Joe Biden says Egypt's Mubarak no dictator

[Cheetah786]

Arabs will topple tyrants

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) - The leader of Jordan's powerful Muslim Brotherhood warned Saturday that unrest in Egypt will spread across the Mideast and Arabs will topple leaders allied with the United States.

Hammam Saeed's comments were made at a protest outside the Egyptian Embassy in Amman, inspired by massive rallies in neighboring Egypt demanding the downfall of the country's longtime president, Hosni Mubarak.

About 100 members of the fundamentalist group and activists from other leftist organizations and trade unions chanted "Mubarak, step down" and "the decision is made, the people's revolt will remain."

Elsewhere, a separate group of 300 protesters gathered in front of the office of Jordanian Prime Minister Samir Rifai, demanding his ouster. "Rifai, it's time for you to go," chanted the group.

Jordan's protests have been relatively small in size, but they underline a rising tension with Jordan's King Abdullah II, a key U.S. ally who has been making promises of reform in recent days in an apparent attempt to quell domestic discontent over economic degradation and lack of political freedoms.

But as a monarch with deep support from the Bedouin-dominated military, Jordan's ruler is not seen as vulnerable as Mubarak or Tunisia's deposed leader. Even the Brotherhood - a fiery critic of Jordan's moderate government - has remained largely loyal to the king, who claims ancestry to Islam's Prophet Muhammad.

Many believe it's unlikely King Abdullah will bow to demands for popular election of the prime minister and Cabinet officials, traditionally appointed by the king.

Saeed said Arabs have grown disgruntled with U.S. domination of their oil wealth, military occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and its support for "totalitarian" leaders in the region.

"The Americans and (President Barack) Obama must be losing sleep over the popular revolt in Egypt," he said. "Now, Obama must understand that the people have woken up and are ready to unseat the tyrant leaders who remained in power because of U.S. backing."

Saeed did not specifically name King Abdullah. But he said Jordan's prime minister "must draw lessons from Tunisia and Egypt and must swiftly implement political reforms."

"We tell the Americans 'enough is enough'," he said.

Rifai has in the last two weeks announced a $550 million package of new subsidies for fuel and staple products like rice, sugar, livestock and liquefied gas used for heating and cooking. It includes a raise for civil servants and security personnel.

Still, Jordan's economy struggles, weighed down by a record deficit of $2 billion this year, rising inflation and rampant unemployment and poverty.

 

[somebozo]

Yes enough is enough..down with the corrupt puppets!

 

[Patriot]

It's amazing that they support tin pot dictators at the same time they criticize China for freedom etc.How can these people sleep?

 

[Donatello]

Why does Pakistan need a rebellion right now? It has democracy, if you don't like the president throw him out in the next election. You guys are in a better position than the arabs(with their dictators).

There is no way that current government will return, but that is 2 years away and we have taken a lot of shyt from these corrupt people. Time to throw them out. literally, or hang them all.

 

[Donatello]

It's amazing that they support tin pot dictators at the same time they criticize China for freedom etc.How can these people sleep?

...bro, you have no idea about the double standards in their life....as long as they get to go to private colleges, drive luxury cars, go to the beach and rip people off on wall-street.

 

[CardSharp]

This is a case of "He May Be a Bastard, But He’s Our Bastard". I really just wish that Americans are honest enough to admit to a double standard.

 

[Evil Flare]

This last Pharoh should be hanged in public .... & all its looting should be brought back .

 

[below_freezing]

Let's use a comparison.

Hitler, who was a dictator according to the Americans, was in power for only 12 years.

Mubarak had absolute dictatorship for 30 years. This is longer than many other people the west classically regarded as "dictators".

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Is there no golden bullet for Hosni mubarak his days are numbered
Egyptian ppl need to get rid of pupet

 

[Cheetah786]

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- Saudi Arabia slammed protesters in Egypt on Saturday as "infiltrators" who seek to destabilize their country, while a a top Palestinian official affirmed "solidarity" with Egypt.

An official in Iran called on Egypt to "abide by the rightful demands of the nation" and avoid violent reactions.

And in Israel, a member of the Knesset, or parliament, described a recent conversation with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that suggested that Mubarak had been expecting -- and preparing for -- the wave of unrest that has engulfed Egypt, the most populous Arab nation.

Leaders across the Middle East were following events in Egypt with rapt attention Saturday, aided in that endeavor by saturation coverage on Arabic television networks such as Al-Jazeera. Many are on edge after protests in Algeria, Jordan and Yemen following unrest in Tunisia that forced that country's president from office after two decades in power.

In Saudi Arabia, the turmoil in Egypt rattled investors as the nation's stock market lost over 6% of its value Saturday.

That said, Saudi King Abdullah called Mubarak and "was reassured" about the situation in Egypt, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported.

"During the call, the king said, 'Egypt is a country of Arabism and Islam. No Arab and Muslim human being can bear that some infiltrators, in the name of freedom of expression, have infiltrated into the brotherly people of Egypt, to destabilize its security and stability and they have been exploited to spew out their hatred in destruction, intimidation, burning, looting and inciting a malicious sedition,'" the news agency said.
At a glance: Nations facing unrest

Saudi Arabia "strongly condemns" the protest, it said.

Mubarak assured the Saudi king "that the situation is stable" and that the protests "are merely attempts of groups who do not want stability and security for the people of Egypt, but rather they seek to achieve strange and suspicious objectives."

Mubarak added that Egypt will "deter anyone who tries to exploit the freedom of (the) Egyptian people and will not allow anyone to lure those groups or use them to achieve suspicious and strange agendas," the news agency said.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called Mubarak and "affirmed his solidarity with Egypt and his commitment to its security and stability," according to the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa.

In Iran, meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Egyptian authorities should respect the demonstrators.

"Iran expects Egyptian officials to listen to the voice of their Muslim people, respond to their rightful demands and refrain from exerting violence by security forces and police against an Islamic wave of awareness that has spread through the country in form of a popular movement," the state-run Press TV quoted Mehmanparast as saying.

The reactions did not come as a surprise. Iran's Shiite government has long been at odds with mostly Sunni Saudi Arabia for dominance in the region.

In Israel, where the Sabbath lasts through Saturday evening, there was no comment from top officials. But Benjamin Ben Eliezer, a Knesset member, told Israel's Channel 10 that he recently spoke with Mubarak, who told him that "this is not Beirut and not Tunis" and suggested that Egyptian authorities had prepared the army in advance.

Ben Eliezer is known to be the Israeli politician with the best personal relationship with Mubarak.

Some staff members at the Israel Embassy in Cairo plan to stay in Egypt, but some of their relatives and other Israeli citizens have flown back to Israel, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

On the streets of Abu Dhabi, CNN spoke with people to gauge their views of the Egyptian demonstrations.

"It's great that everyone is coming together," said Ayat el-Dwary, an Egyptian. "These are not just one group of people or one faction ... It's a revolution, absolutely."

"Tunis opened the door," el-Dwary said, in a reference to protests in Tunisia that ultimately overthrew a government. "But it was bound to happen -- it was inevitable. Change is coming to Egypt."

Samar Barakeh, who is Lebanese, said, "It's time for them to change their government and they have the right to say whatever they want."

Fellow Lebanese Antoinet Ghanem said, "It's about the whole regime structuring themselves to create more opportunities for these people to realize their ambitions and dreams ... It's about the people trying to express what they need."

 

[Cheetah786]

Families of Egyptian businessmen leave Cairo

CAIRO -- An official at Cairo airport says 19 private jets carrying families of wealthy Egyptian and Arab businessmen have flown out of the capital.

The official said the jets left Saturday carrying dozens of family members of Egypt's business elite. He said most of the planes were headed for Dubai.

The passengers included the families of telecom mogul Naguib Sawiris, the executive chairman of Orascom Telecom, and Hussein Salem, a hotel tycoon and close confidant of President Hosni Mubarak.

The exodus of the families comes as Egypt enters its sixth day of mass unrest directed against Mubarak and what they say have been policies that further enrich the wealthy at the average citizen's expense.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.
Families of Egyptian businessmen leave Cairo - Forbes.com

 

[Cheetah786]

Locals in Sharm-el-Sheikh convinced Mubarak is holed up there
Workers in the resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh are convinced Hosni Mubarak is holed up in his winter residence after fleeing rioters in Cairo.

The president is a frequent visitor to the resort and has hosted a number of world leaders there at his home, which is located inside the sprawling complex of a golf hotel.

Last night the long entrance driveway to the residence was guarded by a small number of armed police who turned away all approaching vehicles.

At the nearby main public entrance to the Maritim Jolie Ville Golf Hotel, guards refused to answer questions about the whether Mubarak was at home.

A worker walking home from the hotel said: “You are not safe here.

Everyone says he is here and so they are watching for people taking photographs.

“I think he is there because otherwise in Cairo he will be killed.

“The crowds will not get him in Sharm because the roads all the way from Cairo are heavily guarded by roadblocks.

“There are not enough people here to cause him harm, and too many police.”

A tourist shuttle bus driver claimed to have seen Mubarak’s entourage arrive on Wednesday, and that his official plane was at Sharm-el-Sheikh airport but nobody at the airport would confirm if this was true.

A number of military aircraft were visible from the perimeter fence, but the airport is frequently used by the armed forces for operations and for public airshows.
Locals in Sharm-el-Sheikh convinced Mubarak is holed up there - Telegraph

 

[Cheetah786]

An Egyptian anti-government activist kisses a defecting riot police officer, following clashes in Cairo

An Associated Press reporter saw the protesters cheering the police who joined them and hoisting them on their shoulders in one of the many dramatic and chaotic scenes across Egypt on Friday. After chasing the police, thousands of protesters were able to flood into the huge Tahrir Square downtown after being kept out most of the day by a very heavy police presence. Few police could be seen around the square after the confrontation.

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

US loves democracy....... hypocrits.

 

[Cityboy]

clearly double standards from US.... these yanks cant be trusted at all...