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28 Feb 2011 11:04

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World: Hosni Mubarak won’t be able to high-tail it out of Egypt, guys

  • yes Ousted leader Hosni Mubarak is reportedly still in Egypt even after leaving office, and is hiding out in his residence in Sharm el-Sheikh.
  • no Were he to want to leave, he would be unable to, because the country’s attorney general just blocked him from leaving. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Feb 2011 10:53

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World: Come visit sunny Egypt, now with one less dictator for life!

  • In terms of reviving tourism, the problem is currently Libya, not us. The whole region is very hot right now.
  • Sylvia Tours Egypt managing director Karim Mohsen • Making a pitch that people should consider having their next trip in Egypt, which has calmed down a tad since Hosni Mubarak left office a couple of weeks ago. To drive the point home, many young Egyptians are pushing an “Egypt is Safe” campaign, cleaning monuments and taking people to Tahrir Sqare as a tourist attraction. “Please tell your friends not to fear the revolution. This is the new Egypt and it welcomes you,” said one young student about the country. And really, the revolution is just another reason to check out a piece of Egyptian history! Right? Right?!? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

27 Feb 2011 10:46

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Politics: It gets worse: Scott Walker, GOP in position to turn Wisconsin red

  • This is a multi-front assault aimed at putting Republicans in a commanding position, and it will come as close as you can come to turning Wisconsin into a Republican state. And this is not a red state or a blue state; it’s a purple state.
  • Wisconsin Democracy Campaign executive director Mike McCabe • Suggesting that Wisconsin’s GOP is attempting to use its position to reorganize the state’s political structure to make it a red state. (In case you’re wondering, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign is a nonpartisan group not affiliated with another party.) And beyond the collective bargaining thing, Walker’s law is designed to cut union funding from the source – blocking unions from grabbing the money directly from paychecks, and then forcing people to vote on the union’s very existence each year. (People would also not be required to join a union, which is probably a good part of the bill.) Oh, and it gets worse – the GOP is in a position to redraw Congressional district lines as they see fit, and to force people to show IDs at the voting booth – both techniques used to hurt Democrats. Look, the union mess is one thing, but do you guys see what voters dragged into Wisconsin? That tinge you feel? Regret. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink

26 Feb 2011 22:36

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U.S.: Wisconsin: Pro-union protesters party hard today, but drama’s afoot

  • today Madison hosted its largest pro-union protest today since they started nearly two weeks ago – and the largest protest in Wisconsin since the Vietnam War.
  • tomorrow Scott Walker has had enough of this freedom and democracy stuff, apparently, as Capitol Police plan to kick protesters out of the building at 5 p.m. Sunday. source
  • » Oh, and Josh Lyman was there: Bradley Whitford, a graduate of Madison East High School best known for his time on “The West Wing,” had some pretty endearing words for the protesters as he spoke to the crowd. “You wouldn’t believe the impact this is having across the country. … Wisconsin is a stubborn constituency. We fish through ice!”
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Feb 2011 20:28

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World: Libyan envoy to U.S. drops caretaker government into suggestion box

  • He is a very honest man, a man with dignity. I hope this caretaker government will get the support of Libyans and of the international community.
  • Libyan Ambassador to the U.S. Ali Aujali • Suggesting a possible successor to Muammar Gaddafi to the international community. His suggestion, a caretaker government led by ex-Justice Minister Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, is notable because Abdel-Jalil is a loud-and-clear critic of Gaddafi’s recent actions who also recently claimed that he has proof Gaddafi orchestrated the Lockerbie bombing way back when. Aujali says that Abdel-Jalil “will do everything to end this regime. This government is for the whole of Libya.” But will he gain support? That’s the important part which any possible new figurehead will need. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Feb 2011 17:47

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World: Britain a little late with evacuating its citizens from Libya

  • 150 stranded oil workers rescued by British military planes source
  • » Britain’s been getting criticized lately: See, many have felt that the country has been a tad, uh, slow, in getting its citizens out of the country. In response, Britain has closed its embassy and is getting its diplomats out. As for this incident, while not all of the workers were British, many of them were. (The Brits dropped them in Malta.) Britain has upwards of 500 nationals in the country, many of them oil workers, so they have their work cut out for them.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Feb 2011 16:56

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World: About time: Obama finally says Gaddafi must leave office

  • The President stated that when a leader’s only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what is right for his country by leaving now.
  • A statement from the White House • Revealing the phrasing Obama used in a phone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. It’s the first time Obama has addressed directly that Gaddafi is the problem. The statement continued by directly name-dropping the Libyan president: “The leaders reaffirmed their support for the Libyan people’s demand for universal rights and a government that is responsive to their aspirations, and agreed that Gaddafi’s government must be held accountable.” The two countries plan to work on a diplomatic response to the issue of Libya, which both believe is necessary. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

26 Feb 2011 10:27

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World: Egyptian Army: Sorry our soldiers got into it with you protesters

  • What happened late Friday was the result of unintentional confrontations between the military police and the youth of the revolution. … [We] did not and will not issue orders to attack the youth, and all measures will be taken to ensure this will not happen again.
  • Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces • Apologizing for a spate of attacks against protesters at Tahrir Square last night. The army, who claims that they did not order these confrontations, nonetheless is facing the spectre of new protests today from those angry about the army’s use of force. A number of protesters were also detained in Friday’s confrontations; the number bandied about has been somewhere around 20. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2011 21:02

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World: U.S.: We’re sanctioning the hell out of those jerks in Libya

  • closed The U.S. is closing up shop on its embassy in Libya, which is probably a good thing, considering the current situation.
  • blocked The U.S. will also put very tight sanctions on the country – including an arms embargo and a possible travel ban.
  • frozen? And to put a cherry on top of this pie, the U.S. has also told banks to watch out for shifting Libyan funds. source
  • » Oh yeah, and: U.S. spies will reportedly be keeping tabs on the situation in hopes of maybe nailing Gaddafi and the Libyan government for potential crimes against humanity. And the UN has similar plans in their sights. This, Gaddafi, is why you don’t attack your own civilians in an desperate attempt to hold onto power.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Feb 2011 12:43

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World: Libya: Gaddafi wants to “arm the people” to stop aggression

  • We can defeat any aggression if necessary and arm the people. … You, the youth, be comfortable … dance, sing, stay up all night.
  • Muammar Gaddafi • Speaking to a crowd of pro-Gaddafi supporters in Tripoli, because hey, that’s what he does. His last speech, made last night, was via phone, which led some to raise concerns about his health. But he was totally out today. By the way, it’s worth noting that some officials (specifically in France) are saying that the death toll could possibly be around 2,000 for this whole Libyan protest kit-and-kaboodle. Gaddafi suggesting that he’ll “arm the people” could potentially bring that death toll number way up. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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