 'American interest' clear as day being threatened by working class power. Solidarity with the workers. Solidarity with the Egyptian peoples.

Girl leading chants!

Al Jazeera live feed

This is a link to live updates on the situation in Egypt.

http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/

Tariq Ramadan and Slavoj Zizek discusses why the struggle against tyranny is a universal struggle, as well as giving some commentary against the more racist views of the Arab world. We should realize that the mass movements are guided by more secular views that strive for independence than the Western induced fears of radical Islam. Be wary of those who are quick to characterize the struggle as a fundamentalist religious one and moreover that if the Egyptian people don't have a dictator that somehow it will be worst for them.

Diplomatic Car runs over 20 people

Mubarak One Step Closer to the Edge

If one has been following the situation in Egypt, then it's clear the protesters have focused clearly on forcing Mubarak to step down. Initially, the West simply called for "serious reforms" and "expanding democracy." Mubarak has stated he would move forward making "serious reforms." However, both the West and Mubarak have avoided mentioning him actually step down. The fact that Mubarak has changed his position from an unequivocal position of holding power to his new position that he will no longer run indicates the huge pressure he's facing from the Egyptian people. This is a huge step.

Mubarak is running scared. The more pressure the protesters put on the government, then the more likely both the government will crumble and another puppet government will not arise. It seems like a matter of time until the government falls. We must begin asking ourselves, "What will the new government look like?"

Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, has said that he would not run for re-election – but refused to step down from office, the central demand of millions of protesters who have demonstrated across Egypt over the last week.

Al Jazeera: Mubarak not to run for another term

A tale of two protests

This opinions article does a good job of pointing out the double standard of U.S. attitudes towards different countries when they have similar situations of civil unrest.

from Al Jazeera

A tale of two protests
The subdued US reaction to events in Egypt sits in sharp contrast to its previous support for Iranian protesters.
Mohammed Khan Last Modified: 01 Feb 2011 09:39 GMT

Is the US hearing the Egyptian call for freedom? [GALLO/GETTY]

Cast your minds back to June 2009 and the aftermath of Iran's disputed presidential elections. Months of unrest following the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and severe crackdowns meted out by the state security apparatus captured the airwaves not only in the Middle East but across the globe.

International news organisations devoted considerable time and energy to Iran's supposed "Green Revolution". Western governments, already ramping up pressure on the Iranian leadership over the latter's controversial nuclear programme, piped in with further vitriol against the Islamic Republic, condemning the leadership for its suppression of protesters.

Here is what the US president said back then: "I strongly condemn these unjust actions [by the Iranian state]" against the protesters. The US and the entire world are "appalled and outraged" by Iran's efforts to crush the opposition. While denying that the US was seeking to interfere in Iran's domestic affairs, Barack Obama added: "But we must also bear witness to the courage and dignity of the Iranian people, and to a remarkable opening within Iranian society."

The Iranian authorities responded by attempting to stop those channels of communication that best captured modern protests: Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter were targeted for closure.

What did the American authorities do in return? They pressed Twitter to continue providing services in Iran by abandoning a scheduled maintenance shutdown in order to aid the demonstrators. According to a state department official at the time: "One of the areas where people are able to get out the word is through Twitter. They [Twitter] announced they were going to shut down their system for maintenance and we asked them not to." So far so good.

The US government relentlessly pursued the "rights" of Iranians to protest peacefully and without intimidation and continued to castigate the Iranian authorities for the mass round up and ill treatment of demonstrators.

Such was the vehemence with which the US made its feelings known, that the Iranian leadership in turn accused the Americans of instigating the protests in an effort to topple the regime. With over 30 years of bad blood between the two countries, there was little surprise that the instability unleashed in post-election Iran provided a convenient opportunity for the US to unsettle Iran's rulers.

Selective hearing?

Now fast-forward by less than two years to the present. On January 25, 2011 mass demonstrations broke out in Cairo against a despotic regime which has been politically suffocating a population of some 80 million people for almost 30 years.

Having lived under emergency rule since 1981, the people of Egypt finally rallied for liberty, and in the process braved the worst excesses of a police state. On that day alone, around 860 protestors were hounded by the much-feared secret police, arrested and beaten. Another three were killed. A number of foreign journalists also felt the full force of Egyptian "law".

The popular revolution train which many "freedom-loving" nations across the world had so keenly anticipated had finally arrived in Egypt. So you would expect the "leader of the free world", the US, to welcome the cry for freedom in Egypt, right? Well, not quite.

After berating the Iranian government for its heavy-handedness against civilians, senior US officials entered the Egyptian fray with a completely different attitude.

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, offered a particular gem of advice to Egyptians, which inevitably had the effect of rubbing salt in the protesters' wounds. While urging "all parties" to "exercise restraint" (why the actions of the demonstrators were equated to those of the security forces is anyone's guess), Clinton added the following caveat: "Our assessment is that the Egyptian government is stable and is looking for ways to respond to the legitimate needs and interests of the Egyptian people."

Two days later, as the demonstrations showed little sign of ebbing, Clinton's kid-gloves handling of the Egyptian government similarly showed little signs of wavering. This time, she said, the Egyptian government was facing "an important opportunity to implement political, economic and social reforms that respond to legitimate needs and interests of the Egyptian people". Many an Arab dictator must similarly be relishing the "important opportunities" ahead to implement change!

As for the need to keep open all communications channels for protesters, reports quickly surfaced that the Egyptian authorities were blocking access to Facebook and Twitter. "We urge the Egyptian authorities not to prevent peaceful protests or block communications including on social media sites," Clinton retorted. The generous "urge" was unlikely to be heeded.

As the determination of the Egyptian protesters stiffened and the country witnessed an unprecedented bout of "people power" - despite the repression thrust upon them by Mubarak's ill-disciplined police units - the US found itself increasingly walking a shaky tightrope. With phone conversations between US and Egyptian officials accelerating, Mubarak was now being "urged" to take "concrete steps" for reform.

After five days of unrelenting protests, and sensing that the Egyptian masses were not buying into the US' expression of concern, American officials finally dropped what to Mubarak would have sounded like a bombshell: "We want to see an orderly transition so that no-one fills a void, that there not be a void, that there be a well thought-out plan that will bring about a democratic participatory government," Clinton announced.

An "orderly transition" can mean a myriad of things but Clinton was careful to balance her words with a warning against moving to a new government where "oppression" could take root, a not too subtle attempt to taint Egypt's most popular movement, the Muslim Brotherhood.

Policy by ideology

US policy in the Middle East is naturally driven by ideology and self-interest. It is a policy built on defining allies and foes. Those that have traditionally demonstrated antipathy to US pursuits in the region have been deemed outcasts and vilified whilst those who have acquiesced, to the point of subservience, are flushed with cash and platitudes. The examples of Iran and Egypt are striking in this regard.

Since the Iranian revolution in 1979, relations between the Islamic Republic and the US have been practically non-existent. Given that the revolution itself was fervently anti-American with Iran ridding itself of US influence, the bitterness that ensued is self-evident. Little in the way of compromise has been reached since the early days of the revolution and any rapprochement (however limited) has been met with suspicion and half-heartedness.

That the US blames Iran for a plethora of the Middle East region's problems and Iran continues to harbour deep distrust of the "Great Satan" is unlikely to change anytime soon. So despite Iran having a political system which arguably allows for real popular representation (the country's presidency has changed hands six times since 1979, mostly through elections - and no that does not mean that it is liberal democratic) the US is transfixed on finding the smallest fault with Iran and badgering the country into submission.

Some distance west of Iran sits the Arab world's most populous nation, Egypt. Since the ascension of Hosni Mubarak as president in 1981, the country has been ruled by an iron fist. Not only does Mubarak not tolerate dissent but his regime has imprisoned opponents with such audacity that his antics make Iran look moderate.

Having sat on the presidential throne for almost three decades, Mubarak is showing little inclination to renounce his position or to loosen his grip. Prior to the latest civil unrest, the Mubarak clan was gearing up to the potential elevation of the president's son, Gamal, as the next ruler.

The severe clampdown on street protesters has brought to the fore the depth of repression which the Mubarak regime has unleashed over many years. Given the disgust with which the president is held in the country, you would think that the global forces of "liberation" would be rallying to the Egyptian people's cry for help. How wrong, again.

Egypt is the second largest recipient of US military and economic aid (after Israel) in the world, to the tune of some $1.5bn annually. It is the standard-bearer of the "moderate" Middle East camp, as defined by the US. It is only one of two (Jordan being the other) major Arab countries to have signed a peace deal with Israel. It is enforcing the isolation of the Palestinian Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip. It is vehemently opposed to Iran. It does not tolerate Islamic movements and the regime is seen as a bulwark against "Islamism," notably by suppressing the Muslim Brotherhood. It is a haven for foreign investment and liberal economic policies. All in all, Egypt's authoritarian leadership is befitting of US policy in the region and therefore Egypt's interests are the US' interests.

That the regime can willy-nilly abuse and silence its population is of little concern. Now that the public have spoken, we are told this presents an "important opportunity" for Mubarak to implement reform; reform that has been lacking for decades.

What will happen next in Egypt is uncertain. The street protesters are refusing to be silenced and their brazenness in the face of a well equipped security force is admirable.

The people of Iran will most likely be following events as they unfold in Egypt with keen interest, whether on their satellite receivers or through Facebook and Twitter.

As for the Egyptian people, time will tell whether they will break the shackles of despotism. One thing that is becoming clear to them, however, is this: The US government is proving to be no friend of theirs.

Mohammed Khan is a political analyst based in the UAE.

The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial policy.

A Brief History of Tunisia

The events unfolding in Tunisia have captured the attention of the world. However, many people, myself included, knew very little about Tunisia when these riots began. I've attempted to put together a brief history of Tunisia to help provide the context.

Tunisia has a long history stretching back to antiquity, but the real history of these events begins with the French occupation. The Ottoman Empire controlled Tunisia at the start of the 18^th Century. The Ottoman Empire had decayed significantly such that Tunisia had relative freedom to pursue most of their desired policies. Yet, the collapse of the Ottoman Empire opened up its former territory to the European powers. At the Congress of Berlin, the European powers carved up the Ottoman Empire and they decided that France should receive Tunisia. France used the pretext of a small tribal raid into Algeria as a pretext for invading Tunisia. Soon enough, Tunisia fell under French control.

The French left the structure of the Tunisian government intact, but decisively took control. The Tunisian leader known as the Bey retained nominal control, but the French demanded that the Bey help neutralize those who might resist by bringing them into the government. They used Tunisians to collect taxes, police the people, and enforce military rule. In this way, the French could appear to keep their hands clean by forcing the Tunisians do the dirty work. However, the Tunisians had little real say in their political or economic life. This situation continued until after World War II.

World War II significantly weakened the French and they soon had to deal with the Tunisian independence movement. Initially, the independence movement lead by Habib Bourguiba only demanded a gradual move towards independence. Yet, he hardened his stance to armed resistance when the French refused to support even gradual independence. The struggle ultimately succeeded and on March 20 1956, Tunisia followed other French territories and gained independence with Bourguiba acting as president. Nevertheless, very little changed for the Tunisian people despite independence.

Bourguiba maintained most of the policies found under the French. He ostensibly supported democracy, but in fact banned the organization of opposition and human rights groups. He even had himself declared president for life. He continued to run the country without any real elections. It was not democracy, but Zine El Abidine Ben Ali who removed Bourguiba's by having his doctors declare him incompetent. At which time, the European favored Ben Ali took power.

Ben Ali continued business as usual. Despite a few social reforms, he denied the people freedom to organize, freedom of speech, and any meaningful elections. He continued to align himself with Western powers and helped the United States with its “War on Terror.” For his actions, the West continued to look the other way or to make vague demands for “reform.” The wealth gained by Tunisia remained firmly in the hands of the rich and the connected as the Tunisian people suffered. This left the perfect conditions for an uprising. All it needed was a spark.

The spark came in the form of Mohamed Bouazizi. Bouazizi worked as a street vendor selling produce and faced regular harassment from the corrupt police. On December 17, Bouazizi was again harassed by police through physical attacks and the theft of his produce. He demanded satisfaction from the governors office where they refused to hear him and threw him out. In protest, he set himself on fire and later died from those wounds. Protesters carried out a peaceful protest which was met by police brutality and repression. This only fanned the flames and soon riots broke out all across Tunisia. Ben Ali dissolved the government on January 14^th with the promise of new elections, but he was forced to resign at four PM the same day. By that evening he had fled the country.

Ben Ali shares overwhelming similarities to the corrupt Bey's before him. He served as little more than a tool for foreign powers to keep the people in check. However, the Tunisian people have risen up and have demanded democracy rather than business as usual and thus have captured the imagination of the world.

Middle East Solidarity

Middle East Solidarity is a new organization existing to express solidarity with those workers and students struggling in the Middle East to bring democracy to a region that has long suffered under corruption, oppression, and imperialism. We hope you'll join us as we attempt to document these events as they unfold and work with people on your campuses, in your churches, at your work place, and in your community to build awareness and solidarity with these movements.

The new wave of resistance to the old regimes in the Middle East is a once in a life time and event and we ask you to join us in Middle East Solidarity.