Meanwhile, in World Events

[pantryslut]

Can somebody point me toward an explanation of what just went down in Egypt a few minutes ago? (Yes, I am following Al Jazeera.)

Comments

[fightingwords.livejournal.com]

Military issues Communique No. 1, announcing that it intends to step in and that today Mubarak will meet protesters demands. Everyone cheers. President gives a speech and announces he's still not stepping down and says he'll delegate some duties to the Vice Torturer. Everyone gets mad. Military says it will be issuing Communique No. 2... And that's about it. Sadly, I don't think we're the only ones feeling rather lost right now.

[fightingwords.livejournal.com]

PS--still looking for some sort of explanation elsewhere and not having much luck, but there is this:

http://www.canada.com/health/Egyptian+military+steps+says+Mubarak+will+meet+protesters+demands/4258720/story.html

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

That helped a little, thanks.

[fightingwords.livejournal.com]

Yeah. The idea of a coup is... chilling.

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

My own tentative conclusion from the evidence at hand is that the military is trying really hard to avoid the appearance of a coup while getting Mubarak out of there, but the latter is refusing to budge. I'm sure he thinks he has some leverage against them (what it is, I can only imagine) -- but he seems to have discounted, er, the people in the streets who started all this in the first place. Maybe he thinks he can just wait them out until they get tired and go home? Is he that delusional?

I guess we'll see.

[fightingwords.livejournal.com]

I think he is that delusional. What's troubling to me, however, is Suleiman, who seems, by all accounts, to be A Bad, Bad Man and the reports from Human Rights Watch that the military hasn't been as neutral as they claim during the last three weeks but has been detaining and torturing protesters makes me wonder if there's something else going on right now.

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

The military might be split internally :/

[tacky-tramp.livejournal.com]

I think that's very likely. One of my NPR podcasts (don't remember which, sorry) suggested that the military is only supporting the protesters for economic reasons.

[manomano.livejournal.com]

That's what US presidents always do, it works for them.