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10 Feb 2011 20:57

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World: Mubarak’s speech: Why the United States needs to look inward

  • “I can not and will not accept to be dictated orders from outside, no matter what the source is.” What makes a leader, in the face of international, media and local scrutiny, choose not to listen to repeated calls to resign? Who essentially shames his allies? A man whose statements are so transparent that not even his own people believe them? And why is it that the world allowed him to gain so much authority that he can’t easily be toppled from his position? There are a lot of questions tonight, and we’ve been parsing through them all afternoon. The fact that Mubarak was effectively supported by the United States makes the question marks much more pointed. As Americans, we need to learn how to encourage democracy at all costs, and focus less on what we gain – leverage in Israel, influence in a region, whatever. We can’t support another military state created by the United States. It’s ended in tears multiple times, and every time, Americans lose out monetarily, civilians lose their rights, and our world becomes a little more unstable. No more. This has to stop. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Feb 2011 13:36

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World: Might all this Muslim Brotherhood hand-wringing be overdone?

  • 15% reported support for Muslim Brotherhood, poll claims source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Feb 2011 13:25

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World: Mubarak may go, but what will Egypt’s military do with the power?

  • yes Hosni Mubarak is expected to announce his long-awaited resignation tonight. Hats off to the Egyptian people, who’ve displayed astonishing resolve and spirit.
  • but The Egyptian military is rumored to be taking over the reins, which especially in light of recent reports of torture is causing some valid concern for the protesters. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Feb 2011 12:16

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World: Tragedy strikes at south Ireland’s Cork Airport

  • three number of attempts a small Irish airplane made at landing at Cork Airport; it was having trouble touching down due to low visibility
  • six number of people killed on the third attempt, which sent 6 other people to the hospital for wounds of varying severity source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Feb 2011 10:59

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World: Report: Egyptian military detaining, torturing protesters

  • Their range is very wide, from people who were at the protests or detained for breaking curfew to those who talked back at an army officer or were handed over to the army for looking suspicious or for looking like foreigners even if they were not. It’s unusual and to the best of our knowledge it’s also unprecedented for the army to be doing this.
  • Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights director Hossam Bahgat • Describing the nature of some of the arrests and detainment taking place in Egypt at the moment. Bahgat’s words go against the narrative suggesting that the military is on the side of the people in the current spate of protests, and instead paint a picture that they are in fact taking part in incidents more commonly associated with the country’s notorious state security intelligence. One protester, only offering to go by his first name, Ashraf, put his experience as such: “I was on a sidestreet and a soldier stopped me and asked me where I was going. I told him and he accused me of working for foreign enemies and other soldiers rushed over and they all started hitting me with their guns.” Harrowing. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Feb 2011 10:46

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World: Roundup: Reports confirming Mubarak’s possible departure

  • BBC Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq told BBC Arabic that the possibility of Hosni Mubarak’s departure was being discussed, without giving a timetable.
  • Ch. 4 Reporter Lindsey Hilsum says that she got word from Hossam Badrawy, the new leader of Mubarak’s National Democratic Party, that he could be out tonight.
  • NBC The network says that they got confirmation that he is leaving from a source inside the presidential office, then confirmed it with another source. Hmm. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

10 Feb 2011 10:21

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World: Protesters get their wish? Hosni Mubarak may leave office tonight

A Channel 4 reporter who spoke to National Democratic Party secretary-general Hossam Badrawy says that Mubarak could be out as soon as today. Whoa, this is big. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

09 Feb 2011 14:58

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World: North Korea walks out of peace talks with the South

  • Pyongyang’s tried-and-true strategy of increasing military tension on the peninsula as a means of extracting economic aid from the south, and then agreeing to talks to reduce the tension, may have run its course.
  • BU Professor William Keylor • On the consequences of North and South Korea’s failure to agree on just about anything. Their most recent talks ended with North Korean representatives “unilaterally” storming out of the meeting, according to a South Korean spokesperson; they also refused to take responsibility for recent attacks on a South Korean warship. Some suggest that South Korean’s patience is wearing thin. We don’t blame ’em for getting frustrated if that’s the case. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Feb 2011 10:50

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World: Rough budget conditions behind Pakistan’s dissolving cabinet

  • 60 the number of ministers and junior ministers that just stepped down from the Pakistani cabinet
  • under 40 the number of folks that will likely replace those 60 people, according to reports source
  • » Why did they dip out? Budget issues. The International Monetary Fund gave the country a stern warning back in December to avoid slippage in their financial situation. Their budget deficit is forecasted to be 4.7 percent of gross domestic product for the current fiscal year. To convince Pakistan to fix their situation, they withheld part of its loan to the country.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 Feb 2011 10:31

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World: Ex-Liberian leader Charles Taylor plays hooky from war crimes trial

YOU SAY I MISSED THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT MY CASE SUMMARY BY THREE WEEKS? Well, I’m just not going to go to the trial today. How about them apples, United Nations? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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