Libya - Fight for Oil Resources

رويترز: الثوار الليبيون يسيطرون بالكامل على مدينة مصراته بعد صد هجوم من كتائب القذافي
"According to Reuters [news agency] Libyan rebels are in control of
the whole town of Misrata after throwing back an attack [launched]
by Gadafi's units." [Al-Jazeera]

CNN reported that government troops at Misrata were thrown back
despite being well equipped with tanks and artillery.

According to CNN and Al-Jazeera, the region between Brega and
Ras Lanuf, most important for the shipping of all East Libyan crude
oil is now under control of the insurgent forces.
Meanwhile, rebel forces are sticked at Bin-Jawad on their way to
Sirte, held up by Gadafi units that are heavily armed with tanks
and artillery.

At the same time in Tripolis, desinformed citizens in favour of
Gadafi are celebrating his alleged "victory" at Misrata and Ras
Lanuf, - a ghostly scene.

Map of Libyan oil fields and pipelines.
[Arabic names inserted for comparison by Ulysses]



Near Benghazi, the explosion of an ammunition depot three days ago
has been related to a pro-Gadafi attack by witnesses cited by CNN.
At the time, Al-Jazeera reported it as some kind of accident without
certain evidence of enemy involvement. Therefore, I didn't include
it in my daily news report. Nevertheless the nightly pictures of
ambulances carrying away the dead and the wounded can still be
watched on the attached Al-Jazeera video.

---

Further News of the Day:

EGYPT:


مراقبون: بعض مسؤولي جهاز أمن الدولة متهمون بالانخراط في أعمال تجارية مشبوهة و أنشطة فساد
"Controlling [commission]: Certain responsible [within] the national
security system have been accused of being involved in [dubious]
commercial operations as well as corruption."

LEBANON:


Protesters demand a secular state that is free from religious obligation.
As Lebanon is a multi-religious state, there are restrictions to the
distribution of important positions in government and parliament which
have to be allocated according to religion of the candidate.

OMAN:


After public unrest: Sultan released three cabinet ministers.

LIBYA - Region of War

ليبيا - منطقة حربية


Late night UPDATE:

مصادر طبية في الزاوية: قتلى و جرحى بالعشرات جراء هجوم كتائب القذافي
According to medical personnel in al-Zaouia الزاوية, dozens
were wounded or died [while braving] an attack of Gadafi's
units.
[al-Zaouia: Town on the outskirts of Tripolis طرابلس in North-
West Libya. Refer to the first map below.]

Tombstone of a fighter who died in al-Zaouia
during the battle between insurgents and
tanks deployed by Gadafi's special units:


Insurgents defeated the Gadafi units at Ras Lanuf راس لانوف
and are now moving towards al-Sidra and Sirte سرت.
[Ras Lanuf: Place of fierce fighting for the last 24 hours, inserted in
one of the following maps (North-East Libya) and marked with a red
arrow.]
[Sirte: Town on the road to Tripolis in Nort-West Libya and Gadafi's
birth place. => Gulf of Sirte]


CNN News:
Insurgents at Ras Lanuf pretend having downed a Suchoi bomber, the
remainings of which are scattered over the battle field (above).








الإنتربول يصدر تحذيرا دوليا بشأن خطورة القذافي و 15 من عائلته و أعوانه
Interpol has released an international alert concerning
imminent danger from Gadafi and 15 [members] of his
family and his helpers.

The Interpol request consists of different notes on
different subjects involved. Here are only two of
them, characterized by their vague style, which I
tried to reconstruct from the Arabic version.

Red Note:
[This note] brings about a request on the conditions of
arrest of persons on the run and being sought after on
the purpose of [their] extradition to [certain] countries
[on behalf of such countries' security sources]. .....

Blue Note:
Request of additional information on a person related
with criminal activity.

There is also a "Green Note", a "Yellow Note" and a
"Black Note" from Interpol.

LIBYA - Day 14 of Uprising

سعود الفيصل يطالب بتدخل عربي في ليبيا من أجل المساعدات بديلأ عن التدخل الأجنبي العسكري
Saud al-Faisal (*) is demanding an Arabic intervention in Libya ment
as a support [in the presence of] an intervention of foreign military.
* Saud al-Faisal = Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia
and nephew of the present King Abdullah

مدينة البيضاء تتحول إلى مركز استقبال المساعدات الإنسانية و التواصل مع مختلف المدن الليبية
The town of al-Baida (*) changes into a center for the reception of
humanitarian help and [distribution] to different towns of Libya.
* al-Baida = Coastal town in the eastern part of Libya

سفينتا إنزال أميركيتان تعبران قناة السويس للتمركز قرب السواحل الليبية
Two U.S. ships passing the Suez Canal to concentrate near Libya.



أ.ف.ب.: وزراء الخارجية العرب يرفضون كافة اشكال التدخل الأجنبي في ليبيا
AFP (*) says that the foreign ministers of Arab [countries] reject
all forms of foreign intervention in Libya.
(*) AFP = Agence France Press reporting from the present Kairo meeting of the Arab League

الثوار في مدن ليبية: قرار توجيه ضربة جوية لكتائب القذافي يجب ألا يتخذ دون العودة للثوار
Protesters in Libyan towns [insist that] any decision to direct an air strike
[against] Gadafi's units must necessarily go together with a return of rebels.


Day 14 of Uprising in Libya:



Gadafi's Military Power:


Chemical ammunition found by rebels / Gadafi palace destroyed in al-Baida:


Photo of a gas grenade for chemical warfare, presented among other ammunition by a member of the newly founded rebel unit:

LIBYA - The End is Near

عبد الحفيظ غوقة
المتحدث الرسمي باسم المجلس الوطني الانتقالي
Abad al-Hafiz Ruqa
Official speaker of the national assembly of transition.

Photos from Benghazi military air base:

كاميرا الجزيرة تدخل قاعدة بنينة الجوية في بنغازي بعد انحيازها إلى الثورة الشعبية
[Photos taken] by Al-Jazeera on the arrival at the air base
of Benghazi after [its staff] joined the people's uprising.



Benghazi runway protected by anti-aircraft gun:



Palace of the Gadafi family taken:

صور لكاميرا الجزيرة في قصر للقذافي بمدينة البيضاء تظهر سردابا محصنا ضد هجمات نووية
Pictures taken by Al-Jazeera in Gadafi's palace in the town of al-
Baida are showing a fortified atomic bunker in the souterrain.


Bunker facility for the control of electricity and water supply,
the ventilation system and a particle filter, installed by a Swiss
company that is using parts provided by a U.S. company in Michigan.
The controlling facility has been tested only some weeks ago:


Gadafi's swimming pool:



..........

Who Makes The Machinery ?

Visitor to "blueprint news" who found this site on May 23, 2012.

Arabic World - Week of Mass Rallies

جمعة الحشود في العالم العربي

Week of Mass Rallies in the Arabic World

An extraordinary week in the Arabic world, characterized
by mass rallies, bloodshed and the fear of national leaders.
The following news items have been taken from an Arabic
language special published by Al-Jazeera on February 25.
UPDATES for the following days have been embedded !


المنطقة العربية على صفيح ساخن

The Arabic Region on a Hot Iron Plate


LIBYA ليبيا

الخناق يضيق على القذافي
Suffocation is hampering Gadafi.

المتظاهرون يسيطرون على معظم ليبيا
Protesters controlling major part of Libya.

مقتل و إصابا العشرات في طرابلس
Fierce fighting and dozens wounded in Tripolis.


Gadafi speaking to a few followers
from above a fortified town gate.


Excited group of Libyan soldiers ap-
proaching protesters near Benghazi.

UPDATE from February 27, 2011:
صور لكاميرا الجزيرة في قصر للقذافي بمدينة البيضاء تظهر سردابا محصنا ضد هجمات نووية
Pictures taken by Al-Jazeera in Gadafi's palace in
the town of al-Baida are showing a fortified atomic
bunker in the souterrain.


Ventilation and particle filter only recently tested:



UPDATE from February 26, 2011

تشييع قتلى الاشتباكات في مدينة مصراتة الليبية
Public funeral of those killed in [an armed] conflict
in the Libyan town of Misurata ["Masrata"].
[For further information on the cited armed conflict,
please, refer to the February 25 blogspot.]



For further information on U.S. response to events in Libya,
please use the embedded link to Al-Arabiya TV.

---

YEMEN اليمن

تواصل المظاهرات المطالبة بإسقاط النظام
Continued demonstrations demanding
the abolishment of the regime.

11
نائبا يستقيلون من الحزبالحاكم
11 deputies [of parliament] resign from the ruling party.

59
نائبا يعتزمون الاستقالة
59 deputies [of parliament] decide to return [their seats].

---

JORDAN الأردن

مظاهرة احتجاجية في العاصمة عمان
Demonstration of protest in the capital of Amman.

مطالب بإصلاحات سياسية و اقتصادية
Calls for political and economic reforms.

اتهام الحكومة بالاستبداد و الفساد
The government is being accused of dictatorship
and corruption.

---

IRAQ العراق

مقتل شخصين و إصابا 5 في الموصل
People died, five were wounded in Mosul.

مظاهرات في بغداد و كركوك و مدن أخرى
Demonstrations in Baghdad, Kirkuk and other towns.

---

BAHRAIN البحرين

الألاف في دوار اللؤلؤة للتظاهر ضد الحكومة
Thousands on Pearl Square demonstrating against
the government.

وزير الخارجية البحريني: يمكن طرح كافة القضايا على المائدة
According to the foreign minister of Bahrain, it is
possible to get rid of all problems at a [negotiating]
table.

---

TUNISIA تونس

اعتصام يطالب بسقوط الحكومة الأنتقالية
The government of transition needs to be saved from failure.

اتهام حكومة محمد الغنوشي بأنها امتداد للنظام السابق
The government of Mahmud al-Ranushi is being accused of
prolonging the former system.


UPDATE from February 27, 2011:
الغنوشي يعلن استقالته من الحكومة التونسية و اتجاه لتكليف باجي قائد السيسي لخلافته
Al-Ranushi declares his resignation from the Tunisian government [amidst] controversial tendencies [for the] political leader to follow.

---

EGYPT مصر

المتظاهرون يتمسكون بمطالب الثورة
Protesters stick to their demands [made during] the uprising.

المتظاهرون يطالبون بمحاكمة مبارك و إقالة شفيق
Protesters demanding the punishment of Mubarak and a pitiless
treatment.

---

Visitor statistics for the current blogspot, registered 24 hours after its creation. As visitors will be registered only, if their web address is containing a country denominator which is rather rarely the case, the real number of visitors within 24 hours has to be estimated based on further statistical material of my main site. Therefore, a number of 50+ visitors within 24 hours can be regarded as a realistic estimation.

Libya - News of the Day

Here are the daily news from Libya as they appeared in the late evening news program on Al-Jazeera Arabic TV, February 24, 2011, posted by Ulysses at 11:28 pm GMT:

مصادر للجزيرة في الزاوية:عناصر من الجيش يلتحقون بالمتظاهرين و يفتحون مخازن الذخيرة

Al-Jazeera's sources at al-Zaouia (*) are saying that essential elements of
the army are joining the protesters and are opening the army depots.
* al-Zaouia = Small town west of Tripolis.

الرابطة الليبية لحقوق الإنسان: لدى مجلس حقوق الإنسان ملفات كاملة لإدانة نظام القذافي

The Libyan association for human rights says their organisation is keeping
complete dossiers to accuse the Gadafi regime.

أ.ف.ب عن مصدر رسمي : سويسرا تجمد أرصدة محتملة للقذافي و المقربين منه

AFP [= Agence France Press] is the official source [of the following]:
Switzerland will freeze the eventual assets of Gadafi and his family.

قتيلا 16 على الأقل في مواجهات متواصلة في الزاوية غرب طرابلس

At least 16 died in enduring confrontations in al-Zaouia west of Tripolis.

أحمد قذاف الدم الممثل الشخصي للقذافي يقدم استقالته

Ahmed Gadaf al-Dam, personal representative of Gadafi, has resigned.

رائد بسلاح الجو الليبي يدعو الطيارين الليبين للنزول في مطار مصراته بعد سيطرة الثوار عليه

A commander of the Libyan air force calls for Libyan pilots to land on
the airstrip of Misurata (*) to get the rebels there under control.
* Misurata = Town of the coastal region, east of Homs and Tripolis.

صحفي للجزيرة: كتائب القذافي تشن عمليات كر و فر على الزاوية و أسرنا العديد من عناصرها

Reported by Al-Jazeera: Units [loyal to] Gadafi are launching operations
of attack and retreat on al-Zaouia and [ethnic] families [or: tribal clans]
with their numerous members.

Comment:
By the way, after having read the Arabic writing of the dictator's
name, I came to think that the accurate transcription to be used in
Western media should be GADAFI rather than Gaddafi (Al-Jazeera) or
anything else. Nevertheless, I don't intend to correct the writing
I used in my older blogspots or in my videos. He isn't worth such
additional work any longer.

LIBYA - Partly Freed

Screenshot from Al-Jazeera Arabic TV on February 23

Ghaddafi's son trying to warn and intimidate the people of
Libya on behalf of his father only a few days ago. [Photo]

"The Italian minister of foreign affairs says that Eastern
Libya is not any longer under the control of the Libyan
government." [Arabic footnote white on red]

"Libyan military units of the Green Mountain region openly
announce their participation in the revolt of the people."
[Arabic footnote white on blue]

---

Summary of News on February 23, 2011:

- Benghazi folks celebrating their victory while shooting is going on.

- Commanding Libyan general in Tobruk declares he has broken with
the regime.

- The country seems to be split between regions where the army is taking
sides in favour of protesters and such parts where private militias are
chasing enemies of the system on behalf of Ghaddafi who cannot trust his
own army any longer.

- There are rumours that Ghaddafi might intend to blow up Libyan oil wells.

- Former minister of justice says there is evidence that Ghaddafi was
directly involved in the Lockerbie incident.

LIBYA - Collapse of the System

Ash-Shura / The Counsel
[Koran Sura 42]

And whoso defendeth himself after he hath suffered wrong -
for such, there is no way (of blame) against them. (41)
The way (of blame) is only against those who oppress mankind, and
wrongfully rebel in the earth. For such there is a painful doom. (42)

سُوۡرَةُ الشّوریٰ
وَلَمَنِ ٱنتَصَرَ بَعۡدَ ظُلۡمِهِۦ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ مَا عَلَيۡہِم مِّن سَبِيلٍ -٤١
إِنَّمَا ٱلسَّبِيلُ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يَظۡلِمُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ وَيَبۡغُونَ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ بِغَيۡرِ ٱلۡحَقِّ‌ۚ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ۬ -٤٢




Al-Jazeera Evening News on February, 21, 2011:


Summary of News on February 22, 2011:

Defiant Gaddafi speech shows he would rather die "a martyr"
than leave the country while blaming drugged and drunken
youths as well as foreign spies to be behind what he calls an
"international conspiracy" to damage the Libyan revolution
which he is decided to defend by any means that is needed.
He aggressively insists that "these rats" will "beg for mercy
but not receive it".
Gaddafi is now said trying to open talks with tribal leaders
who are considered to be very influential among the people.

Closed door meeting of UN Security Council on Libya. Disturbing
differences between statements of Libya's UN ambassador who is
still pro-government and his deputy who openly demanded Gaddafi's
resign the day before when several Libyan diplomats all over the
world resigned from their posts.

Arab League holds emergency meeting in Kairo.

At a State Department press conference, U.S. spokesman Crowley
gave moderate comments about Libya while stating that repatriation
of U.S. citizens from the airports controlled by Libyan government
had first priority in the current state of urgency.
At the same time, Democratic U.S. Senator John Kerry expressed his
opinion on violence in Libya as follows: "The Qadhafi government's
use of deadly force against its own people should mean the end of
the regime itself. It's beyond depictable, and I hope we are wit-
nessing its last hours in power. Libyans should have the opportunity
to choose leaders who respect their basic rights." The White House
like the Department of State offer condolences for the victims of
"appalling violence".

Libyan naval ship floating in the waters of Malta, possibly intending
to defect like the pilots of two military jets the day before. Pilots
said they refused to bomb protesting citizens at Benghazi.

Recent reports say that foreign pilots and other mercenaries are
deployed by the government to bomb or shoot protesting citizens.
Some people are said to have been burnt alive by mercenaries.

Libyan soldiers in Tobruk announced that Libyan government is
not in control of the region any longer.

According to Italy, marine oil terminals in Libya hold operations.

Lots of foreigners are leaving the country. Rescue operations are
being prepared in the United States, in Egypt, Korea and in the
Netherlands. Egyptian citizens in Libya are under pressure as the
Libyan government is blaming Egypt for inciting unrest in its
country.

Ghaddafi speech on February 22, 2011:

Comment by Ulysses: Such must have behaved the German "Fuehrer"
Adolf Hitler in his bunker during his very last days in 1945.

LIBYA - The Honourable Mr. Ghadafi

Britain's Tony Blair and Libya's Ghadafi shaking hands.

While Tripolis and Benghazi are facing a bloody revolt
against Libya's president Ghadafi, there is still Libyan oil
flowing to the European Union. As 79% of Libyan crude
oil is being delivered to Europe, such making Libya the
No. 3 oil supplier for the EU after Norway and Russia,
Europe's politicians are interested in good relations with
Muhamar El-Ghadafi. The former godfather of Arabic
terrorism, once punished by an international boycott on
behalf of the U.S., since then turned into an "honourable"
business partner whose "oily handshake" pleased many
European politicians until now.

Percentage of total Libyan oil export to European countries:



Shortened video of Al-Jazeera's latest evening news:
- Another day of unrest in Yemen, Bahrain and Libya.
- The Libyan oil connection (see above).
- Iranian naval ships passing the Egyptian Suez canal
on their way to Syria for a purported arms delivery.
Israel protesting.

The Arab World - Point of No Return

UPDATE from Feb. 19, 2011:
Evening News on Al-Jazeera ( Shortened Arabic version
with English subtitles; الثورات في ليبيا و اليمن )


Historic Unrest in the Arab world

Today, it seems that rebellion in Bahrain, Libya and Yemen reached a point of no return, a final breach of the dyke, that will sooner or later lead to replacement of the actual leadership. Whatever time it might take to achieve the peoples' goal of freedom, democracy and an end to corruption, now, the predicted development received its final impulse in all of those countries: Huge numbers of dead and wounded civilians from the streets of Manama can't be forgotten quickly enough to enable Bahrain's ruling family a return to "business as usual". As to Libya and Yemen, the rebellion has already lasted too long and required too many victims that a kind of status quo could be reached again.

The Arab World - On the Brink of Explosion

One hour ago, I recorded a news special on the Arabic channel of Al-Jazeera which has everything in it to describe how the Arabic world is driving into a chaos that, we hope, might finally generate a new era of freedom and democracy.

When traditional structures of power finally broke away in Tunisia and Egypt, opposition groups of other Arabic nations took the initiative to give vent to their anger.

The Algerian opposition had already taken to the streets when the Tunisian revolution just began and nobody even imagined that Egypt's citizens, by starting their own revolution from scratch, would bring about enough manpower on the streets of Kairo, Alexandria and Suez as to overtake the Algerians in their fight for freedom and democracy.

And now, the virus of protest has even infected the people of Bahrain, that tiny Arabic nation living on an island which has already become known as the "biggest U.S. aircraft carrier" because of its U.S. naval base. A deeply rooted mistrust against the ruling family has now driven the people into an open resistance. Public unrest first showed up only three days ago. Latest news: The Bahrain military deployed lots of tanks to support police forces. Then, both, police and military obviously succeeded in cracking down on the demonstrators to restore "silence and order" once again, but who knows for how long that fragile peace will last while problems still remain unsolved....

Bahrain's foreign minister, a member of the
ruling Khalifa family. Protesters in Manama.


A similar situation emerged in Yemen where protests against the Yemenite president are already lasting six days. Lots of protesting students and other demonstrators meet with pro-government protesters.

The Yemenite president and protesters on
the streets of Aden in Southern Yemen.


Protesters on the streets of Yemen's capital Sanaa.
From here, the uprising spread to all over Yemen.


Even Libya under the rule of its notorious president Ghadafi and Sudan, ruled by its despotic president Basher, are on the list of ideal candidates for the next revolutions to come.

Libyan opposition volunteers and pro-government groups fighting each other on the streets of Benghasi and elsewhere. Some of them tearing
down pictures of president Ghadafi while others are showing their support
for the "leader of the Libyan revolution". We already knew that such pro-
government groups existed, ready to interfere in case that ordinary people
might take to the streets. How else, Ghadafi could have politically
survived during all those years when he was either marked as one of
those grey figures behind Arabic terrorism in the so-called Lockerbie
incident, or when he surprised his Arabic fellow-statesmen once and again
with his peculiar statements on how to solve regional problems ? During
all those years of economic boycott on behalf of the U.S. that temporarily
drove his oil producing country into poverty, people in Libya had already
been fed up with their leader's style of ruling the country and the way
of life led by Ghadafi's family clan.

The below picture is showing organized pro-government protesters.



During yesterday's uprising, heavy shooting has been reported
that left demonstrators severely wounded or dead. Hours later,
the flames of revolution reached other important towns of Libya
according to Al-Jazeera. Up to now, it is still difficult to get
enough and reliable pictures out of Libya.



Al-Jazeera's Arabic subtitle to the above picture:
"Two died and tens were wounded in Benghazi when Libyan security
clashed with protesters the day before demonstrations (took place)
against the (political) system in Libya."


Not to speak of Iraq and Jordan, both countries being closely linked together because of a common history under the rule of the Hashemite dynasty. By the way, the border between Egypt and the Gaza strip is still closed. That might change within the days to come, such enabling Palestinian habitants of Gaza to get in some aid.

Iraqi citizens taking to the street.

---

EGYPT - Transition of Power

قيادات الثورة طالبت المجلس العسكري بوضع دستور جديد يمهد لجمهورية برلمانية
Leaders of the revolution demanding from the military council
the establishment of a new constitution intended to prepare for
a parliamentary republic.

خطوات أولى لتنظيم الانتقال بمصر

First Steps on the Way to Transition in Egypt

عين المجلس العسكري الأعلى الذي يدير مصر مؤقتا مساء أمس
رئيسا للجنة صياغة التعديلات الدستورية التي يتوقع استفتاء الشعب
عليها خلال شهرين، بما يمهد لإرساء حكم مدني ديمقراطي, وأقال
مسؤولين أمنيين بارزين على خلفية إطلاق النار على المتظاهرين

The supreme military council for the administration of Egypt
yesterday evening determined the president of the commission
(in charge) to provide constitutional reforms (within a certain
time) that should be subject to a plebiscite within two months,
such facilitating the firm establishment of civil and democratic
administration.
The dismissal of former security (officers) responsible for the
shooting of protesters (was announced as well).

---

Yemen: Students taking to the streets on February 12, 2011.

Egypt - Mubarak Resigns

An Arabic Awakening


Comment by Ulysses

Today, the resignation of the Egyptian president Mubarak
finally took place after almost 30 years of despotic rule and
many days of nationwide uprise. In the end, it was the military
that put an end to the presidency of Mubarak in order to keep
the Republic of Egypt together amidst of turmoil.

Whatever political currents within the Egyptian people might now
begin to compete for legal power after the revolution, all foreign
nations regarded as partners of Egypt, even though for different
reasons, will have to face an independent country that will be
less likely to follow the route of appeasement, a feature that
made Egypt under the Mubarak administration such a valuable ally
when it came to close all eyes on Israel's militant policy towards
the Palestinians and their wish to establish an independent state
of Palestine.

And if the flame of revolution was spreading from Tunis and
Cairo to other nations of the Arabic world, the behaviour of
Israel, seen by the Arabs (and not only by them) as the top
aggressor in the Middle East, might finally lead to an anti-
Israeli alliance based on the common will of the Arabic peoples
and tribes and powerful enough to reduce Israel in its regional
influence and perhaps in its borders as well...

As can already been seen in Algeria where public turmoil began
at about the same time as in Tunisia, this point of view is not too
far from reality. Even influential jews within the U.S.A. might then
be unable to stop the predicted development under a President
Obama who is decided to accept the spreading of democracy
whereever it appears.

Al-Jazeera reporting live from Cairo after
the resignation of president Mubarak:


When Algerian citizens took to the streets in
December 2010, at a time when the Tunisian
people already demanded an end to the long-
lasting dictatorship of their president Ben Ali,
the Egyptian revolution was not yet in sight:

EGYPT - Days of Violence

Updates embedded !

Leadership of the ruling party of Egypt resigns

استقالة قيادة الحزب الحاكم بمصر

According to the political bureau of the ruling National-
Democratic Party (المكتب السياسي للحزب الوطني الديمقراطي الحاكم),
its leadership has stepped down (February 5, 2011).


صفوت الشريف وعن يمينه جمال مبارك
Picture showing Safut Sharif and, at his right, Djamal Mubarak,
both leaders of the ruling National-Democratic Party in Egypt.

Mubarak - Private Assets Abroad

ذكرت صحيفة غارديان البريطانية أن ثروة الرئيس المصري حسني مبارك
وعائلته تتراوح بين 40 و70 مليار دولار، وفقًا لتحليل خبراء في الشرق الأوسط

The British Journal Guardian remembers that private assets of
the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and his family comprise
about 40-70 million Dollar and are allegedly deposited in the
Middle East (February 5, 2011).

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On Feb. 1, 2011, the end of Mubarak's 30-year-presidency
is finally in sight. This seems to prove the truth delivered
by Al-Jazeera's recent opinion poll (below).






Online opinion poll of Al-Jazeera
published on their Arabic website
for the period from January 28
till January 31, 2011 :


Do you consider that (all these)
protestations of the Egyptian
people are having an effect on
the realization of their demands ?

voting YES : 177.267 (85,9%)

voting NO : 29.117 (14,1%)

total number of participants in this enquiry: 206.384

"In almost every successful social movement of the
last century, from Gandhi's campaign against British
rule to the Solidarity movement in Poland to the
antiapartheid movement in South Africa, democracy
was the result of a local awakening."
[Barack Obama, "The Audacity of Hope"]

By the way, such numbers remind me of the early days
of Al-Jazeera opinion polls, at the beginning of the war
against Iraq and when thousands and thousands of Arabic
speaking voters on Al-Jazeera already gave an idea of
what would happen in the years to follow. The increasing
number of participants finally began to annoy U.S. friendly
elements who then tried to manipulate the outcome of one
important poll. Without success, as Al-Jazeera quickly
blocked the attack and made it the news subject of the
day. Since then, I haven't heard of further incidents
of the kind, maybe because times and opinions have
changed even in the U.S.A.. [Ulysses]

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Suite of videos covering the development of the current situation:



Some years ago, I recorded the above video on the Egyptian National TV.
Together with an add I produced myself, it is now showing how different
the art of Arabic writing is being practised by military forces under the
guidance of Hosni Mubarak and by the ordinary people of Egypt.

The following two videos have been recorded on Al-Jazeera during the last
days (January 29/30, 2011):





A terrible increase of violence took place after Mubarak's speech.
Street fighting between protesters on one side and followers of
Mubarak as well as police agents on the other side (Feb. 2, 2011):



In order to fully understand how recent turmoil came into being, you
should watch the following video. It is about the rigged parliamentary
election in December 2010 where opposition candidates lost almost all
of their seats even though enjoying broad public support.