Why should a La Crosse native care about events happening half way around the world? What do we make of recent revolution in Egypt? As President Barack Obama said in a statement on Friday, Feb. 11, "There are very few moments in our lives where we have the privilege to witness history taking place. This is one of those moments. This is one of those times."
The world seems to be holding its breath, waiting for a resolution to emerge from the chaos. For those wondering what exactly has been happening in Egypt lately, here is a recap.
The eighteen-day uprising was shocking to some and inevitable to others. Almost half of Egypt's civilians are living under the poverty line, with an income of $2 a day. Its education system, health care, and employment are below par at best, leaving many Egyptians deprived of basic necessities.
On Wednesday Jan. 25, now referred to as the "Day of Rage," thousands of angry young Egyptians took to the streets of Cairo. Inspired by the successful revolution in Tunisia, the crowd filled Tahrir Square in the center of the city. It was the first large scale protest seen in Egypt since the 70's. Unrest has been simmering under the surface for years.
The protest called for a true democracy and an end to poverty, unemployment, police brutality, and governmental corruption. Much of the instability of the nation is attributed to the oppressive leadership of President Hosni Mubarak, who has held office for 30 years. During the first day of the protests, the government shut down Twitter in an effort to quell protestor coordination. This only served to infuriate the protesters and bring international attention to the situation.
In the next few days, the government under Mubarak intensified measures to control the unrest. Riot police took to the streets arresting many and injuring demonstrators with batons, tear gas, and rubber bullets. All Internet and texting services were blocked and a thirteen-hour night curfew was instituted.
A quarter-million people gathered in Tahrir Sqaure on Jan. 27 calling for the resignation of Mubarak. The resistance efforts began to spread to other major cities like Alexandria and Suez. The Egyptian military was called in to take over security of Cairo, however, the citizens approve of the soldiers more than the police.
Mubarak stated that he would not run for reelection but refused to step down, saying that he would not run away from the country that he loved. He swore in a new cabinet and appointed Omar Suleiman as his vice president and ceded much of his power to this transitional government so they could begin the reform process. The protesters in Tahrir square were adamant—they would stop at nothing until Murbarak resigned.
While the country erupted in chaos, the airports clogged with thousands of tourists frantically trying to escape the turmoil. At first, only a handful of planes from the U.S. were able to land and fly stranded people out. The drain of tourism has already put a severe strain on an important source of employment and revenue for the country.
Outside in the streets, government supporters challenged the protesters. On Feb. 2, Tahrir Square erupted in violence as the opposing sides engaged in a chaotic 15-hour battle. The soldiers only stepped in to stop the fight the next morning, firing on the anti-government group and killing three protestors.
Amid the commotion, looters were able to enter the museums of Cairo which were left unguarded during the night due to the strict curfew. Two 3000-year-old mummies were decapitated and hundreds of artifacts damaged. In one museum, the damage was minimal because the looter stole from the gift shop thinking it contained the valuable pieces. The priceless mask of King Tut remained untouched. The museums are now under constant military protection.
Despite all the danger in the streets, the very next day protestors packed the square with redoubled pressure on the president.
What was the United States doing during these events? After initially treading carefully, the U.S. eventually came out and told Mubarak that it sees his presidency is at an end. Egypt is a crucial ally—a hostile relationship would not bode well for the U.S. especially with its current track record in the Middle East. While Secratary of State Clinton warned against allowing another overthrow like the one in Iran, Sen. McCain said that the U.S. needs to "be on the right side of history" and invest the most interest in defending human rights.
As Suleiman began to meet with the opposition to make concessions, a number of worker strikes sparked across the country.
On Thursday, after Mubarak's speech in which he refused yet again to step down, the organizers of the protests tried to persuade the military to join their cause. As thousands crowded Mubarak's palace, the military did not interfere.
On Feb. 11, Suleiman announced that President Mubarek was resigning as president. He handed over power to the military. Tahrir Square exploded with deafening cheers and celebration after the announcement. Mubarak fled Cairo to a small town on the Red Sea.
The big question now is, what will Egypt do now?
Suleiman claimed that the military executed a coup. He has said that he believes Egypt is not ready for a democracy and that it could become a military state, similar to what it was in the 1950s.
The Obama administration has suggested that Egypt will enter a period of interim until the government holds fair and free elections in the fall.
In his speech on Feb. 11, Obama stated, "The United States will continue to be a friend and partner to Egypt. We stand ready to provide whatever assistance is necessary and asked for to pursue a credible transition to a democracy. "
Some are saying that this revolution could create a domino effect in the Arab world. There are already musings of similar uprisings in politically unstable countries like Jordan and Yemen.
As they are saying, the revolution has only begun.
The world seems to be holding its breath, waiting for a resolution to emerge from the chaos. For those wondering what exactly has been happening in Egypt lately, here is a recap.
The eighteen-day uprising was shocking to some and inevitable to others. Almost half of Egypt's civilians are living under the poverty line, with an income of $2 a day. Its education system, health care, and employment are below par at best, leaving many Egyptians deprived of basic necessities.
On Wednesday Jan. 25, now referred to as the "Day of Rage," thousands of angry young Egyptians took to the streets of Cairo. Inspired by the successful revolution in Tunisia, the crowd filled Tahrir Square in the center of the city. It was the first large scale protest seen in Egypt since the 70's. Unrest has been simmering under the surface for years.
The protest called for a true democracy and an end to poverty, unemployment, police brutality, and governmental corruption. Much of the instability of the nation is attributed to the oppressive leadership of President Hosni Mubarak, who has held office for 30 years. During the first day of the protests, the government shut down Twitter in an effort to quell protestor coordination. This only served to infuriate the protesters and bring international attention to the situation.
In the next few days, the government under Mubarak intensified measures to control the unrest. Riot police took to the streets arresting many and injuring demonstrators with batons, tear gas, and rubber bullets. All Internet and texting services were blocked and a thirteen-hour night curfew was instituted.
A quarter-million people gathered in Tahrir Sqaure on Jan. 27 calling for the resignation of Mubarak. The resistance efforts began to spread to other major cities like Alexandria and Suez. The Egyptian military was called in to take over security of Cairo, however, the citizens approve of the soldiers more than the police.
Mubarak stated that he would not run for reelection but refused to step down, saying that he would not run away from the country that he loved. He swore in a new cabinet and appointed Omar Suleiman as his vice president and ceded much of his power to this transitional government so they could begin the reform process. The protesters in Tahrir square were adamant—they would stop at nothing until Murbarak resigned.
While the country erupted in chaos, the airports clogged with thousands of tourists frantically trying to escape the turmoil. At first, only a handful of planes from the U.S. were able to land and fly stranded people out. The drain of tourism has already put a severe strain on an important source of employment and revenue for the country.
Outside in the streets, government supporters challenged the protesters. On Feb. 2, Tahrir Square erupted in violence as the opposing sides engaged in a chaotic 15-hour battle. The soldiers only stepped in to stop the fight the next morning, firing on the anti-government group and killing three protestors.
Amid the commotion, looters were able to enter the museums of Cairo which were left unguarded during the night due to the strict curfew. Two 3000-year-old mummies were decapitated and hundreds of artifacts damaged. In one museum, the damage was minimal because the looter stole from the gift shop thinking it contained the valuable pieces. The priceless mask of King Tut remained untouched. The museums are now under constant military protection.
Despite all the danger in the streets, the very next day protestors packed the square with redoubled pressure on the president.
What was the United States doing during these events? After initially treading carefully, the U.S. eventually came out and told Mubarak that it sees his presidency is at an end. Egypt is a crucial ally—a hostile relationship would not bode well for the U.S. especially with its current track record in the Middle East. While Secratary of State Clinton warned against allowing another overthrow like the one in Iran, Sen. McCain said that the U.S. needs to "be on the right side of history" and invest the most interest in defending human rights.
As Suleiman began to meet with the opposition to make concessions, a number of worker strikes sparked across the country.
On Thursday, after Mubarak's speech in which he refused yet again to step down, the organizers of the protests tried to persuade the military to join their cause. As thousands crowded Mubarak's palace, the military did not interfere.
On Feb. 11, Suleiman announced that President Mubarek was resigning as president. He handed over power to the military. Tahrir Square exploded with deafening cheers and celebration after the announcement. Mubarak fled Cairo to a small town on the Red Sea.
The big question now is, what will Egypt do now?
Suleiman claimed that the military executed a coup. He has said that he believes Egypt is not ready for a democracy and that it could become a military state, similar to what it was in the 1950s.
The Obama administration has suggested that Egypt will enter a period of interim until the government holds fair and free elections in the fall.
In his speech on Feb. 11, Obama stated, "The United States will continue to be a friend and partner to Egypt. We stand ready to provide whatever assistance is necessary and asked for to pursue a credible transition to a democracy. "
Some are saying that this revolution could create a domino effect in the Arab world. There are already musings of similar uprisings in politically unstable countries like Jordan and Yemen.
As they are saying, the revolution has only begun.
http://www.viterbolumen.com/opinion/revolution-has-only-begun-1.2138738
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