Unrest in Egypt
Follow Reuters' coverage as a wave of unrest grips Egypt
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BBC's interactive map as thousands gather to protest
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A protester gestures during an anti-Mubarak protest in Cairo February 1, 2011. Mubarak's grip on Egypt looked increasingly tenuous on Tuesday after the army pledged not to confront protesters who converged in Cairo in their tens of thousands to demand an end to his 30-year rule. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem
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Elswhere in the Middle East, Jordan's king appointed a new prime minister on Tuesday after mass protests over food prices and poor living conditions. Marouf Bakhit, a former premier with a military background, has been asked to replace Samir Rifai in the position. Demonstrators inspired by mass protests in Tunisia and Egypt had called for Rifai's dismissal. Read more: www.reuters.com
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Some expert views on the situation in Jordan, compiled by the Reuters World Desk in London:
Rosemary Hollis, a professor of Middle East Policy Studies at City University in London, had this to say:
"He (Bakhit) is a former general and briefly ambassador to Israel who has been prime minister before. He's someone who would be seen as a safe pair of hands. I wouldn't see it as a sign of liberalisation. With his previous premiership, he talked the talk of reform but little actually happened."
Maha Azzam, an associate fellow in the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, on how the situation in Jordan fits into the larger picture of unrest in Egypt and the region:
"I think all of these regimes are beginning to feel cornered. I would have thought in Jordan you will see some official statements about political reform but at the same time they will be acting to make sure the army is onside. I think it is inevitable that the protests will escalate. What is happening in Egypt is really lighting a fire across the whole region."
More expert reaction to the situation in Jordan: www.reuters.com -
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The U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Margaret Scobey has spoken with Egyptian diplomat Mohamed ElBaradei, according to a Twitter post sent on Tuesday by the U.S. State Department. "As part of our public outreach to convey support for an orderly transition in Egypt, Ambassador Scobey spoke today with Mohammed ElBaradei," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said in the message. www.reuters.com
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A testment to just how tense the climate is in Cairo's Tahrir Square,
CNN's Anderson Cooper said he and his production crew were attacked there earlier on Wednesday amid clashes between pro-Mubarak demonstrators and anti-government protestors. Cooper said they were pushed and shoved, but that nobody was seriously injured. He describes how the attack happened in a video on CNN.com: www.cnn.com -
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Some reactions to the dramatic street battles taking place in Tahrir Square in Cario today and on Mubarak's decision to not seek re-election in September, compiled by the Reuters world desk in London:
Kamel El-Helbawy, a UK-based Muslim Brotherhood cleric:
"Mubarak is sending to the streets his gangs of thieves and criminals, who have been newly released from prison and armed with knives, clubs and pistols, to scare the people."
Hani Sabra, an analyst with Eurasia Group:
"...Mubarak's announcement that he will not seek re-election in September 2011 represents the start of a long, drawn out, and messy negotiation process between the government and the opposition. Both Mubarak and the opposition will downplay the significance of the speech. But it represents a breakthrough. In the medium term, these negotiations will likely produce an Egypt best described as a hybrid democracy, combining a strong military with a more pluralistic electoral system." -
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ProPublica, a non-profit investigative journalism website, has a primer on U.S. military aid to Egypt that details how much the U.S. gives, where it goes and who decides how it is spent. www.propublica.org
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As of Sunday, the U.S. said it had no plans to halt aid to Egypt. www.reuters.com
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Reuters' Andrew Quinn reports from Washington that the U.S. State Department has expressed concerns about detentions and attacks on news media in Egypt. www.reuters.com
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Does Egypt's fate rest on its top soldier's shoulders? A new Reuters piece takes a look:
"The fate of Egypt's pro-democracy movement may rest on the shoulders of the country's top soldier, who has so far refused to use force against protesters demanding the removal of President Hosni Mubarak.
In a rare balancing act, Lieutenant General Sami Enan, the armed forces chief-of-staff, has won praise from both the United States and a leading member of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, who said he could be an acceptable successor to Mubarak."
Read more: www.reuters.com -
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U.S. calls on all sides to avoid violence in Egypt www.reuters.com
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon also urges restraint www.reuters.com -
As protests continue to shake Egypt for the ninth day in a row, fears are high for the country's ancient artifacts after looters broke into the Egyptian Museum in Cairo last week and damaged two Pharaonic mummies.
Officials and archaeologists at international museums are on high alert. "All of us who are friends of Egypt can help the efforts to stop looting of archaeological sites, stores and museums, by focusing on the international antiquities trade," London's Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology said in a statement. www.reuters.com -
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Pro-government supporters of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak take cover behind make shift protection panels as they clash with anti-government protesters, barricated behind destroyed army trucks in Tahrir Square in central Cairo February 2, 2011. REUTERS/Yannis Behrakis
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A senior official in Obama's administration, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said Egyptian President Mubarak's inner circle is debating whether he needs to do more to meet the demands of anti-government protesters.
"We think there are debates going on within President Mubarak's inner circle on that question -- or on that reality -- that they have moved but they haven't moved far enough or fast enough," said the senior U.S. official.
"The violence on the streets, and the difficult position it puts the army in, could very well convince the army that something more has to be done and it could apply its own pressure on President Mubarak," the official added. www.reuters.com -
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UAE's Israel deal met with Arab dismay but quiet welcome in Gulf
JERUSALEM From cries of "betrayal" to fears about "falling dominoes", the deal making the United Arab Emirates the third Arab state to forge ties with Israel stirred anger and dismay around the Middle East, but a cautious welcome from the UAE's Gulf allies.