Mubarak Stepped Down!

[Adios]

Also, dictators who aren't as well entrenched probably aren't sleeping very well tonight.

Thousands defied a government ban to hold a pro-democracy rally in Algiers

Thousands of people are holding a pro-democracy rally in Algeria's capital Algiers, defying a government ban.

Scuffles broke out between the protesters and riot police and a number of people were reportedly arrested.

Algeria - like Egypt, Tunisia and other countries in the region - has recently witnessed demonstrations for greater freedoms and better living standards.

Public demonstrations are banned in Algeria because of a state of emergency still in place since 1992.
Heavy police presence

The protesters gathered at Algiers' 1 May Square on Saturday morning.

They chanted "Bouteflika out!" - in reference to the country's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

Some demonstrators waved copies of a newspaper front page with the headline about the ousting of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Friday, Reuters reports.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12438015

Dictators really should be paying close attention.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Iran arresting people:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12433758

I think it's funny that they're simultaneously praising the Egyptian people and calling this a tide of awakening while simultaneously cracking down on their own protesters. I have been wondering how this situation would effect Iran after their last series of anti-government protests didn't go so well.

[Cain]

They're trying to bolster their strategic position against Israel.

It wont work though.  For one, Arabs vs Persians.  Two, Sunnis vs Shiites.  Three, Egyptians are quite nationalistic (as you would be, if you lived in a country inhabited for the past 5000+ years, near some of the most recognized monuments in the world) and this reads like they are trying to take credit for an Egyptian national uprising.

Also, lets not celebrate too soon.  The military are in power currently, and they're promising "civilian" rule, which doesn't mean much right now.  At best, we could see a Turkish style Egyptian republic, with the military acting as the "guardians of secularism" while power is handed over to a popular assembly.  At worst, the military will use Facebook, Twitter and mobile records to track down all the protestors and arrange shallow graves for them, once the media stop paying attention to the country.

[Cain]

Oh ho ho!

http://propagandapress.wordpress.com/2011/01/29/gamal-mubarak-talks-to-joe-lieberman-wikileaks/

Seems like there was quite a cordial relationship between VP Biden and heir-apparent Gamal Mubarak.

Meanwhile, there are some interesting transactions going on in the international banking scene right now

http://www.smh.com.au/world/mubaraks-lastminute-rush-to-hide-his-billions-20110213-1as1c.html

As the above post mentions, Gamal was previously a banker.  Gamal allegedly fled to London during the first week of the crisis.  London, as revealed by Wikileaks cables, is a top financial destination for the money of corrupt dictators.  You do the math.

Incidentally, I wouldn't bet on seeing any of that money any time soon.  It took the Philipines years to recover 500 million dollars worth of the 5 billion Ferdinand Marcos embezzled and stole, and the Pharoh is considerably richer than that (estimates place his fortune between 40 and 80 billion dollars).

[Cain]

Egyptian Army just announced the Constitution is suspended and Parliament is dissolved.  Apparently they will stay in power until 6 months are up or an election can be held, whichever comes first.  The ruling military council say they are drafting a new constitution and will submit it to national referendum.

The Army also tried to empty Tahrir Square, but protestors successfully fought them off.

Antiques were also stolen from the Egyptian Museum during the unrest.  I am sure they have been put to good use, funding the escape of certain Mubarak cronies out of the country.

The caretaker Prime Minister insists Mubarak is still in the country, and is under a travel ban in the Sharm el-Sheikh resort on the Red Sea.

[Dysnomia]

I have heard that last bit as well, that he is within the country at his place of residence in Sharm El-Sheikh.  Hopefully they'll cunt punt him soon enough, though he does have residences in London, NYC, and Beverly Hills among other places. 

[Icey]

I'm very happy for the people rising up in such a relatively bloodless manner, but I think that was the first step of a very long and perilous journey. Now that Mubarak is out, they have the hard part. Creating a suitable replacement government without falling stray to the swarm of religious nutwings or the horde of corporate cronies and the like. I'm very interested to see what new government is installed in such a volatile situation.