Middle East on fire

did anyone else just lose al jazeera? my feed is down, and the page isn't responding.

edit:

their servers seem to be overloaded. feed can be found here:

www.dailymotion.com...=xg7hrs

RT @RamyYaacoub: Breaking news: @Sandmonkey was arrested by state security. They called his father and claimed he has revolution leaflets #Egypt #Jan25

He's an egyptian freedom fighter who has tweeted since the begining...

AFP quotes the official Egyptian Mena news agency as saying that Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq has declared he is ready to go to Tahrir Square to talk to protesters.

And if he gets hurt in any way... that gives Mubarak carte blanche to do anything, including machine gunning people.

BBC's Paul Danahar reports heavy gunfire coming from Tahrir Square amid clashes pro and anti-Mubarak protesters

"We are either witnessing the ugly death throes of a regime, or the beginning of a long, terrible crackdown

Indeed. Either way not very good.

Citizens of #Alexandria increasingly polarized, away from protests heated arguments on street corners

Two Al Jazeera reporters have been attacked on the way from Cairo airport. And a cameraman near Tahrir just got assaulted by thugs

My father, a physician in Amman, has been put on alert and given a 72 hr straight shift starting this morning in anticipation for Amman demo

Jordan's new government may include opposition

Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan told CNN Arabic:The king will be meeting 7 of its leaders in coming few hours as part of the consultations.

#marka airport #jordan very busy today..high activity from military #egypt thinking of the oz campaign: "be alert not alarmed"

Jordan is in trouble too.

Tomorrow will be again a big day to watch.

Tomorrow... so much trouble expected... the army WILL have to step in... and then we'll see how divided it really is.

The protesters gave until tomorrow to get the hell out or they would march on the palace. Each side is preparing for tomorrow...

Lots of army vans, tankers on the move

Man with camera wearing blue "PRESS" vest just being beaten on street. Army stepped in and fired shots in air -

CNN : Some digging sites (archeological ones) have been looted

Well yeah... this stuff is worth a LOT of money if sold to private collections... but of course it should go to museums for everyone to see and know...

Military COMPLETELY siding with Mubarak now. Personnel at checkpoints search for foods, med supplies & arrest or send people back /twitter

Not good at all. Of course it's not ALL the army siding with Mubarak... but a part of it.

The numbers are about 50-50 people/Mubarak for now... Army arrested journalists and protesters in the last hour or so. Taking food from protesters.

No army vs army yet... but only a matter of time... tomorrow clashes are very possible. (All this was confirmed on the ground)

Thugs stormed VideoCairo/Reuters building, smashing windows+doors, army came up to help. managed 2 escape

U.S. State Department condemns "concerted campaign to intimidate international journalists"

Egypt's PM on State TV aired by @AJEnglish saying the youth of #Egypt are to blame for violence in the street.

A political group.

Globe and Mail journalist @soniaverma tweeting she's been taken into "some kind of custody" in Cairo

Britain to send 2nd plane to Egypt for U.K. nationals amid violence

Read very excellent account by Sky's Tim Marshall of rescuing man being beaten near to death

prominent Egyptian blogger @Sandmonkey arrested in Cairo

Egyptian state TV keeps saying "Israeli spies" are swarming over Cairo;

RIDICULOUS.

heavy fighting at the barricades into the square including more firebombs

And flashbangs used on the crowd...

Pro-Mubarak trying to break through right now in multiple areas

Egypt's PM: No one of the government was aware of what happened on Wednesday

LIARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Pm Ahmed Shafiq: "I myself was surprised to see camels and horses

LYING BASTARD!!!!!

AJE: 7 killed overnight according to doctors

Dar Al-Ifta announces that tomorrow is the first day of the lunar month Rabee Al-Awal, where you are forbidden to kill..."

BBC reporter in Cairo was handcuffed and blindfolded

Big crowd pro-democracy heading to tahrir square

Heavy big clashes in Suez between pro-goverment and pro-democracy

A very good feed with multiple angles... Presstv live

Of course there's spin.. but eh.

Egyptian Stock Exchange President Khaled Seyam announced that authorities are planning to shorten the trading period when the stock market reopens Monday.

There will be a crash for sure.

scottleadingham: I'm on Skype with a journalist in #Cairo. Says "foreigners getting pulled from taxis and detained

AMSTERDAM - Several Dutch journalists have encountered problems in Egypt. GPD correspondent Harald Doornbos is Thursday morning in Cairo threatened with death by a crowd of supporters of President Mubarak. Who dragged him out of his car and threatened to cut his throat. He managed to escape with the help of an Egyptian soldier, he said on Twitter and in an article in the GPD newspapers.

Military tanks have disappeared from square. Protesters have renewed energy. Launching firecracker

Army not doing their job...

Associated Press offices Attacked

How nice.

An eyewitness just said on @democracynow that #Mubarak thugs are burning trees! #

Presstv: Snipers on rooftops

CONFIRMED FROM OTHER SOURCES.

Al Jazeera breaking: Three Al Jazeera journalists arrested in Egypt

Between 8 & 12 human rights lawyers + activists arrested at Hisham Mubarak Law Centre

Goverment denies important people to leave country many of them former minsters

Secret police regrouping outskirts of Cairo... might be preparing for an attack at darkness

Muslim brotherhood manning many of the frontlines against the pro-mubarak forces

That is because Qardwai, the spriritual leader of MB said yesterday that it's religious obligation to help egyptians (muslims, christians, whoever) against the thugs!

lynch mobs live on Sky now grabbing people

PM of egypt forbids Ahmad Zahir former tourist minister to travel abroad and freezes his bank accounts

gunfire on 2 bridges leading towards the square

Egypt's Attorney General has been ordered to stop some wealthy businessmen and former ministers (including former interior minister) from leaving the country, according to Al Jazeera.

many getting sick from the food in the square, people suspect secret police have given poisoned food to people

SICK!!!!!!!!!!!! Excuse the pun...but this food is probably given to kids too...and women... lowlife bastards!!!!!!!!!

#AlJazeera learns that a number of senior cabinet ministers have resigned from the new #Egyptian cabinet-

The regime is falling!

International journalists are now being forcibly prevented from reporting from Cairo

Swedish TV has lost contact with correspondent Bert Sundström. He was on foot close to Marriot. Seems to be abducted.

AJA: Storming of Amnesty International headquarters in Cairo... activists detained

#Egypt state tv announces that tomorrow will be 24 hr curfew. Attempt to stifle planned march to presidential palace

That is serious. Also saying ALL PRESS MUST STAY INDOORS.

Security forces looking for big trouble, focusing on reporters

They know how bad it will be tomorrow if protesters try to march on the presidential palace. It'll be a bloodbath.

Rumors Suleiman have taken over Mubarak

Obama: We pray that the violence in Egypt will end

PRAYING WON'T DO SQUAT!!!!!!!!!!!

OnPhone W/ @SandMonkey: "We were released, we did NOT run away . . . heading back to safety now"

Egyptian PM Shafiq: What happened in Tunisia will not happen in Egypt

And now he's saying he won't leave till November. Time to count the ``votes`` you know...

@USEmbassyCairo will release all Americans detained today TOMORROW MORNING

@SandMonkey: "My car is completely destoryed, my cellphone was taken, we were saved by my friend's extra phone"

Heavy machine gun fire, possibly from an APC

Mubarak thugs breaking in Ramses Hilton hotel in search for journalists and media people

Heavy gunfire, people running towards the bridge

RT @acarvin: Heavy gunfire now, away from Tahrir, possibly from APC. #jan25 People are running towards the bridge #egypt #jan25

No street lights in Cairo tonight.

Witnesses report heavy gunfire on bridge leading to epicentre of protests against Mubarak #Egypt #Jan25

Attacks on journalists widespread in #Egypt. “Crews never been as scared as they are now,” Al Arabiya director tells us.

RT @BDUTT: Our camera just smashed at tahrir square, tape ripped out #egypt

Fires starting on bridge, petrol bombs being hurled as well as rocks #egypt #jan25

protesters confirmed hit by live fire rounds

Egyptian TV: Omar Suleiman, confirmed that all of the articles of the Constitution subject to change, not only Articles 76 and 77

APC fired using their tanks, killed one protester

That is crazy. APC guns are very strong.

@jonsnowC4: heavy tank 50mm machine gun firing. 400 Mubarakistas gathering cordon still holds protecting protesters in sq #jan25 #egypt

Tim Marshall is hearing rumors from sources Mubarek has fled.

From Sky News... would be GREAT!! UPDATE : Might be back at his ``winter house``... not fled from power...

reply to post by harryhaller


If they try to take over Suez they would be easily overcome by the military, and if they resist they would be slaughtered en masse.. So probably not a good idea...

You have to understand- Force and violence won't win this revolt, diplomacy is the only way, violence only fuels the dictator and makes him stronger, as he can apply more and more counter force to take control back.

Their best option is to declare a new "Free Egypt", as Vitchilo and I reported they might be planning, in the Sinai peninsula, which is demilitarized, and continue protesting.

reply to post by Eliad


Seems like peacefull protests don't work when the government starts the violence though..
That only leaves more violence as an option for change..

Obama tells Mubarak, transition must begin 'now'

"What is clear, and what I indicated tonight to President Mubarak is my belief that an orderly transition must be meaningful, it must be peaceful and it must begin now," Obama said, minutes after calling the Egyptian leader.

news.yahoo.com...

Alright, that does it, either Mubarak goes rouge, and has to deal with the U.S, or he conforms, and it's all over now...

As I said when I posted the Debka file report (which turns out might be partially or fully accurate after all)- A brilliant move by Obama, gains the Egyptian's trust, and get rid of the tyrant, all at the same time.
If the new Egyptian government wants to keep receiving American aid, and it probably will, it will have to pay by America's rules.

Al Jaz airing footage of protester with saucepan tied over his head as a makeshift helmet. #Egypt #jan25

The paid thugs of #Mubarak are not only assaulting protesters in the capital of #Cairo but also in #Alexandria and #Suez City.

Algeria removes Emergency laws (martial law) imposed since 1992

+1

Clashes erupting at egyptian embassy in beirut

From presstv live.

Demonstrators chanted "get them out", pointing at hotel full of journalists. #Egypt

Journalists must be afraid...and they have a good reason.

bencnn : #egypt.. Protesters have brought in thousands more to tahrir.. Setting up barricades .. Seem readying for battle

AJA SHOWED A POLICE VAN DRIVING FAST AS HELL DRIVING OVER 10 PEOPLE THEY FLEW LIKE RAGDOLLS

Just saw that.. crazy.

The army is securing the Hilton Hotel in Cairo after #Mubarak supporters stormed hotel looking for journalists

Good units there.

BBC: "A foreigner has been beaten to death"

Mubarak thugs back throwing stones in abd munim square close to tahrir square

Egypt national bank make restrictions of transfers larger than 10.000 dollars

4 serious injuries now might be coming from Hilton roof top seems like by snipers on TV now

Sky News are reporting that a Hypermarket in the Cairo suburbs is on fire.

Violence spreading all around...

Here's the van :

Breaking Al Jazeera: Greek journalist stabbed in Cairo while covering the protests in Meydan Tahrir

WHAT THE HELL!!!!!!!!!

Egypt PM : Former interior minister to be investigated

Yeah right.


BIG NEWS :

White House telling Mubarak behind the scene to leave TODAY... because fears of lots of violence tomorrow

PLEASE LET IT BE TRUE... AND PLEASE MUBARAK, OBEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

nolanjazeera Thanks to a state media campaign blaming aljazeera for trying to spark a revolution, those pro-mubarak thugs are now hunting jazeera staff!

unconfirmed reports say the dead foreigner is German

Iraqis in #egypt fleeing home in search of safety. Who would have ever imagined

Indeed...


Ok I'm going to sleep now...

If Mubarak doesn't step down, there will be a blood bath tomorrow.

reply to post by Vitchilo


I found a very good article about these hired "so called" pro Mubarak thugs who are roaming the streets in Cairo right now.

The use of these hired thugs is nothing new in the history of Egypt, and people who are interested can research this themselves by using Google.

These hired thugs are actually hired by the corrupt wealthy businessmen who are closly connected with the corrupt senior officials from Mubarak's ruling National Democratic Party and in some cases, with Mubarak himself.

They bring these hired thugs into Cairo with Buses/Microbuses from the Tourism industry of which many of these corrupt businessmen are involved and affiliated with as partners, owners etc.

(even the horses and camels yesterday came from one of these companies in the Tourism industry)


From an article 2010 - they have even listed the prices of these 'Thugs For Rent' in this article:

Bullies block way to ballot box in Egypt

Intimidation of voters is an accepted fact across the political spectrum


Alexandria: Egyptians wondering whether to vote in Sunday's parliamentary election must factor in the risk of brawls involving thugs hired by rival candidates.

Renting such gangs of bully boys is so embedded in Egypt's electoral landscape that one local daily has listed the prices the muscle-men, and their female counterparts, can command.

Rate chart

Rates for hiring a thug start at 800 Egyptian pounds (Dh505) and can reach 40,000 pounds depending on the assignment, according to a study printed by the independent Wafd newspaper.

The study, by criminologist Refaat Abdul Hamid, said thugs hired to attack large groups or candidates cost 25,000 pounds a day. Those hired to resist the authorities cost 6,000.

"The price of thugs includes compensation for custody and hospitalisation," the study said. "Former and current ministers and the NDP party get special prices and discounts. Prices are hiked for businessmen and first-time candidates."

gulfnews.com...


There is apparently an alliance and close ties between these businessmen and several of the NDP officials who they probably are corrupting with promises of foreign off-shore accounts and properties in Sharm el Sheikh or Dubai.

Many of these corporations and companies are involved with Telecommunication, Engineering & Construction, Energy & Gas exploration and the Tourism and Hotel/resort industry of Egypt.

(Just google these corporations and companies in Egypt and then connect the dots and the names of the people involved)

Many of them have certainly a lot to lose if the current modus operandi and its corrupt structure will disappear.

And they are right now losing a lot of money each day while this disturbance is going on.

The General Prosecutor of Egypt today denied several of these "businessmen" and former officials from leaving the country, and several of their accounts and assets were also today frozen in Egypt - according to an official statement.

And yet we don't know if this is just ordinary empty BS rhetoric or not, nor if they are going through with this for real and if they will sacrifice and stab these corrupt former officials and businessmen in their backs as a present to the public to save their own arses?

Perhaps they will be used as scapegoats to save the current regime and the "so called" honour of the President?

But I very much lean on that nothing will ever happen after these "so called" investigations because it's common knowledge that the corruption goes so damn deep within the state apparatus itself - and in most cases even directly involves the sons and friends to Mubarak himself.

Or maybe all of this is just a big farce and a classic Russian "Maskirovka" to fool everyone?

Anyway, Mubarak and the fat cats around him are really screwed, and this fat cat is finally out of the bag for the whole world to see!

No wonder the corrupt fat cats & corrupt politicians on both sides of the Atlantic are getting very nervous, just look at the American fat cats and their loyal corrupt corporate Foxy media - they are doing everything they possibly can to stop this from happening with their invented favourite Boogeyman threat and the fat cat's multibillion profit $$$ WarOnTerror industry - by using the Muslim fear & scaremongering scheme - even when the Muslim Brotherhood is only a small minority of the Egyptian society and uprising (around 15%) lol!

reply to post by Chevalerous


Dang, good find! Thanks for all the work putting that together!

Al jazeera reporting that they aren't showing live feeds like before because many of their cameras have been seized and it is very hard to broadcast live images..something brewing that they don't want people to see?

reply to post by 00nunya00


Thanks!

The violence from the hired pro-Mubarak thugs and secret police against the foreign journalists and International news-teams is getting rather disgusting, a clear sign of a desperate dictatorial regime gone insane for sure!

Swedish reporter stabbed in Cairo drama

"The government has resorted to blanket censorship, intimidation, and today a series of deliberate attacks on journalists carried out by pro-government mobs."

Swedish public broadcaster SVT said Thursday evening one of its reporters covering unrest in Cairo, who it had lost contact with for several hours, had received serious "knife injuries."

The reporter, "Bert Sundström is seriously injured. He is now at a hospital in Cairo and is being operated on for knife injuries," SVT said on its website.

Earlier Thursday, the broadcaster had said it had lost contact with Sundström and feared he was being held by the Egyptian military.

The reporter had participated in a live broadcast at midday.

However, when his producer called him for another report from Tahrir square two hours later "a voice in Arabic answered and said Bert was being held. Then the connection cut," producer Robert Wiström told SVT.

According to a Swedish translation posted on SVT's website, the voice said:

"Your man is being held by the military. You sons of whores, if you want him back you will have to come get him. Your man is held by the Egyptian government. He is alive and awake."

www.thelocal.se...

Yeah, the thugs of the Egyptian dictatorship are showing their true colours indeed!

reply to post by backinblack


Not arguing with that, they should defend themselves, they have every right to, but going on the offense is a bad idea, in my opinion.

They're going to win this *because* they've managed to keep it mostly peaceful.

Originally posted by Eliad
reply to post by backinblack

 

Not arguing with that, they should defend themselves, they have every right to, but going on the offense is a bad idea, in my opinion.

They're going to win this *because* they've managed to keep it mostly peaceful.

Yeah I agree. But it's a tough ask to just stand there peacefill while you're being shot at..
I think the world has seen enough to know who started the violence..
For the peacefull protesters it would now be considered self defence, not offencive...

reply to post by Vitchilo


Man, I think the world is awake to the Governments actions..
Here's a new report from Australia..

Nine News reporter Peter Stefanovic says he is lucky to escape unharmed after being dragged from a taxi in Cairo by police and pro-government rioters.

news.ninemsn.com.au...

AC360 is broadcasting from the floor of a hotel room in an undisclosed location, with dim lighting and closed curtains. He's freakin' terrified, dude. I've been watching him since his World News Now days, I've seen him in a lot of scary situations, and he seems more serious and scared than I've ever seen him. He said himself he's scared because they don't know what the next few hours will bring. Keep in mind, this was one of the few people who were staying in downtown Port Au Prince when there was rioting and looting going on, human desperation everywhere. He said in Haiti he really didn't feel that unsafe; he wasn't scared. He is now. Tune in, good stuff.

Military COMPLETELY siding with Mubarak now. Personnel at checkpoints search for foods, med supplies & arrest or send people back /twitter

Not good at all. Of course it's not ALL the army siding with Mubarak... but a part of it.

The numbers are about 50-50 people/Mubarak for now... Army arrested journalists and protesters in the last hour or so. Taking food from protesters.

No army vs army yet... but only a matter of time... tomorrow clashes are very possible. (All this was confirmed on the ground)

You have a few things mixed up

Pro Mubarak supporters attacked Pro Democracy supporters who had food and supplies then handed them over to the Army, the Army gave them safe passage to the square

Its not the army but Mubaraks secret police/security forces who are behind the arrest of journalists

Very few real updates tonight; even AJE live blog has been down for most of the day. I haven't even seen any tweets from a lot of the sources I follow on Twitter who are actually there; not even any retweets. Of course, I don't follow tons of people and haven't checked #Egypt lately because it's a big mess of mostly westerners tweeting about Egypt. But perhaps they have managed to really curtail most of the information flow out of the country, even by cell and wifi and whatnot? If so, scary.

Tomorrow will be a bloodbath. This will be a day of infamy, I believe. But you know what? As harsh as it sounds, I believe that's exactly what will assure the Egyptian people maintain their freedom and liberty for a long time. When someone comes in and saves you, that's all it becomes: being saved by other countries. But when you bleed and die in large numbers and still succeed, you have something that is worth defending and speaking up for----so your countrymen and comrades didn't die in vain. How many times have we heard people say "my grandfather didn't fight and die in that war so you could yada yada" ? It's awful, but if enough people die, you never forget, and hopefully, you never become complacent. I think tomorrow will be both the proudest and most tragic day in recent Egyptian history.

AJELive: AJE producer in Tahrir Square says streets around the square are relatively calm with few military vehicles in sight.

AJELive: AJE: In the wake of the press crackdown in Tahrir Square, protesters worry about what will unfold out of the view of cameras

AJELive: AJE Web producer notes: Army officers and men in riot helmets toured the 6th of October overpass tonight, surveying the ground below