Meanwhile, India along with Brazil, Germany and Japan - the other G4 countries - has called for expanding the permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council in the current General Assembly session.Mind you, India has NO role in the developments in either in Middle East or at HOME, in the South Asian Geopolitics. Iraq, Afganistan, Egypt and the next target may be IRAN to ensure DECISIVE WIN in the Oil War but Government of India Incs has no OPTION but to work on US AGENDA as it has OPTED for Economic Mass Destruction!
Troubled Galaxy Destroyed Dreams, Chapter 582
Palash Biswas
http://indianholocaustmyfatherslifeandtime.blogspot.com/
http://basantipurtimes.blogspot.com/
Egypt's longest-ruling president Mubarak resigns after 18 days of protest!In an unexpected move, Egypt's Vice President Omar Suleiman announced Friday that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has tasked the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to manage the state's affairs, ending his 30 years of rule.A step that was received with victorious crowds chanting for the military and praising their efforts in safeguarding people's aspirations, the Egyptian Supreme Council of Armed Forces said it will not replace the legitimacy of the people.
What NEXT? Pharoh is DEAD! who would CONTROL Egypt? Who would win the OIL WAR continued in Middle East since the Fall of Saddam Hussein?U.S. stocks close second straight week of gains after Mubarak resigns!
Meanwhile, India along with Brazil, Germany and Japan - the other G4 countries - has called for expanding the permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council in the current General Assembly session.Mind you, India has NO role in the developments in either in Middle East or at HOME, in the South Asian Geopolitics. Iraq, Afganistan, Egypt and the next target may be IRAN to ensure DECISIVE WIN in the Oil War but Government of India Incs has no OPTION but to work on US AGENDA as it has OPTED for Economic Mass Destruction!
Oil falls below 86 dollars on Mubarak's resignation!
Crude oil price fell on Friday below 86 U.S. dollars a barrel as Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak 's resignation eased previous concerns about oil supply disruption in the Middle East.
Although Egypt is not a main oil producer, it controls the Suez Canal, which is an important oil transport route for the Middle East. Since the outbreak of political unrest in Egypt, the investors have been worrying about the normal operation of the Suez Canal.
Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman said Friday on television that Mubarak had resigned, handing over power to the army. This news was translated by the investors into an end to the several- week-long unrest in Egypt, as well as stable oil supply.
Meanwhile, Mubarak's resignation sent U.S. stocks and the dollar higher, which also pressured oil price.
Light, sweet crude for March delivery dropped 1.15 dollars to 85.58 dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Rise of Muslim Brotherhood, hitherto controlled by Mubarak is quite IMMINENT to Endorse US Sponsered DEMOCRACY IRAQ AFGANISTAN Branded as Supporters of the Islamic Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, on Friday celebrated Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's resignation, while the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) expressed hope that the situation in Egypt would settle down soon.ANWAR SADAT may be remebered to assess the Future course of the African nation famous for SPINX and Nile, who was assasinated to kill the Non Aligned Impact in the Middle East and then MUBARAK emerged as the Prominent Protagonist who has disappeared from the scene and has NO courage left to face his nation and People!More significant is the fact! ANWAR SADAT may be remebered to assess the Future course of the African nation famous for SPINX and Nile, who was assasinated to kill the Non Aligned Impact in the Middle East and then MUBARAK emerged as the Prominent Protagonist who has disappeared from the scene and has NO courage left to face his nation and People!It may hint the Future course of so much so Barack Obama branded Nobel Peace winner Peace talks in Pelestine which was always influenced by EGYPT!
Dollar mixed on renewed uncertainty in Egypt!As Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Friday landed on Sharm el-Sheikh with his family, after a speech delegating power to his Vice President Omar Suleiman on Thursday night, according to Al Arabiya TV.
U.S. stocks ended in their second straight week of gains on Friday after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's resignation.
The market opened lower on Friday morning as Mubarak refused to quit on Thursday, but bounced back after Mubarak handed over power to the military and left Cairo. However, investors were still waiting to see if the unrest in Egypt over the past 18 days might still spread to other parts of the Middle East.
As the Suez Canal is controlled by Egypt, the country's situation matters much to the oil industry as well as energy stocks. Investors had worried that the crisis in Egypt would continue and protests could intensify.
The market was also driven by the financial stocks. This sector was led on the back of the reduced uncertainty, keeping energetic throughout the trading day. Bank of America Corp gained 1.9 percent to 14.77 dollars and the KBW Banks index added 1.8 percent.
Meanwhile, according to the Commerce Department, the U.S. trade deficit widened in December. The trade gap for all of 2010 also rose by the largest amount in a decade. Investors believed the trade deficit will keep widening in 2011 as Americans import more goods as the economy recovers.
Consumer sentiment in the U.S. has seen a modest improvement in February, according to the University of Michigan's preliminary report released on Friday, with the consumer sentiment index rising to its highest level in eight months.
The Treasury Department said on Friday that the government should withdraw its support for the mortgage market step by step, over five years or more. The mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will ultimately be shut down.
As for the earning reports, Discovery Communications Inc., which owns Animal Planet, TLC and half of the Oprah Winfrey Network, reported on Friday that its fourth-quarter net income jumped 34 percent thanks to strong advertising and distribution revenue and cost controls.
Kraft Foods reported a 24 percent dip in fourth-quarter profits late Thursday. The world's second-largest food company said its net income totaled 540 million dollars, or 31 cents per share, compared to 710 million dollars, or 48 cents per share, in the same quarter last year.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained 43.97 points, or 0.36 percent, to 12,273.26. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index rose 7.30 points, or 0.55 percent, to 1,329.17. The Nasdaq Composite added 18.99 points, or 0.68 percent, to 2,809.44.
The White House is bracing for what comes next after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Friday stepped down after more than 30 years of rule.
"This is not the end of Egypt's transition," said U.S. President Barack Obama in a speech from the White House on Friday. "It's a beginning. I'm sure there will be difficult days ahead, and many questions remain unanswered. But I am confident that the people of Egypt can find the answers, and do so peacefully, constructively, and in the spirit of unity that has defined these last few weeks."
Obama said the United States would continue to be a "friend and partner to Egypt" and is ready to provide the necessary assistance to pursue a credible transition to a democracy.
Protestors expressed jubilation at the news that Mubarak had stepped down, according to live coverage from Cairo on several U.S. news stations.
Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman announced Friday that a high council of the armed forces will administer the affairs of the country. Presumably, the military will rule in the interim before elections can happen in September.
But the hard work starts now, experts said, as it remains unknown who will fill the void. Some fret that the Muslim Brotherhood, a radical Islamist group, could take power, as the organization is said to be the most organized in the country.
Others, however, noted that the group is backed by roughly 15 percent to 20 percent of the population, and this pro-democracy movement is unlikely to back such a group.
Other experts note that it will take time to ensure that free and fair elections can occur and that candidates can emerge.
It also remains unknown what role the Obama administration will play. Will Washington send advisors to help Egypt through this transition, or send delegations? Or will the White House take a more hands off position? Will the United States increase aid to Egypt? How will this impact the region?
Those are among the myriad questions the Obama administration will face as a key regional ally navigates this unprecedented situation.
David Pollock, senior fellow at the Washington Institute, said the key question now is what it means that Egypt's military is taking over, as Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman said would happen.
The situation remains unclear, and the United States will need to deal with new partners in Egypt to promote both democracy and common strategy.
"This is a very tricky and uncertain but potentially better situation than the past three weeks of unrest," Pollock said. "One of the most important things to watch is how the Egyptian public reacts."
Neighbors in the region are also likely wondering whether popular upheaval will spread. And in Israel, a U.S. ally with whom Egypt has a peace treaty, is watching the situation carefully, according to news reports.
Global intelligence company Stratfor said in a statement Friday that Suleiman's statement is the clearest indication so far that the military has carried out a coup led by Defense Minister Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi.
It remains unclear whether Suleiman will stay on as the civilian head of the army-led government, but so far Egypt is returning to the 1952 model of ruling the state via a council of army officers, Stratfor said in a statement.
"The question now is to what extent the military elite will share power with its civilian counterparts," Stratfor said.
"At a certain point, the opposition's euphoria will subside and demands for elections will be voiced. The United States, while supportive of the military containing the unrest, also has a strategic need to see Egypt move toward a more pluralistic system," Stratfor said.
Secretary General of the Arab league Amr Moussa hailed Friday the Egyptian revolution after President Hosni Mubarak stepped down in response to more than two weeks of protests against his 30-year rule, according to Egypt's official news agency.
Moussa denied that he would run for the next presidential elections, saying "as an Egyptian, I have the honor to serve my country in any post and it is time to help in forming a consensus of opinions."
The window is open now for a national agreement after what he called the white revolution and the president's concession, he told al Arabia TV.
Mubarak's resignation came only one day after he announced that he was handing over power to the vice president, a step that celebrated by hundreds of thousands of protesters in the country.
An airport source told Xinhua earlier that Mubarak and his family left for Sharm el-Sheikh accompanied by Lieutenant General Sami Hafez Enan, chief of staff of the Egyptian army.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said in a televised speech on Thursday night that he will hand over power to Vice President Omar Suleiman, but will not resign, in a response to more than two weeks of mass protests against his 30-year rule.
The Egyptian army on Friday delivered a televised statement to guarantee the political reform and people's demands in specific through peaceful transition of power, and calm the nationwide protests that hit the country for more than two weeks. At the same time, the army urged people to go back to normal life.
However, the statement was not welcomed by protesters who demanded the army to act for the people.
Thousands of protestors on Friday marched to the presidential palace, and some blockaded the Egyptian television building chanting anti-Mubarak slogans.
The U.S. dollar traded mixed against major currencies in late New York trading on Friday as Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned.
The dollar pared gains in early trading after Mubarak's resignation as risk-aversion mood was eased. The dollar index rose to 78.465, up from 78.221 late Thursday.
However, renewed uncertainty about Egypt was raise following Mubarak's stepping down, the dollar's new direction remains unclear.
The U.S. Commerce Department said the trade deficit in December increased 5.9 percent to 40.6 billion dollars. It grew because a 2. 6 percent gain in imports outpaced a 1.8 percent rise in exports.
Meanwhile, the preliminary February reading for the overall index on consumer sentiment came in at 75.1, the highest level in eight months, up from 74.2 in January, showing the consumption in the U.S. was keeping strong.
Recent U.S. economic data has helped the dollar to surge, but investors began to worry that the dollar might be over-estimated and faced the risk of falling back.
Moody's Investors Service downgraded the unguaranteed senior unsecured debt ratings of six Irish banks and kept them under review for further possible downgrade, raising concerns about the euro zone debt problem.
The euro declined to 1.3538 in late trading session, down from 1.3603 in late Thursday.
In late Friday trading, the dollar bought 83.49 yen, comparing with 83.32 late Thursday, and the euro fell to 1.3541 dollars from 1.3593.
The British pound also fell to 1.6024 dollars from 1.6092. The dollar rose from 0.9696 to 0.9739 against Swiss francs, but fell to 0.9878 Canadian dollars from 0.9958.
Egypt's dynamic political situation has entered a new phase now that Hosni Mubarak has abandoned his 30-year-old presidency and handed the reins of power over to the military in the face of an 18-day wave of popular protests.
Whether the most populous Arab country will regain stability soon or remain mired in unrest remains to be seen. Pundits and observers in Egypt and beyond agree that what comes next depends on three critical variables.
WILL THE PARALYZING PROTESTS RECEDE SOON?
Weeks of nationwide protests have taken a heavy toll on the country's social stability and economic activity and people's everyday lives as well.
Now that Mubarak's resignation has met the key demand that protesters pressed, will the demonstrations end anytime soon? Under the current circumstances, the answer is probably No.
That's because following Mubarak's departure, protesters have raised new demands, demands that vary widely among the country's different factions.
For example, a group called "Jan. 25 Revolutionary Youth" has announced that it will continue "the revolution" until its demands are completely satisfied.
The conditions listed by the group, which has been demonstrating at Cairo's Tahrir Square, include the abolishment of the current constitution, the dissolution of parliament and the establishment of a transitional government.
Such a stance strikes a chord with many Egyptians long weary of government repression and corruption.
Ayman Nour, an opposition party leader, said he is looking forward to a transitional period "that will take us to a civilian state that will meet our legitimate demands of having a civilian, free country."
"I look forward to a transitional period of co-sharing of power between the army and the people," said Mohamed ElBaradei, a leading opposition figure and the former chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
WILL THE MILITARY BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE SITUATION?
The answer is yet to be found out. What's obvious is that a pile of daunting challenges now stand before the military, a powerful part of the state apparatus that includes around 500,000 active personnel.
An immediate priority for the military is to crack down on violent crime and terrorist plots, and rapidly restore social stability. Many runaway inmates are still at large, and extremists and terrorists will waste no time in exploiting Egypt's current upheaval to pursue their own agendas.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian army has never taken the helm of national politics before and thus, might lack adequate experience in running the country.
Therefore, the military must figure things out as soon as possible so as to keep Egypt's paralyzed political system and economy functioning while it overhauls the country for greater democracy.
Another challenge is that the military has to engage opposition parties in one way or another. With the opposition cranking out more demands, it remains to be seen whether the military will retain its stance of dialogue and cooperation. A standoff could occur should the two sides fail to accommodate their pursuits.
WILL THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION TAKE PLACE AS SCHEDULED?
The military's takeover of Egypt is an expedient measure. Facing huge domestic and foreign pressures, the ruling military has to quickly transfer power to a new president who, according to the Egyptian constitution, should be elected within 60 days of Mubarak's resignation.
Analysts say the military will face three serious challenges as it makes the necessary preparations for the election.
Firstly, the military has to prepare well the legal grounds that will pave the way for the presidential election.
During the massive protests that ousted Mubarak, amending the articles of Egypt's constitution related to the presidential election was one of the main changes protesters sought.
Before his resignation, Mubarak had agreed to amend the constitution to relax the qualification requirements for candidates and limit the tenure of the president.
However, now that Mubarak is gone, it is hard to say whether an amendment to the constitution can proceed smoothly.
Another challenge that the military has is to ensure a smooth presidential election.
The task will be a tough one. More parties than usual are expected to participate and that will make the balloting more complicated.
Differences also may appear on some issues, such as the formation of the election commission, the timetable, and procedures of the election as well as corresponding monitoring mechanisms.
The third challenge facing the military is ensuring that the outcome of the election will be accepted by everyone.
An acceptable outcome is a prerequisite for the peaceful transition of power, which the military wants. If any standoff develops after the election because of disputes over the results, it will be difficult for the military to hand over power as scheduled.
"We realized the seriousness of the current situation, we are studying all the necessary procedures and steps to achieve people' s demands and we will declare a statement of the proposed plans," said the army spokesman.
Protestors in the Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the revolt, as well as the rest of the country, celebrated the historic event with dancing, singing and fireworks. Drivers blew horns on the streets.
"I am glad to hear that the president steps down," said a protestor. "But I am not sure what the county's future will be after the military takes over the power."
Adel Sabry, a member of the higher commission of the opposition Wafd Party, told Xinhua that it is a good way to change Egypt, who will see a new paper opened in its political life.
He expected talks between the opposition parties to begin as soon as possible and the military will save the country from chaos.
On Jan.25, thousands of Egyptian protesters hit the streets in an unprecedented demonstration against President Hosni Mubarak and the government, clashing with police and causing downtown Cairo to become standstill. The protest came after several self-immolation cases across the country, apparently inspired by the recent unrest in Tunisia which forced the change of its political arena.
The protesters on Jan. 25 continued until the Egyptian police decided to disperse them using water cannons. Violence erupted for several days. The Egyptian stock market EGX 30 closed down at 10.52 percent drop, yet expected to open on Sunday after a week drop. In addition, a curfew was imposed that tightened business and transportation in Egypt.
As soon as Mubarak's resignation was announced, hundreds of residents in the Gaza Strip and supporters of Hamas took to streets, shooting into the air and chanting slogans in support of the Egyptian people. Many delivered sweets and candies and others celebrated with fireworks.
Dozens of cars driving on Gaza city's main streets turned on their horns. Masked gunmen, members of Hamas armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades, paraded on Gaza city's main street waving the Egyptian flags and Hamas' green flags.
Sami Abu Zuhri, spokesman for Hamas in Gaza, told Xinhua that Hamas "supports and backs the Egyptian people," adding that his movement "believes that what happened is the beginning of the victory of the Egyptian people and their revolution."
He called on the new regime in Egypt to help the Palestinians end the Israeli blockade "and forever reopen Rafah crossing on the borders between the Gaza Strip and Egypt in order to allow reconstruction of what had been destroyed by the occupation in the Gaza Strip."
Meanwhile, the security forces of the deposed government of Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, redeployed its security forces along the borderline with Egypt to prevent any infiltration of people from the enclave into Egypt or vice versa.
In the town of Rafah in southern Gaza Strip where hundreds of tunnels were dug under the borderline between the enclave and Egypt for smuggling, thousands of Palestinians took to streets, waving the Egyptian flags and singing songs that showed support of the Egyptians.
In Gaza City, thousands of Hamas supporters and militants rallied waving Hamas' green flags and celebrating Mubarak's resignation. "We congratulate the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt for this victory," said a Hamas leader, who led a Hamas rally on the streets of Gaza City.
The office of the deposed Hamas prime minister Ismail Haneya said in an official statement emailed to reporters that Haneya had spoken with chairman of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badee " on the success of the Egyptian revolution."
"The stepping down of Mubarak and the victory of the Egyptian revolution will write a new history for Egypt," Haneya said, adding that "a new era has begun not only for Egypt, but for the entire region. We hope that the new Egyptian regime will help lift the Israeli siege imposed on Gaza."
"Today the tyrant in Egypt collapsed and tomorrow the tyrant in al-Muqata'a (President Mahmoud Abbas headquarters) will collapse, so be patient our people in the West Bank." Abbas and the PNA were closed allies to the former Egyptian regime.
The Palestinian leadership, which rules the West Bank, expressed hope on Friday that the situation would settle down in Egypt after Mubarak stepped down. Nemer Hammad, an aide to PNA President Mahmoud Abbas, said the Palestinians wish calm and peace for Egypt.
"The Palestinian leadership hopes that this stage of time would pass peacefully in Egypt, where calm and stability will be a top priority for the Egyptians," Hammad said, adding that "we hope that the new rule in Egypt would be able to support the Palestinian people and their just cause."
The less influential pro-Iran Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement said in a press statement that it congratulates Egypt and its people "for this great achievement and this big step," adding that "we hope that what happened in Egypt would lead to a real change of all the tyrants in the Arab World."
News Analysis: Mubarak's resignation leads to "new world" in region: Israeli analysts
English.news.cn 2011-02-12 10:22:53 FeedbackPrintRSS
by Khaled Khalefea
JERUSALEM, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A furious wave of protest swept Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak from power Friday night after 31 years of ruling, sparking jubilation on Egypt's streets and sending a warning to other leaders across the Arab world.
Israeli analysts termed Mubarak's dramatic resignation as the beginning of a "different world" in the region, arguing that it may force Israel to change its regional policies.
Zvi Mazel, Israel's former ambassador to Cairo, was particularly pessimistic after hearing Mubarak stepping down.
"It's over, Egypt is no longer a super power," Mazel told Xinhua. "Egypt has completely lost its status in the area, while Turkey and Iran are on the way up. It's a different world," he said.
His analysis coincided with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's evaluation that the influence of Iran, Turkey and Israel is increasing in the Middle East after Mubarak's resignation
Mazel is of the opinion that Israel is facing "hostile situation" following Mubarak's downfall. "As long as we had Mubarak, there was no void in our relations with the region. Now we're in big trouble," he said.
Meanwhile, a protest organized by the Israeli Balad party for Saturday is expected to turn into a major celebration and draw large crowds. An Egyptian opposition leader is slated to address the rally directly from Cairo.
Analysts claim that the current economic conditions of the Egyptian citizens have led to the protest and the following change in the country.
Wadee Awawdy, chief of Nazareth-published newspaper Hadeath Ennas said in an interview with Xinhua that the electronic media show the normal Egyptians their real weight and influence in the global arena of the Middle East and also the real economic gap between Egypt and other countries.
In Awawdy's eyes, the Egyptian case may become an historic event which started in Tunisia and well have a domino effect on other Arab countries.
Elias Jabour, chairman of Think-tank institute based in Shafaram the House of Hope, argues that the main reason for the current revolt in Egypt lies in its political system in the past decades.
Considering the possible development in Egypt, the former ambassador to Cairo Mazel said that the army will rule Egypt for years. "It's a whole new world, with no one left to lead the pragmatic country," he added.
While Jabour reiterated to Xinhua that as Egypt is usually playing a leading role in the Arab world since the 1930th, the country will be sooner or later a civic state without the interference of the military.
As concerning to the relations with Israel, analysts believe that the new evolving regime of Egypt will not immediately cut the diplomatic relations with Israel due to the regional commitments with the international systems with EU and the USA.
Awawdy stresses that the new Egypt will return to play a leading role in the region and in the Arab world. He is quite sure that Egypt will not abandon the Palestinian people.
Eventually Jabour added that Israel should know that it has to change its current strategy toward policy of justice and reconciliation in the new Middle East.
Editor: Deng Shasha
Egyptian army vows transition to democracy
Posted 22 minutes ago
An anti-government protester carries a soldier at Tahrir Square in Cairo. (Reuters: Mohamed Abd El-Ghany )
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VIDEO: From Tahrir Square: Egyptians jubilant as Mubarak resigns (ABC News)
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VIDEO: Australia's Egyptian community celebrates(7pm TV News NSW)
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VIDEO: Egypt euphoric over Mubarak's resignation(7pm TV News NSW)
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AUDIO: Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd pays tribute to the people of Egypt (AM)
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AUDIO: World leaders welcome Mubarak's decision to step down (AM)
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AUDIO: Middle east expert says uncertainty ahead for Egypt (AM)
Egypt's new military rulers have vowed to pave the way for a democratically elected civilian government and to abide by all international treaties in the wake of Hosni Mubarak's resignation.
In a televised statement entitled "Communique Number 4," the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces also said that the current government would remain in place temporarily until a new one could be sworn in.
The announcement came as Egyptians celebrated their first day free from Mr Mubarak's autocratic rulefollowing 18 days of protests.
Mr Mubarak's resignation overnight saw the protests instantly turn to celebration across Egypt and the world when vice president Omar Suleiman made the announcement on national television.
The military council said it would "pave the way for an elected civil authority to build a free democratic state," although it set no official timetable.
"The current government and governors undertake to manage affairs until the formation of a new government," a senior army officer said in a statement delivered on state television.
The council went on to say it would "remain committed to all its regional and international treaties," implicitly confirming that Egypt's landmark 1979 peace treaty with Israel would remain intact. Saudi Arabia said it welcomed the peaceful transition of power in Egypt.
The announcement was the clearest statement yet on the military's plans following Mr Mubarak's ouster by a nationwide pro-democracy uprising.
The army also announced that it would "look to guarantee the peaceful transition of power in the framework of a free, democratic system which allows an elected, civilian power to govern the country to build a democratic, free state".
Job not over
Meanwhile, pro-democracy activists in Cairo's Tahrir Square vowed to stay there until the Higher Military Council now running Egypt accepted the agenda for democratic reform.
Crowds celebrated in the square, while organisers urged the army to meet demands including the dissolution of a fraudulently elected parliament and the lifting of a 30-year-old state of emergency used by Mr Mubarak to crush opposition and dissent.
While some veteran protesters took down their tents, others were staying on.
"This is the start of the revolution, it's not over yet, but I have to go back to work," said Mohammed Saeed, 30, who was packing away his tent.
Mohammed Farrag, 31, who was also decamping after 18 days, said he believed stability was returning. "But, at the end of the day, we will not give up on Egypt as a civilian state, not a military state," he said.
"If things move away from our demands, we will go into the street again, even if we have to die as martyrs."
Many wanted to see the immediate end to emergency laws.
"People's Communique No. 1", issued by the protest organisers, demands the dissolution of the cabinet Mr Mubarak appointed on January 29 and the suspension of the parliament elected in a rigged vote late last year.
The reformists want a transitional five-member presidential council made up of four civilians and one military person.
The communique calls for the formation of a transitional government to prepare for an election to take place within nine months, and of a body to draft a new democratic constitution.
It demands freedom for the media and syndicates, which represent groups such as lawyers, doctors and engineers, and for the formation of political parties. Military and emergency courts must be scrapped, the communique says.
People power
Despite misgivings about military rule, the best deterrent to any military attempt to maintain dominance could be the street power and energy of protesters nationwide who swept out Mr Mubarak because he governed without their consent.
The first priority in Egypt was restoring law and order before the start of the working week on Sunday. Army tanks and soldiers stayed on the streets guarding intersections and key buildings after the disgraced police force melted away.
With the threat of confrontation between the army and protesters now gone, Cairo residents took photographs of each other holding flowers with smiling soldiers at roadblocks to record the first day of a new post-Mubarak era.
People were buying bundles of state-owned newspapers proclaiming "The Revolution of the Youths forced Mubarak to leave" with pictures of celebrations to keep as treasured souvenirs of this landmark in Egypt's history.
The army dismantled checkpoints around Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the protest movement, and some makeshift barricades were being removed. Volunteers cleaned up while a carnival atmosphere lingered.
Egyptians were desperate to restore normality and get back to work after the tumult, which claimed about 300 or more lives and damaged the nation's economy.
No clear leader
Egypt's opposition had been throttled by emergency rule imposed after Mr Mubarak succeeded Anwar Sadat, shot dead by an Islamist army officer in 1981, and there has been no obvious leader to spearhead Egypt's revolution.
Among possible leaders was Ayman Nour, who challenged Mr Mubarak in the most recent presidential election and was later charged with forgery and jailed for three years in what Mr Nour said was a politically motivated case.
Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, a former Egyptian foreign minister, has often won Arab public support for his outspoken comments. Mr Moussa said he would leave the pan-Arab body which he headed for about 10 years within weeks.
There were also some popular members from the Muslim Brotherhood group and other opposition parties. It was still unclear if any of the anonymous youth leaders behind the well-organised revolt wanted or would be allowed to hold office.
Another possibility was Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and leading opposition activist who started a campaign last year for democracy and Mr Mubarak out.
-AFP/Reuters
-AFP/Reuters
Tags: world-politics, unrest-conflict-and-war, egypt
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ABC Analysis
'China ready to go to war to safeguard national interests'
Beijing: Terming US attempts to woo India and other neighbours of China as "unbearable," an article in a Communist party magazine has said that Beijing must send a "clear signal" to these countries that it is ready to go to war to safeguard its national interests.
The article published in the Qiushi Journal, the official publication of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) said China must adhere to a basic strategic principle of not initiating war but being ready to counterattack.
"We must send a clear signal to our neighbouring countries that we don't fear war, and we are prepared at any time to go to war to safeguard our national interests," the article said, suggesting an aggressive strategy to counter emerging US alliances in the region.
"Throughout the history of the new China (since 1949), peace in China has never been gained by giving in, only through war. Safeguarding national interests is never achieved by mere negotiations, but by war," it said.
The piece said countries like Japan, India, Vietnam, Australia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Korea are trying to join the anti-China group because they either had a war or a conflict of interest with China.
"What is especially unbearable is how the US blatantly encourages China's neighbouring countries to go against China. We cannot completely blame the US, as flies do not stare at seamless eggs.
"They are attempting to gain benefits by using US," it said. It suggested that China should use its economic clout and trade as a weapon to rein in neighbours. "China's neighbouring countries need China's international trade more than China needs them, with the vast majority of China's trade deficit caused by these countries," it said.
"Therefore, they, but not China, will suffer greater damage by antagonising China. China should make good use of these economic advantages and strategic power. This is also the most effective means to avoid a war," it said.
The article said the US has adopted a series of strategies to contain China like through an exchange rate war, through a public opinion war, besides launching military exercises and simulated warfare, and the development of an anti-China alliance.
China on its part, it said, can consider the idea of launching economic warfare through strategies to contain the US dollar and making effective use of forums like the IMF and initiating a space war by developing strong space weapons.
It also suggested as a counter-strategy the idea of pursuing a strong policy against neighbours joining the US alliance, even attacking a nearby enemy and forming anti-US alliances in Latin America and Africa.
It also said the China should also launch a public opinion war by making an effective use of the free media in the US and other democracies.
Though suggesting a hard-line policy towards neighbours, the article, however, proposes to rope in countries with good foreign reserves like India to neutralise the influence of US dollar.
"Of course, to fight the US, we have to come up with key weapons. What is the most powerful weapon China has today? It is our economic power, especially our foreign exchange reserves (USD 2.8 trillion). The key is to use it well. If we use it well, it is a weapon; otherwise it may become a burden," it said.
China, it said, should ensure that that fewer countries should keep their forex reserves in US dollars.
"China, Japan, the UK, India, and Saudi Arabia are all countries with high foreign exchange reserves," it said analysing each country's ability to align with China against the US.
"Japan is constrained by the Japan-US Security Treaty and will not break away from the US... Great Britain has always followed the US, so the probability that it will cooperate with China is also pretty low".
"India has stayed closely allied with the US in recent years, and Obama promised to support India for a permanent membership in the UNSC. Thus, the probability for India to cooperate with China is also not great.
"India's purchasing power of foreign exchange reserves is very limited anyway, so it cannot influence the overall situation much," it said.
So in view of this China should "pick up courage" and go for aggressive buying of other currencies, including the Indian Rupee hence taking the lead in affecting the market for US dollars.
This approach, it said, is market-driven and it will not be able to easily blame China.
"Of course, the most important condition is still that China must have enough courage to challenge the US currency. China can act in one of two ways. One is to sell US dollar reserves, and the second is not to buy US dollars for a certain period of time," which will weaken the currency and cause deep economic crisis for Washington.
Given the fact that China is the biggest buyer of US debt, its actions will have a demonstrable effect on the market.
"If China stops buying, other countries will pay close attention and are very likely to follow. Once the printed excess dollars cannot be sold, the depreciation of the dollar will accelerate and the impact on Americans wealth will be enormous.
"The US will not be able to withstand this pressure and will curtail the printing of US currency," it said.
Source: PTI
Military regime bars officials from leaving Egypt
Cairo: A day after the ouster of Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian military on Saturday banned top officials from travelling outside the country to ensure that former presidential loyalists don't flee.
The ban comes into force immediately, an official announcement from the new regime said as Army removed barricades and barbed wires from around the Tahrir Square and the Egyptian capital limped back to normalcy after 18-days of turmoil.
An official statement said that officials could only travel with permission from State Prosecutor or the Armed Forces. The new move to put restrictions on movements of Mubarak loyalists came as mystery continued to surround the whereabouts of the deposed president and his family.
While officially it is stated that Mubarak has shifted to his Sharm-al-Sheikh resort on the Red sea, other reports in the Arab media said he may have moved to Europe or the Gulf. There was no word or mention of the ex-president from the new regime.
The Supreme Military Command Council, which has taken over the reins after Mr. Mubarak fled to his Sharm-al Sheikh resort retreat, announced that night curfew would be now in force only post-midnight.
Egyptians vow to bring democracy
Egyptian protesters were jubilant on Saturday over their success in ousting President Hosni Mubarak, but many vowed to stay camped in a central Cairo square until they hear "clear assurances" that the military will meet their demands for democracy.
Burnt-out vehicles were towed away while people, including young activists wearing surgical masks, swept the streets and hauled away mounds of trash. Soldiers removed barricades to open at least a road leading to Tahrir, or Liberation Square, after a night of euphoric celebration and nearly three weeks of protests that forced Mubarak to surrender power to the military.
Many wore placards saying "Sorry for the inconvenience, but we're building Egypt." Protesters were divided about how long to stay, and people were still entering the square through checkpoints.
Some took down their makeshift tents, returning blankets donated by Islamic charities and heading home. Others vowed to stay put until the military, which has pledged to shepherd reforms for greater democracy, issues a promised statement on its next steps. Those could include the dissolution of parliament, creation of a presidential council and a transitional government.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has issued three communiqués so far, and the fourth was expected soon to announce the military's plans.
"We have to see how the army will orchestrate a democratic transfer of power. We have to wait and see," said Ali Mohammed, a sales manager camped out on the square.
Khaled Abdel-Hamid, a member of a coalition of groups behind the protests, said they have no unified leadership to determine when they should leave. But he said there was a consensus that the square would not emptied until the army speaks again.
"The army hasn't laid out exactly what it intends to do in the coming days, therefore, we are here and will remain here," he said.
Shopkeeper Gomaa Abdel-Maqsoud says he's been in Tahrir Square since the protests began on Jan. 25 and is ready to go. He says "I have never seen such happiness in peoples' faces before; what else do I want?"
Nadal Saqr, a university professor, insisted protesters should stay until the army offers "clear assurances" that their demands for democracy are met.
Elsewhere, Egyptians in coffee houses and on the street scoured newspapers for details about the astonishing events from the day before -- when hundreds of thousands marched on Mubarak's palaces in Cairo and Alexandria and besieged state TV, leading the military to effectively carry out a coup at the please of protesters.
Pro-government papers along with state-run TV and radio, which had long been forced to toe the ruling party line, shifted their editorial policy and congratulated the Egyptian people.
The once pro-Mubarak paper Al-Ahram daily ran a front page headline declaring "the people ousted the regime. The Egyptian youth forced Mubarak to leave. Egyptians have been celebrating until morning, with victory in the first popular revolution in their history."
State TV, which was the site of mass protests against government propaganda, promised in a statement that it "will be honest in carrying its message."
The 82-year-old former leader, meanwhile, remained with his family in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, according to local officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Source: AP/PTI
Joy in Arab world over Egypt as people ask who is next?
Dubai: The euphoria that marked the downfall of despot Hosni Mubarak in Egypt reverberated to the people across the Arab and Muslim world, but stunned most of the regimes in the Middle East and beyond where autocratic rulers apparently calculated their own chances of survival.
A copy of the Beijing Evening News with front page coverage on news from Egypt hangs on display at a news stand as pedestrians walk past. AFP
People in Palestine, Jordan, Turkey, Yemen, Bahrain, Algeria, Lebanon, Syria and Iran greeted with fanfare the victory of people in Egypt by fireworks, honking horns, embracing and greeting each other with joy, but there was a stunned silence in the corridors of powers in most of the countries.
Most of the key Arab states including Saudi Arabia, Libya, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain which are monarchies and sheikhdoms are yet to respond to events in Egypt - the most populated Arab country.
It has been just eight weeks since a young Tunisian vegetable seller Mohammad Bouazizi set himself on fire in the provincial town of Sidi, triggering a revolution which has toppled two powerful Arab regimes in Tunisia and Egypt.
Inspired by events in Tunsia and Egypt, groups are already rallying in Yemen, Algeria, Jordan and Bahrain. The people have been intensely following the unfolding of peoples' power in Egypt through satellite channels, social networking websites and papers.
Turkey, one of the largest Muslim democratic country, was the first to greet the events in Egypt with Prime Minister Rcecep Tayyip Erdogan congratulating the Egyptian people and urging the military to swiftly transfer power to the elected government.
In Doha, the ruling family of Qatar described the transition of power to military as positive and important and hoped that Egypt would regain the leading role in Arab and Muslim world.
Supporters of the Honduran National Front of Popular Resistance (FNRP) celebrate the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Tegucigalpa. AFP
The gas rich kingdom has earned the ire of its neighboring states including Egypt over the coverage of events by Al-Jazeera news channel which is part owned by the ruling family.
Saluting the Egyptian people, the Iranian government, which has broken off diplomatic ties with Cairo, described the Egyptian uprising as a great victory.
Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had earlier called for establishment of an Islamic regime in Egypt. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said a new Middle East was being carved out that would be free of "US and Israel."
Celebrations also erupted in Lebanon and Gaza. In Beirut and Gaza, people rushed into the streets handing out candy, setting of fireworks and shooting in the air.
Lebanon's Hezbollah, which has been at the receiving end of Mubarak, congratulated the Egyptians on the historic victory. The group said it was holding a massive popular celebration to mark the victory of the Egyptian people.
The downfall of Mubarak was also greeted in Tunisia where just weeks back a successful uprising expelled a long time leader. But the new government had no reaction.
In Amman, the Jordanian government said it respected the free choices of the Egyptian people, but the country's powerful Muslim Brotherhood faction said that Mubarak's downfall should serve as a lesson for other Arab regimes.
There were celebrations in Algeria and Bahrain too. Political opponents of the regime have threatened similar rallies in these countries next week and the rulers are bracing to face these threats.
While the streets in most of the Arab capitals resounded to celebrations, there was apparent disquiet in Riyadh, Tripoli, Kuwait City and Emirates which have not reacted to events. "There is absolute silence in these capitals," a leading Arab weekly said.
A man (L) holds up a young girl during a "Global Day of Action for Egypt" in Sydney. AFP
But the most telling reaction came from thousands who swarmed onto the streets of the Jordanian capital. They waved placards reading 'Long live Egypt, Goodbye Mubarak. The people have toppled the regime. Who is next?'
After Egyptians, now Yemenis call for revolution
Sanaa: As tens of thousands of jubilant people in Cairo celebrated the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, Yemenis inspired by the Egyptian uprising have begun mustering forces for their own revolution.
In the southern port city of Aden, protesters marched through the Mansoura district, waving the old flag of South Arabia and chanting "Revolution, revolution for the south", the Christian Science Monitor reported.
Just hours before that march, security forces had fired live ammunition during a protest on the same street. Hundreds more staged demonstrations throughout Aden, as well as in other cities across Yemen's south.
"After Hosni Mubarak, Yemen is going to be next. I know it," said Zahra Saleh, a prominent secession activist watching the scenes in Cairo on a TV set in a small Aden office.
"Now our revolution has to be stronger," declared Ali Jarallah, a leader in the southern separatist movement.
The Yemeni southern secessionist movement is not calling for political reforms, an end to corruption, or even for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down, as the political opposition is doing in the capital city Sanaa.
They are pushing for the end of what they view is northern Yemeni occupation and the restoration of an independent southern Yemeni state.
Perihan Salam (C) dances with a flag during a "Global Day of Action for Egypt" in Sydney. AFP
Though both derive momentum from the recent revolts in Tunisia and Egypt, the divergent aims of the Yemeni protesters represent another example of how anti-regime factions across the Arab world are shaping revolutionary energy to serve their own agendas, the Monitor said.
"What happened in Egypt sent a blink of hope to the (southern) movement," says Tammam Bashraheel, managing editor of Aden's banned Al Ayyam newspaper.
Exiled southern movement leader and former vice president Ali Salim Al Beidh said that events in the Arab world, and especially what is happening in Tunisia and Egypt, reflect a new stage in history that can be likened to the end of the cold war.
Beidh compared the southern Yemeni demonstrations to Egypt, where youths have played a central role. "The revolution of the south is a revolution of the youth and younger generation," he said.
In Sanaa, anti-government protests have focused on pressuring the ruling party to accept political reforms. However, in Yemen's south, the increased number of demonstrations since Tunisia's uprising have been more violent.
"Demonstrations are allowed to happen in Sanaa without weapons, why do they use weapons on us in the south?" asks secession activist Wagdy Al Shaaby. He criticized the US for supporting its Arab allies, even when they resort to authoritarian measures in the name of stability.
"America is a democracy, but when it comes to the Arab world, America supports oppressors," he says. "America protects these countries until they blow up."
The fractured yet popular southern separatists argue that since unification of north and south Yemen in 1990, and especially after a bloody civil war between the two sides of the country in 1994, there has been a systematic attempt to erase the identity of south Yemen.
They claim that southerners don't have proper representation in the central government, and that the government takes resources found in southern governorates, namely oil, without investing back in the south's infrastructure.
Source: PTI & IANS
Mubarak Egypt! Hosni forced out, Army steps in
Cairo: A 30-second announcement on Friday ended the 30-year autocratic rule of President Hosni Mubarak, setting off a wave of celebration at Tahrir Square and all of Egypt, the roar unsettling regimes across the Middle East.
Hours after his defiant speech on state television enraged tens of thousands demanding his ouster, Mubarak finally ceded power to the military and left Cairo with wife Suzanne for his retreat in Sharm el-Sheikh on the Red Sea coast.
Official confirmation of his departure came at 9.30 pm India time when an ashen-faced Omar Suleiman, Vice President and longtime intelligence chief, in a statement on state-run Nile TV, said: "My fellow citizens, in view of these hard circumstances that the country is facing, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down as President of the Republic and has asked the higher council of the armed forces to run the affairs of the country."
The Egyptian military moved in quickly to take control, promising quick transition to democracy and speedy removal of a dreaded emergency law that governs the country.
Mubarak, one of the longest serving rulers in the Arab world, bowed to vociferous demands of determined protesters calling for an end to his rule that began Oct 14, 1981 when he took over after the assassination of president Anwar el-Sadat at a military parade in Cairo.
His exit was as dramatic as his arrival 30 years ago. The former commander of the Egyptian air force was reportedly flown to the Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh and just two hours later, his confidante and Vice President Omar Suleiman announced that the president was "waiving" his office and had handed over authority to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.
Millions glued to TV sets across the country erupted in joy as the announcement was made. Cars honked in unison on the streets of Cairo, fireworks lit up the night sky and gunshots rang out in celebration.
The loudest cheer came from Tahrir Square, the centre of the 18-day protest that toppled one of the most authoritarian regimes in the Arab world.
The hundreds of thousands who had turned up at Tahrir chanted "Free, Free, Egypt is Free" as Suleiman appeared on television. "The people have brought down the regime," they shouted.
Earlier in the day, enraged by Mubarak's refusal to step down, protesters called for a "march by two million" in Cairo. By evening, hundreds of thousands converged even beyond Tahrir -- outside parliament, TV station, even the presidential palace. TV channels then put out promos that an important announcement was imminent.
When the announcement finally came, people across Cairo took to the streets, cheering, shouting, crying. Young men and women waved the national flag, sitting atop cars in processions across the city. Even soldiers, standing guard for more than two weeks, were seen joining the celebrations.
Google executive Wael Ghonim, who became a prominent face of the youth movement, tweeted after the address, "Welcome back Egypt".
Tens of thousands of jubilant Egyptians waved national flags and cheered in joy.
A day earlier, there had been speculation that Mubarak was about to go. But in a televised address Thursday night, a defiant Mubarak refused to step down as president of a country of over 80 million.
The protesters became increasingly belligerent with Mubarak's blunt refusal to demit office and they began to intensify their protests by spreading out in areas that were outside downtown Cairo's Tahrir Square - the epicentre of their protests since Jan 25.
Thousands of protesters moved overnight to the presidential palace in central Cairo.
The protesters also scaled up their demonstration by blocking access to the parliament building near the square.
With the rage against Mubarak intensifying, reports came in that Mubarak and his family had been flown out of Cairo.
Al Arabiya TV reported that Mubarak had departed to Sharm el-Sheikh aboard a military plane. He was accompanied by the chief of staff of the armed forces, Lt. Gen. Sami Annan.
Other reports indicated that Mubarak has flown to an "unknown" destination.
And then came Suleiman's statement to announce Mubarak's stepping down that was heard with bated breath.
A roar of approval greeted the announcement, and the crowd of hundreds of thousands began chanting and waving flags in Cairo's Tahrir Square as well as across the country.
The crowd in Tahrir Sqaure chanted "We have brought down the regime". Many were seen crying, cheering and embracing one another.
"Tonight, after all of these weeks of frustration, of violence, of intimidation ... today the people of Egypt undoubtedly (feel they) have been heard, not only by the president, but by people all around the world," the Al Jazeera correspondent at Tahrir Square reported.
"The military has stood aside and people are flooding through (a gap where barbed wire has been moved aside)," he added.
President Barack Obama on Friday welcomed the peaceful transition of power in Egypt. "The people of Egypt have spoken. Their voices have been heard. And Egypt will never be the same," he declared.
In brief remarks at the White House, the President noted that it was "not the end of Egypt's transition, it's a beginning." He said that many important questions remain to be resolved and difficult times lie ahead.
"I'm confident the people of Egypt can find the answers," Obama said. "Egyptians have inspired us, and they've done so by putting the lie to the idea that justice is best gained by violence," he said.
British Prime Minister David Cameron described the happenings in Egypt on Friday as "a remarkable day", particularly for those in Tahrir Square and elsewhere "who have spoken out so bravely and so peacefully for change in their country".
"Egypt now has a really precious moment of opportunity to have a government that can bring the people together. We stand ready to help in any way that we can. We believe it must be a government that starts to put in place the building blocks of a truly open, free and democratic society."
India welcoming Mubarak's decision to step down hoped for a "peaceful transition of power in a time-bound manner".
"We welcome the decision of President Mubarak to step down in deference to the wishes of the people of Egypt," External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said in a statement.
"We also welcome the commitment of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to ensure a peaceful transition of power in time bound manner to establish an open and democratic framework of governance.
"We are proud of our traditionally close relations with the people of Egypt and wish them peace, stability and prosperity," he said.
The Egytian army said that it "confirms the lifting of the state of emergency as soon as the current circumstances end", BBC reported.
The military endorsed the transfer of Mubarak's powers to Omar Suleiman, and guaranteed a free and fair elections, constitutional changes and "protection of the nation".
The army also urged "the need to resume orderly work in the government installations and a return to normal life to preserve the interests and property of our great people".
Switzerland swiftly froze Mubarak's assets after the announcement by Omar Suleiman.
The Swiss government decided to block any assets that may be held in Switzerland by Mubarak, DPA quoted Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey as saying Friday.
The minister said that a decree was issued shortly after Mubarak stepped down Friday to identify and block any assets belonging to the Egyptian president and his family.
Mubarak's wealth has long been a subject of speculation. According to media reports, he and his family own assets worth more than $40 billion.
As Egyptians were delighted by the turn of events, there was celebration in Tunisia which had seen a massive uprising that culminated with the ouster of longtime leader Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali.
A large crowd of Tunisians descended on central Tunis Friday evening to celebrate the news that Mubarak had resigned.
Waving Tunisian and Egyptian flags, jubilant residents headed for Avenue Habib Bourguiba, where four weeks ago protesters had celebrated the news that their
The success of the protesters in ousting Ben Ali from power has inspired people across the Arab world to agitate for democracy.
"One, two, three, vive (long live) l'Algerie," some of the crowd chanted, referring to Tunisia's neighbour to the west, where a major pro-democracy demonstration has been announced for Saturday despite officially being banned.
Hosni Mubarak: Life and times
Cairo: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has resigned his presidency and handed over power to the military, Vice President Omar Suleiman announced on Friday on Egyptian State Television.
In this March 7, 1983 photo, Egyptian President Mohammad Hosni Mubarak greets Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on his arrival for the opening session of the 7th NAM summit, in New Delhi. Mubarak resigned on Friday after 30 years in rule. AP
After 18 days of unprecedented protests across the country, Mubarak's 30 year rule of the North African country came to an abrupt end.
Born in 1928 in the village of Kafr el-Moseilha in the Nile delta province of Menoufia, he rose through the ranks of the Air Force when Egypt was locked in conflict with Israel, eventually becoming Air Chief Marshall after the Yom Kippur or Ramadan war 1973, in which Egypt reversed some of the humiliation of the 1967 Six Day war defeat. He then became President Anwar Sadat's trusted Vice-President in 1975.
Six years later at a military parade, Mubarak was rushed to safety as Islamic militants sprayed the leaders' podium with bullets, assassinating Sadat. Mubarak was unscathed; he was sitting right next to Sadat, prompting many to speculate about whether a conspiracy or incredible good fortune were behind his safety.
Mubarak was named president seven days later in October 1981 and proceeded to carry on the main tenets of Sadat's post-Gamal Abdul Nasser years.
Nasser, Egypt's first post revolution leader, had been the focal champion of pan-Arabism, Arab socialism and nationalism, in the 1950s and 1960s, maintained a state of war with Israel, had close ties with Moscow, and was a leading figure of the non-aligned movement.
In a March 19, 1985 file photo, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, center, welcomes Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, right, and King Hussein of Jordan during a surprise visit to Baghdad. Egypt's vice president says Mubarak resigned on Friday, Feb. 11, 2011 as president and handed control to the military. AP
Sadat made peace with Israel, switched Egypt's super power alliance to Washington in exchange for huge injections of economic and military aid, opened up the economy, creating a rich elite, and ruthlessly repressed the Muslim Brotherhood.
As the years went by, Mubarak became more aloof, carefully choreographing his public appearances, and his authoritarian governing style appeared increasingly out of sync with a world focused on economic and political openness.
Mubarak was a regional heavyweight, and a familiar face on the international stage, often involved in the various, mostly aborted, attempts at Middle East diplomacy and peace negotiations.
It was his continued crackdown of the Islamic opposition, however which nearly brought him the same fate as Sadat. In June, 1995, Mubarak narrowly escaped assassination in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, as he arrived at an Organisation of African Unity (OAU) summit.
His car was riddled with bullets by jihadists, but he again survived. Upon his return to Cairo, he told reporters, "Suddenly I found a blue van blocking the road and somebody just flat on the ground and machine guns started. For me it was shocking. What's that? Then I realised there were bullets coming in our car."
In a Sept. 28, 1995 file photo, President Bill Clinton, left, speaks with Yassar Arafar, center, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, right, during a reception for Middle East leaders in Washington. Egypt's vice president says Mubarak resigned on Friday, Feb. 11, 2011 as president and handed control to the military. AP
As his contemporaries, Jordan's King Hussein and Syria's Hafez Al Assad, died and were replaced by their sons, observers speculated that Mubarak would lay the foundations for his son, Gamal to follow suit.
Many Egyptians feared that Gamal might end up with the presidency, and that fuelled further resentment towards the regime. Mubarak never appointed a vice president as the constitution required. Critics said he wanted no rivals, but he repeatedly said the parliament dominated by his ruling party would oversee the succession in accordance with the constitution.
Extremist attacks hit Egypt several times during his time in power, before and after the September 11 attacks. Most prominent, were the massacre of 58 tourists at Luxor in 1997 and the Taba attacks in 2004 that targeted Israeli tourists, and left some 34 people of varying nationalities dead.
Another of his long-term cotemporaries, the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat, with whom he shared an at times difficult relationship, died in November 2004, and was accorded a statesman's funeral in Cairo before his burial in Ramallah.
In a July 25, 2002 file photo, French President Jacques Chirac, right, and his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak gesture during a news conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Egypt's vice president says Mubarak resigned on Friday, Feb. 11, 2011 as president and handed control to the military. AP
On the domestic front, democratic credentials were never a priority for Mubarak, who kept the pro-reform and Islamic opposition cowed or imprisoned. Anti-government demonstrations gained strength in 2004 and 2005, led by the "Kifaya" (enough) pro-reform movement, and the Muslim Brotherhood.
The government ensured that the first ever presidential elections, held in September 2005, were a foregone conclusion, in spite of a constitutional amendment which allowed others to stand against the incumbent.
The purported move toward democratic reform retrenched sharply when opponents made gains, and Mubarak jailed both his main secular opponent, Ayman Nour, and leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Mubarak easily won a fifth term, the previous four having come by referendum.
Turnout was low in March 2007, in a rushed referendum on amending Egypt's constitution, changes the government touted as democratic reforms but critics dismissed as attempts to curtail rights and consolidate the regime's power.
In this Oct. 6, 1981 file photo, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, right, and Vice President Hosni Mubarak are seen on the reviewing stand during a military parade just before soldiers opened fire from a truck during the parade at the reviewing stand, killing Sadat and injuring Mubarak. Egypt's vice president says Mubarak resigned on Friday, Feb. 11, 2011 as president and handed control to the military. AP
The authorities claimed more than 75 percent of voters approved their changes. The opposition insisted the poll was rigged. He remained Washington's closest ally in the Arab World, along with Saudi Arabia, though he warned that the Iraq war would create scores of Bin Ladens.
He endorsed former US President George W. Bush's push for Israeli-Palestinian final status negotiations and a two-state settlement which consequently foundered.
When Hamas destroyed the wall at the Rafah crossing, effectively ending the Israeli blockade of Gaza in January this year for some days, Mubarak instructed his troops to keep the border open.
"I told them to let them come in and eat and buy food and then return them later as long as they were not carrying weapons," he told reporters. The Bush administration seemed to tire of Mubarak's anti-democratic tendencies, as reflected in a brief flying visit by the president during his major Middle East tour in January 2008.
In this June 1, 1990 file photo, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak visit a panorama and weapons exhibition of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war in Cairo, Egypt. Egypt's vice president says Mubarak resigned on Friday, Feb. 11, 2011 as president and handed control to the military. AP
Applying the same dictum to their other autocratic and monarchy-led friends in the region, they were more wary of the possible populist alternative - a militant Islamic party in power.
After the Algerian paradigm, the rise of Hamas, Hezbollah, and stealth of Iran under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Mubarak's strongest international card was always his maintenance of the status quo, though it won him few admirers at home.
Mubarak's health was frequently called into question by observers in recent years, although discussions were usually kept under tight control by the regime and public statements on the issue were rare.
In an Aug. 18, 1981 file photo, Egyptian Vice-President Honsi Mubarak, right, speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in Alexandria, Egypt. Egypt's vice president says Mubarak resigned on Friday, Feb. 11, 2011 as president and handed control to the military. AP
In 2006, an editor was sentenced to six months in prison for reporting on rumours about the president's health. Mubarak later pardoned the journalist. Many diplomats and Egyptian political observers believe his health took a downturn after the sudden death of his 12-year-old grandson in May 2009.
However, Mubarak continued travelling abroad and touring Egyptian provinces. In March 2010, Mubarak underwent an operation in Germany to remove his gall bladder after temporarily handing over power to the prime minister.
Source: Associated Press
God gives us chance to get rid of US slavery: Jud chief
Lahore: Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed today said the killing of two Pakistani men by US official Raymond Davis was a "God-given opportunity" for the country to get rid of the slavery imposed on it by the US.
US diplomat Raymond Davis has been accused of murdering two "ISI agents" in a shootout in Lahore.
Addressing a Friday prayer congregation at a mosque at the JuD''s headquarters in Chauburji in Lahore, Saeed said: "God has given us an opportunity to get rid of America's slavery. We should be united in the face of American imperialism."
Saeed, also the founder of the banned Lashker-e-Taiba that was blamed for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, warned the Pakistan government not to hand over Davis to the US.
"If the government yields to American pressure, it will face the wrath of the people," he said. The Pakistani people were "very emotional" over the issue and will not allow the government to "sell the blood of its citizens", he said.
The JuD also organised a rally in Lahore to press the government not to release Davis. A large number of JuD activists and traders joined the rally held at Hall Road and vent their anger against the US and the Pakistani governments.
Davis was arrested after he shot and killed two alleged robbers in Lahore on January 27. He claimed he had acted in self-defence as the two men were trying to rob him. However, Lahore police chief Aslam Tareen today said Davis had been booked for murder.
Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed said the killing of two Pakistani men by US official Raymond Davis was a "God-given opportunity" for the country to get rid of the slavery imposed on it by the US.
Davis was sent to jail after a court remanded him to judicial custody for a fortnight this morning. The JuD has been at the forefront of protests organised in several parts of Pakistan to pressure the government not to release Davis.
Qureshi paid the price for opposing Davis' immunity
Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi paid the price for not toeing the ruling party's line on providing diplomatic immunity to the jailed US official Raymond Davis, facing a murder charge for shooting down two Pakistanis in Lahore.
Qureshi, who was dropped from his high-profile foreign affairs portfolio, was one of two persons who were "on the wrong side of the prevalent dominant wisdom and desire of somehow finding a way to retrospectively cough up diplomatic immunity for Davis" during a meeting held in the presidency a few days ago to discuss the case, The News daily reported.
"An adamant Qureshi, who had strongly argued the case that (Davis) did not enjoy unlimited diplomatic immunity under law, flatly refused and even said that if need be, he'd rather resign than become an accessory to multiple murder," the paper claimed.
Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi paid the price for not toeing the ruling party's line on providing diplomatic immunity to the jailed US official Raymond Davis.
The newspaper did not identify the other person who was against granting immunity to Davis but the report implied that he was Inter-Services Intelligence agency chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha.
"But since one of the 'erring' two dared not be arbitrarily fired, poor Qureshi's fate stood sealed," the paper said.
The "highly secretive" meeting, convened by President Asif Ali Zardari, was also attended by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Law Minister Babar Awan and Interior Minister Rehman Malik.
The meeting focussed on the issue of Davis and Pakistan-US relations. Qureshi skipped the swearing-in ceremony for Gilani's new cabinet yesterday after he learnt that he would not be reallocated the foreign affairs portfolio.
Qureshi was on Friday dropped from his high-profile foreign affairs portfolio by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
It had earlier been announced on state-run television that he would be among the ministers to be administered the oath by the President. Davis was arrested in Lahore on January 27 after he shot and killed two men who he claimed were trying to rob him.
Police yesterday rejected his claim that he had acted in self-defence and accused him of "intentional and cold-blooded murder". A third Pakistani was killed when he was hit by a US consulate car rushing to aid Davis.
The US has ramped up pressure on Pakistan to free Davis on the ground that he has diplomatic immunity. Reports have said that the US has also suspended all high-level contacts with Pakistan.
During the gathering at the presidency to discuss the issue of Davis, Zardari was given an "exhaustive overview of the entire situation but quite early in the meeting it became evident that two of the men" opposed to finding a way to grant diplomatic immunity to the US official, The News reported.
Source: PTI
Mubarak: A survivor comes undone
Cairo: He survived assassination attempts and wave after wave of Mideast crises, a solid ally of the West whose stable image reassured many Egyptians. Hosni Mubarak ended his presidency Friday as a symbol of what was wrong with Egypt: the repression, the corruption, the lost hopes of a swelling, impoverished class.
Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak attends a meeting with Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi in Sharm el-Sheikh April 21, 2010. REUTERS
Mubarak, in power for nearly three decades, was such a fixture that his exit from power was hard to conceive for most Egyptians just a short time ago. Year after year, as the president aged and ailed, people watched his scripted appearances on television - the suit and tie, the wagging finger, the "father of the nation" aura.
After protests and upheaval swept Egypt, Mubarak sought to portray himself as the only obstacle to chaos, as he had done successfully so many times in the past. Yet attacks by his supporters, who roamed downtown Cairo with impunity, suggested that violence lay at the core of his system.
As he clung to power, the status quo he personified became increasingly loathed. And as it turns out, beneath the stern facade of authority, the 82-year-old was a figure in steep decline, unable to check boiling currents of popular fury, or harness the history unfolding in his nation of 80 million - the largest in the Arab world.
A former pilot and air force general with a combative, stubborn streak, he took tentative steps toward democratic reform early in his presidency but pulled back toward the dictatorial style that eventually propelled the protests that began on Jan. 25.
U.S. President Barack Obama (R) meets with Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington September 1, 2010. REUTERS
Assessments described Mubarak as a man deeply suspicious of reform. A 2009 cable from the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, released by the secret-sharing WikiLeaks website, called him "a tried and true realist, innately cautious and conservative," and with "little time for idealistic goals."
It noted that Mubarak disapproved of the 2003 U.S. invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein of Iraq, which he believed was in need of a "'tough, strong military officer who is fair'" as leader.
"This telling observation, we believe, describes Mubarak's own view of himself as someone who is tough but fair, who ensures the basic needs of his people," the cable said. "In Mubarak's mind, it is far better to let a few individuals suffer than risk chaos for society as a whole."
Mubarak was long credited by his Western allies with keeping the peace with Israel and keeping Egypt free of the grip of Islamic extremism. In a searing experience that defined his outlook, he was sitting on a military viewing stand next to his predecessor, Anwar Sadat, when Islamic militants assassinated Sadat in 1981. A week later, with Egypt in trauma, Mubarak was president.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak leans in to listen to France President Nicolas Sarkozy during a news conference in Sharm el-Sheikh January 18, 2009. REUTERS
He lacked the charisma of his two predecessors, the peacemaker Sadat and the Arab nationalist, Gamal Abdel Nasser, and served in their shadows. He struggled with the problems that have bedeviled the Arab world: choking corruption, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and fighting militancy. Economic reforms spurred growth, but the fruits trickled only to a few.
He carved out a niche as a key negotiator on the Palestinian crisis, bolstered by billions in U.S. aid. He engineered Egypt's return to the Arab fold after nearly a decade out in the cold over its 1979 peace treaty with Israel.
Early on, Mubarak put down an insurgency by Muslim extremists, whose ranks had produced Sadat's assassins and some of the future al-Qaida leaders. In the 1990s, he fought hard against another resurgence of Muslim militants whose attacks included the slaughter of dozens of foreign tourists at the temple city of Luxor.
Eli Shaked, who served as Israel's ambassador to Egypt from 2003-2005, described Mubarak as "a strong presence, not charismatic but with a heavy body like a fighter bomber, and very levelheaded."
Shaked said Mubarak met visiting Israeli officials with at least three top advisers by his side, often consulting with them and demonstrating a detailed knowledge of Israeli politics. The Israeli said Mubarak liked "political jokes and witticisms," but was short on creativity: "The man is completely status quo."
Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak (R) talks to his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev during their meeting at the presidential palace in Cairo, June 23, 2009. REUTERS
Mohammed Hosni Mubarak was born on May 4, 1928, in the village of Kafr el-Moseilha in the Nile delta province of Menoufia. His family, like Sadat's and Nasser's, was lower middle class.
After joining the air force in 1950, Mubarak moved up the ranks as a bomber pilot and instructor and rose to leadership positions. He earned nationwide fame as commander of the air force during the 1973 Middle East war, and was vice president when Sadat was assassinated - an attack Mubarak escaped with only a minor hand injury.
In his early days, Mubarak made popular moves that held up promise of a more open society, including freeing 1,500 politicians, journalists and clerics jailed during Sadat's last months in office.
But hopes for broader reform dimmed. Mubarak was re-elected in staged, one-man referendums in which he routinely won more than 90 percent approval. He became more aloof, carefully choreographing his public appearances, and his authoritarian governance, buttressed by harsh emergency laws, fueled resentment.
Age took its toll on the president, who was once an avid squash player with a consistent style that matched his personality. He became hard of hearing, and was so devastated by the death of a 12-year-old grandson in 2009 that he canceled a trip to the United States. Last year, he had gallbladder surgery in Germany.
Egypt's influence in the Middle East, meanwhile, waned as the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah and their patron, Iran, gained momentum and followers. The growing profile of Turkey, a democracy led by an Islam-inspired government, also chipped away at Egypt's heavyweight stature in the region.
Libya's leader Muammar Gaddafi (L) welcomes Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak as he arrives to attend a meeting involving five Arab states in Tripoli June 28, 2010. REUTERS
In 2005, Mubarak held the country's first contested presidential election, an event marred by charges of voter fraud and intimidation. He retrenched when opponents made gains in ensuing parliamentary elections, launching a harsh campaign of arrests against the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's biggest and best organized opposition group.
Before the protests began, Mubarak had been silent on whether he intended to seek re-election in September. But the quick rise of his son, Gamal, through the ruling party caused immense anxiety.
The fear that Mubarak was grooming Gamal, a wealthy businessman, to succeed him left many Egyptians feeling trapped in the past, deprived of change and renewal. Then, the uprising in Tunisia delivered an electrifying message: an old order can be ousted.
Mubarak initially responded to protests by saying he would not seek another term, and his government said Gamal Mubarak would not run, either. But the president rejected demands that he step down immediately, telling ABC News that he'd like to leave but feared the country would sink deeper into chaos without him.
It was a persuasive argument for 29 years, but in 2011 it was overwhelmed by the cries of huge crowds in Cairo's Tahrir Square: "Leave! Leave!"
Source: Associated Press
Egypt moves to reassure allies
Egyptians celebrate Mubarak's resignationNewspapers in Egypt and the rest of the Middle East have hailed President Hosni Mubarak's departure as the start of a new era, with some glimpsing a chance for Cairo to regain what many see as its rightful status as regional leader.
Commentators in Algeria and Yemen - the scene of pro-democracy protests on Saturday - and the rest of North Africa, which many fear could see similar upheavals in the future, are also delighted to see what many describe as "the fall of the Pharaoh''.
In Iran, papers note that Mubarak's departure came on the anniversary of the fall of Iran's long-time Shah and suggest that the events in both Egypt and Tunisia were inspired by Iran's own Islamic revolution in 1979.
EDITORIAL IN EGYPT'S AL-JUMHURIYAH
With its martyrs and strugglers, the 25 January revolution has opened a new page that challenged all obstacles to change. There is hope for a better tomorrow where the real face and leading role of Egypt will be restored.
HEADLINE IN ALGERIAN ARABIC-LANGUAGE AL-FADJR
Three weeks of anger end 30 years of his rule.
ALGERIAN ARABIC-LANGUAGE ECHOUROUK EL YOUMI
Proud Cairo humiliates the Pharaoh and topples him... Friday [was] the day Moses' pharaoh drowned and the last of the pharaohs fell.
HASNA YACOUB IN ALGERIAN FRENCH-LANGUAGE LA TRIBUNE
Yesterday Hosni Mubarak resigned, after 18 days of violent protests, 300 deaths and several hundred people injured. Mubarak went to great lengths to find an honourable way out, but the Egyptian people would have none of it. As if with one voice, millions chanted: "Mubarak out".
KAMEL AMARNI IN ALGERIAN FRENCH-LANGUAGE LE SOIR D'ALGERIE
Hosni Mubarak has thrown in the towel. Yesterday, he officially stepped down from his post as Egyptian president, on the 18th day of an unprecedented popular uprising in his country, and transferred power to the army.
SAID CHEKRI IN ALGERIAN FRENCH-LANGUAGE LIBERTE
Mubarak - who thought that he could count on Egypt's geo-strategic importance in order to hang on to power - ended up by letting go… Algerians are being called on to choose between freedom and security. Such a summons, which first Ben Ali and then Mubarak have already tried to impose, cannot take the place of a political plan.
MOROCCAN AKHBAR AL YAOUM
The End of a Pharaoh: The will of the revolution broke the stubbornness of the dictator.
TAOUFIK BOUACHRINE IN MOROCCAN AKHBAR AL YAOUM
Would it not have been more honourable and more respectful if Mubarak had left on the first day of the protests? Would it not have been better for him to have spared the lives of 300 martyrs? Would it not have been better for Mubarak to have been a former president rather than an ousted and humiliated president, looking for a haven to spend his last days away from the Nile?
HEADLINE IN TUNISIA'S ECHOUROUK
Finally the dream of the Arab people from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf has been achieved: they ousted him!
SULAYMAN AL-WARFALI IN LIBYAN AL-WATAN
Had President Mubarak adopted the brother leader's theory and applied direct democracy for the people through people's congresses this chaos would not have engulfed Egypt.
EDITORIAL IN SAUDI AL-WATAN
Sympathisers in the Muslim and Arab world are looking forward to Egypt entering a new era, when it resumes its role in the Arab and Islamic geo-political axis. There is no doubt that the youth who led the peaceful revolution with major understanding and awareness, will be committed to accomplish their mission in the same spirit.
EDITORIAL IN SYRIA'S TISHRIN
Finally, the Egyptian revolution has achieved its goal in making the regime and its symbols leave... The 18 days was like playing a game of cards before the regime yielded to the demands of the people who made history. The good thing is that that the people had the last word, and that the revolution reflects their sentiments, patriotism and sincerity... The historic moment has been achieved and the Arab masses are looking forward to a paradigm shift in Egypt. It is sincerely hoped that Egypt will return to stability.
ALI QASIM IN SYRIA'S AL-THAWRAH
The Egypt of today is not the same as the Egypt of yesterday. Today it has revealed its true face and regained its regional and Arab position. It has also opened the gates that have been closed for decades and announced its awakening. This is the way the Egyptian people expressed their will, and their will has been achieved through their struggle and steadfastness.
LEYLA HAMUD IN JORDAN'S AL-RA'Y
Oh, Egyptian people you have been blessed! The revolutionaries have been blessed. The mirage is still glimmering and will never vanish even if repressive regimes come one after another.
BASIM SAKJIHA IN JORDAN'S AL-DUSTUR
There is nothing more worthy at this moment than crying with joy. We thank God for the safety of our beloved Egypt. We thank God for the safety of Arabs as we will return to the global map with our legitimate leadership of Egypt... which we thought had been buried with time, but which has now come back to us in its best form.
RAFIQ KHURI IN LEBANON'S AL-ANWAR
The people of Egypt have emerged victorious, but this victory will not be complete without a transition into a civilian state through a democratic system.
AMIL KHURI IN LEBANON'S AL-NAHAR
It does not matter if weeks and months pass before we bite the honeycomb, wear the garment of freedom and lay the platform of the new regime. What is important is that there is no return for Mubarak and his likes. There is no return to worn-out regimes!
EDITORIAL IN QATAR'S AL-RAYAH
After 18 days of the revolution that had put Egypt in a desperate situation, the brilliant victory came when President Mubarak stepped down under the weight of the enormous public pressure. A new Egypt was born yesterday that crowned a long struggle against tyranny and corruption and which is now looking forward to democracy, reform and dignity.
AL-SADIQ AL-RUZAQI IN SUDAN'S AL-INTIBAHA
No power can stand in the face of the power of people. History will record a new form of fierce battles in the heart of the Arab and Islamic worlds that planned and remapped issues in the region in a totally different manner.
MAHJUB MUHAMMAD SALIH IN SUDAN'S AL-AYYAM
This is the beginning, and it will be a long journey whose results are not going to be achieved soon. It is a model to be followed by more than one country to confront a tyrant.
EDITOR IN CHIEF ABD-AL-BARI ATWAN IN PAN-ARAB AL-QUDS AL-ARABI
The fall of Mubarak and his regime is the end of an era, and the fall of the moderate axis, the Treaty of Camp David and all that was attached to it, which were humiliating Arabs and Muslims. This will be the end of the Israeli infiltration, which made the Arab rulers bow to Israeli officials, seek to have peace with them and give up what remained of Palestine to appease them.
HAZIM SAGHIYYAH IN PAN-ARAB AL-HAYAT
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak quit very late, and Umar Sulayman did not give firm assurances to the people in the squares and in other public areas. With this, apart from totalitarianism and corruption, the Egyptian regime had unveiled stubbornness and huge short-sightedness.
TARIQ AL-HAMID IN SAUDI-OWNED PAN-ARAB AL-SHARQ AL-AWSAT
Thank God for Egypt's safety. The Nile is running once again in the nerves of Egyptians and Arabs. Egypt is surprised by its position, and the way the entire world perceives it. All the Arabs expressed their fear about Egypt in their own way, and all expressed their love in their own way too. However, they called for security and peace in Egypt.
EDITORIAL IN IRAN'S JOMHURI-YE ESLAMI
Thirty two years ago, on 11 February 1979 when the Islamic Revolution achieved victory in Iran, America and Israel were the two countries that worried most. Now after the Egyptian people's revolution, the Zionists are scared once again. Mubarak's collapse is the beginning of a huge anti-American and anti-Israeli wave in the Middle East and North Africa. Iran also should have an important role in this process.
KARIM EFTEKHARI IN IRAN'S HEMAYAT
The current revolution in Egypt and Mubarak's downfall, the Egyptian people's happiness and their slogans - are all a copy of Iran's Islamic Revolution. Liberal democracy was a bad omen for the world and by looking at the developments in France, Britain and Greece we can see that it does not have any place even there. Today, Islam is the best ideology for leading the world. Today, the collapse of a powerful empire in Egypt - and not Iran - is the main concern for the US.
MEHDI MOHAMMADI IN IRAN'S KEYHAN
The political geography of the Middle East will change quickly as the Egyptian revolution infects other autocracies in the region. Israel is also reaching the end of the story. Iran, as the only source of inspiration for anti-US movements in the region, will control the heart of the revolutions. Sidelining the US is the most important geopolitical effect we can expect to see.
MOHAMMAD SA'ID AHADIAN IN IRAN'S KHORASAN
This delightful end is the beginning of a new start for the Egyptian people's movement to achieve complete freedom from dependence and regaining their national and Islamic identity. However, will this people's movement be able to stick to the route to freedom, which will be full of twists and turns?
BBC Monitoring selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaux abroad.
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Egypt moves to reassure allies
The Egyptian military has said it will respect all international treaties, including its accord with Israel, after Hosni Mubarak's resignation.
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Egypt moves to reassure alliesMilitary falls out with protesters over Egypt's path to democracy
New leadership resists pressure from activists to hand power to civilian administration
A protester waves an Egyptian flag on top of a tank during celebrations in Tahrir Square in Cairo today. Photograph: Emilio Morenatti/APEgypt's new military administration and the pro-democracy protesters who brought down Hosni Mubarak were at odds today over the path to democratic rule.
The army sought to stave off pressure from jubilant protesters to swiftly hand power to a civilian-led administration by saying that it is committed to a "free democratic state".
The military leadership gave no timetable for the political transition, and many of the demonstrators who filled Cairo's Tahrir square for 18 days rejected the military's appeal to dismantle the barricades and go home.
They said they were waiting for specific commitments from the military on their demand for a civilian-controlled interim administration, the lifting of the oppressive state of emergency and other steps toward political liberalisation.
The shock waves of Mubarak's fall were felt across the region today, particularly in Algeria and Yemen. Thousands of anti-government protesters, apparently inspired by events in Cairo, turned out in Algiers to confront the police. There were reports that hundreds had been arrested. In Sanaa, a protest by about 2,000 people to demand political reform was broken up by armed government supporters.
Some of the organisers of Egypt's revolution announced they had formed a council to negotiate with the military and to oversee future demonstrations to keep up the pressure on the army to meet the demand for rapid democratic change.
"The council will have the authority to call for protests or call them off depending on how the situation develops," said Khaled Abdel Qader Ouda, one of the organisers.
Earlier, General Mohsen el-Fangari said in a televised statement that the military intends to oversee "a peaceful transition of power" to allow "an elected civilian government to rule and build a free democratic state". He said the present cabinet would continue to sit until a new one is formed.
El-Fangari announced that the widely-ignored overnight curfew imposed during the crisis would be shortened by several hours.
The military council also sought to allay American and Israeli concerns by saying that Egypt will continue to respect international treaties it has signed. Israeli politicians had expressed concern that a new government in Cairo might abrogate the 1979 peace accord between the two countries.
Israel's finance minister, Yuval Steinitz, welcomed the announcement.
"Peace is not only in the interest of Israel but also of Egypt. I am very happy with this announcement," he told Israeli television.
But there will still be concern in Jerusalem about whether a future civilian government will be as cooperative as Mubarak's regime in isolating and undermining the Hamas administration in the Gaza strip.
People continued to pour in to Cairo's Tahrir square, in part to celebrate at the epicentre of the revolution against the Mubarak regime. But there was also concern among some of the core group of activists who helped organise the mass protests that brought down Mubarak at the army's apparent intent to control the political transition.
A group of the activists issued what they called the "People's Communique No 1" — mirroring the titles of military communiques – listing a series of demands.
The included the immediate dissolution of Mubarak's cabinet and "suspension of the parliament elected in a rigged poll late last year".
The reformists want a transitional administration appointed with four civilians and one military official to prepare for elections in nine months and to oversee the drafting of a new constitution.
The Muslim Brotherhood, the banned Islamist group that has been the target of military tribunals aimed at suppressing it, sought to allay fears in Egypt and abroad that it will attempt to take power.
It said it would not be running a candidate in presidential elections and would not seek to win a majority in parliament. It also offered unusual support for the military council.
Reuters reported that the information minister, Anas El-Fekky, was placed under house arrest the day after the military barred some Egyptian officials, including former ministers and state bankers suspected of corruption, from leaving the country without the permission of the armed forces or the state prosecutor.
Mubarak was believed to be at his luxury retreat in Sharm el-Sheikh.
One of the most urgent tasks for the new Egyptian administration is to get the economy back on track. The protests of the past three weeks are estimated to have cost the country more than $300m a day, in part because of a collapse in tourism.
The authorities announced that the stock exchange will reopen on Wednesday.
-
1. Hosni Mubarak resigns – and Egypt celebrates a new dawn - 2.Egypt the day after Mubarak quits - live
- 3.The Saturday interview: Bob Geldof
- 4.Where next for Hosni Mubarak? Wealth and fears of prosecution will dictate future
- 5.Tensions rise in Italy over Silvio Berlusconi sex charges
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/12/egypt-military-leaders-fall-out-protesters
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Egyptians Celebrate Mubarak Departure, Look to Future
Photo: AP
Anti-government protester continue to celebrate in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo, Egypt , February 12, 2011
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Egyptians are cleaning up after celebrations that followed the resignation of Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's leader of nearly 30 years. The military, which assumed control of the country, on Saturday said Mr. Mubarak's Cabinet will remain in place for now while Egypt transitions to a democratic system.
Saturday was a day of cleaning at Tahrir Square and throughout Central Cairo even as celebrations were going on. Groups of people went to the streets and to the square with brooms and dustpans in hand to help clear up the filth and debris that built up during the 18 days of demonstrations.
Some wore banners on their clothing that said "yesterday I was a demonstrator, today I am building Egypt."
24-year-old architect Rania Tamoum says it was important for her to show she wants to be a part of the rebuilding process. "It's our country. It's our responsibility, so we have to clean it," she said.
Tamoum joined thousands of others in celebrating Hosni Mubarak's resignation. She said she has not thought about a blueprint for the future, since her only goal while demonstrating was to see Mr. Mubarak go.
"Actually, I cannot say what clearly I want. I can say that I want a better Egypt. I really want a new government. We don't want any of the icons or the symbols of the old government," said Tamoum.
The mood was jovial Saturday, even as celebrations were winding down. A group of men sang an Islamic song, as they walked off the square. Some people began taking down the tents where they have been camping out, and preparing to go home. Some are staying.
Abdel Hamed Taha, an imam, said Mr. Mubarak's departure was only the beginning of the changes he wants to see. He will remain on the square.
He says he is at the square to follow up on what he says was the victory of the revolution. He said demonstrators have achieved only one of the demands, and he wants a dialogue with the army.
The transition is now in the hands of the military, which has promised to hand over power to an elected civilian government. The demonstrators demanded free and transparent elections in which all groups - including the banned Islamist Muslim Brotherhood can participate. They also want a lifting of emergency laws, and a re-writing of the constitution.
A spokesman for Egypt's supreme council of the armed forces on Saturday said it has asked the existing Cabinet to stay in a caretaker capacity. He also said Egypt will respect its existing international agreements that include a peace treaty with Israel.
Over the past few days, the army has emerged as heroic in the eyes of many Egyptians for not cracking down on the demonstrators. On Saturday, tanks stayed in their positions throughout central Cairo. People took pictures with soldiers, and children handed them flowers.
Now, Egyptians are counting on the military to take the country to the next step, and deliver on the promises of a change for the better.
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Middle East
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaMiddle East 
Countries 18 or 38 Languages Middle East: Arabic, Aramaic,Azerbaijani, French, Greek,Hebrew, Kurdish, Persian,Turkish
Greater Middle East: Arabic,Armenian, Azerbaijani, Balochi,Dari, French, Greek, Georgian,Hebrew, Kurdish, Pashtun,Persian, Punjabi, Sindhi, Somali,Tamazight, Tigrinya, Turkish,UrduTime Zones UTC +8:00 (Tibet) to UTC +3:30 (Iran) Largest Cities In rank order: Cairo, Istanbul,Tehran, Baghdad, Riyadh,Ankara, Jeddah "The Middle East" redirects here. For other meanings, see Middle East (disambiguation).See also: Western AsiaThe Middle East (from a European perspective)[1] is a region that encompasses Western Asiaand North Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East. The corresponding adjective is Middle-Eastern and the derived noun is Middle-Easterner.
The history of the Middle East dates back to ancient times, and throughout its history, the Middle East has been a major centre of world affairs. When discussing ancient history, however, the term Near East is more commonly used. The Middle East is also the historical origin of major religions such as Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Middle East generally has an arid and hot climate, with several major rivers providing for irrigation to support agriculture in limited areas. Many countries located around the Persian Gulf have large quantities of crude oil. In modern times the Middle East remains a strategically, economically, politically, culturally and religiously sensitive region. The Middle East expected economic growth rate is at about 4.1% for 2010 and 5.1% in 2011.[2]
Contents
[hide]Etymology
The term "Middle East" may have originated in the 1850s in the British India Office.[3] However, it became more widely known whenAmerican naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan used the term in 1902[4] to 'designate the area between Arabia and India'.[5][6] During this time the British and Russian Empires were vying for influence in Central Asia, a rivalry which would become known as The Great Game. Mahan realized not only the strategic importance of the region, but also of its center, the Persian Gulf.[7][8] He labeled the area surrounding the Persian Gulf as the Middle East, and said that after the Suez Canal, it was the most important passage for Britain to control in order to keep the Russians from advancing towards British India.[9] Mahan first used the term in his article "The Persian Gulf and International Relations," published in September 1902 in the National Review, a British journal.
The Middle East, if I may adopt a term which I have not seen, will some day need its Malta, as well as its Gibraltar; it does not follow that either will be in the Persian Gulf. Naval force has the quality of mobility which carries with it the privilege of temporary absences; but it needs to find on every scene of operation established bases of refit, of supply, and in case of disaster, of security. The British Navy should have the facility to concentrate in force if occasion arise, about Aden, India, and the Persian Gulf.[10]
Mahan's article was reprinted in The Times and followed in October by a 20 article series entitled "The Middle Eastern Question," written by Sir Ignatius Valentine Chirol. During this series, Sir Ignatius expanded the definition of Middle East to include "those regions of Asia which extend to the borders of India or command the approaches to India."[11] After the series ended in 1903, The Times removed quotation marks from subsequent uses of the term.[12]
Until World War II, it was customary to refer to areas centered around Turkey and the eastern shore of the Mediterranean as the "Near East", while the "Far East" centered on China,[13] and the Middle East then meant the area from Mesopotamia to Burma, namely the area between the Near East and the Far East.[citation needed] In the late 1930s, the British established the Middle East Command, which was based in Cairo, for its military forces in the region. After that time, the term "Middle East" gained broader usage in Europe and the United States, with the Middle East Institute founded in Washington, D.C. in 1946, among other usage.[14]
Criticism and usage
Many have criticized the term Middle East due to its implicit Eurocentrism.[15][16]In contemporary English-language academic & media venues, the term is used by both Europeans and non-Europeans.
The description Middle has also led to some confusion over changing definitions. Before the First World War, "Near East" was used in English to refer to theBalkans and the Ottoman Empire, while "Middle East" referred to Iran,Afghanistan, and Central Asia, Turkestan, and the Caucasus. In contrast, "Far East" referred to the countries of East Asia (e.g. China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, etc.). Some critics usually advise using an alternative term, such as "Western Asia", which is the official designation of the UN.
With the disappearance of the Ottoman Empire in 1918, "Near East" largely fell out of common use in English, while "Middle East" came to be applied to the re-emerging countries of the Islamic world. However, the usage of "Near East" was retained by a variety of academic disciplines, including archaeology and ancient history, where it describes an area identical to the term Middle East, which is not used by these disciplines (see Ancient Near East).
The first official use of the term "Middle East" by the United States governmentwas in the 1957 Eisenhower Doctrine, which pertained to the Suez Crisis. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles defined the Middle East as "the area lying between and including Libya on the west and Pakistan on the east, Syria and Iraqon the North and the Arabian peninsula to the south, plus the Sudan andEthiopia."[13] In 1958, the State Department explained that the terms "Near East" and "Middle East" were interchangeable, and defined the region as including only Egypt, Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar.[17]
The Associated Press Stylebook says that Near East formerly referred to the farther west countries while Middle East referred to the eastern ones, but that now they are synonymous. It instructs:
Use Middle East unless Near East is used by a source in a story. Mideast is also acceptable, but Middle East is preferred.[18]
At the United Nations, the numerous documents and resolutions about the Middle East are in fact concerned with the Arab–Israeli conflict, in particular the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and, therefore, with the four states of the Levant. The term Near East is occasionally heard at the UN when referring to this region.
Translations
There are terms similar to Near East and Middle East in other European languages, but since it is a relative description, the meanings depend on the country and are different from the English terms generally. In German the term Naher Osten (Near East) is still in common use (nowadays the term Mittlerer Osten is more and more common in press texts translated from English sources, albeit having a distinct meaning) and in Russian Ближний Восток or Blizhniy Vostok, Bulgarian Близкия Изток, Polish Bliski Wschód or Croatian Bliski istok(meaning Near East in all the four Slavic languages) remains as the only appropriate term for the region. However, some languages do have "Middle East" equivalents, such as the French Moyen-Orient, Swedish Mellanöstern, Spanish Oriente Medio or Medio Oriente, and theItalian Medio Oriente.[19]
Perhaps due to the influence of the Western press, the Arabic equivalent of Middle East (Arabic: الشرق الأوسط ash-sharq-l-awsat), has become standard usage in the mainstream Arabic press, comprehending the same meaning as the term "Middle East" in North American and Western European usage. The designation, Mashriq, also from the Arabic root for east, also denotes a variously defined region around the Levant, the eastern part of the Arabic-speaking world (as opposed to the Maghreb, the western part).[20] The Persian equivalent for Middle East is خاورمیانه (Khāvarmiyāneh).
Territories and regions
Traditional definition of the Middle East
Country, with flag Area Population Density Capital GDP(Total) Per capita Currency Government Official languages km2 sq mi /km2 /sq mi 
Turkey1783,562 302,535 73,914,000 91 240 Ankara $1.028 trillion[21](2008) $13,920[21][22](2008) Turkish lira Parliamentary democracy Turkish 
Bahrain665 257 656,397 987 2,560 Manama $26.970 billion (2008) $34,605 (2008) Bahraini Dinar Constitutional monarchy Arabic 
Kuwait17,820 6,880 3,100,000 119 310 Kuwait City $137.190 billion (2008) $39,849 (2008) Kuwaiti dinar Constitutional monarchy Arabic 
Oman212,460 82,030 3,200,000 13 34 Muscat $66.889 billion (2008) $24,153 (2008) Omani Rial Absolute monarchy Arabic 
Qatar11,437 4,416 793,341 69 180 Doha $94.249 billion (2008) $85,867 (2008) Qatari Riyal Constitutional monarchy Arabic 
Saudi Arabia1,960,582 756,985 23,513,330 12 31 Riyadh $593.385 billion (2008) $23,834 (2008) Riyal Absolute monarchy Arabic 
United Arab Emirates82,880 32,000 5,432,746 30 78 Abu Dhabi $184.984 billion (2008) $38,830 (2008) UAE dirham FederalConstitutional monarchy Arabic 
Yemen527,970 203,850 18,701,257 35 91 Sanaá $55.433 billion (2008) $2,412 (2008) Yemeni rial Semi-presidential republic Arabic 
Cyprus9,250 3,570 792,604 90 230 Nicosia $22.703 billion (2008) $29,830 (2008) Euro Presidential republic Greek,Turkish 
Gaza Strip (not fully sovereign)360 140 1,376,289 3,823 9,900 Gaza $770 million (2008) $2,900 (2008) Israeli new sheqel Autonomous republicPalestinian National AuthorityHamas Arabic 
Iraq437,072 168,754 31,001,816 70.93 183.7 Baghdad $202.3 billion (2008) $6,500 (2008) Iraqi dinar Parliamentary republic Arabic,Assyrian,Kurdish 
Israel20,770 8,020 7,465,000 290 750 Jerusalem2 $200.630 billion (2008) $28,206 (2008) Israeli new sheqel Parliamentary democracy Hebrew,Arabic 
Jordan92,300 35,600 6,407,085 58 150 Amman $32.112 billion (2008) $5,314 (2008) Jordanian dinar Constitutional monarchy Arabic 
Lebanon10,452 4,036 4,224,000 354 920 Beirut $58.576 billion (2010) $14,988 (2010) Lebanese pound Republic Arabic 
Syria185,180 71,500 22,505,000 93 240 Damascus $105.238 billion (2010) $5,043 (2010) Syrian pound Presidential republic Arabic West Bank (not fully sovereign)5,860 2,2603 2,500,0005 432 1,1203,4 Ramallah Israeli new sheqel Autonomous republicPalestinian National AuthorityFatah Arabic 
Iran1,648,195 636,372 71,208,000 42 110 Tehran $819.799 billion (2008) $11,250 (2008) Iranian rial Islamic republic Persian 
Egypt1,001,449 386,662 77,498,000 74 190 Cairo $442.640 billion (2008) $5,898 (2008) Egyptian pound Semi-presidential republic Arabic Source:
- International Monetary Fund, April 24, 2009, PPP GDP 2008
- World Bank, July 1, 2009, PPP GDP 2008
Notes:
1 The figures for Turkey includes Eastern Thrace, which is not a part of Anatolia.
2 Under Israeli law. The UN doesn't recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
3 Includes the whole of the West Bank, according to the pre-1967 boundaries.
4 In addition, there are around 400,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, of which half are in East-Jerusalem.
Greater Middle East
Main article: Greater Middle EastCountry, withflag Area
(km²)Population Density
(per km²)Capital GDP(Total) Per capita Currency Government Official languages km2 sq mi /km2 /sq mi 
Armenia29,800 11,500 2,968,586 111.7 289 Yerevan $18.715 billion (2008) $5,272 (2008) Armenian dram Semi-presidential republic Armenian 
Azerbaijan86,600 33,400 8,621,000 97 250 Baku $74.734 billion (2008) $8,620 (2008) Azerbaijani manat Semi-presidential republic Azerbaijani 
Georgia20,460 7,900 4,630,841 99.3 257 Tbilisi $21.812 billion (2008) $4,957 (2008) Georgian lari Semi-presidential republic Georgian 
Afghanistan1647,500 250,000 31,889,923 46 120 Kabul $21.340 billion (2008) $758 (2008) Afghani Islamic republic Persian,Pashto 
Pakistan880,940 340,130 169,300,000 206 530 Islamabad $439.558 billion (2008) $2,738 (2008) Pakistani Rupee Islamic republic Urdu,English 
Kazakhstan2,724,900 1,052,100 15,217,711 5.4 14 Astana $177.545 billion (2008) $11,416 (2008) Kazakhstani tenge Semi-presidential republic Kazakh,Russian 
Uzbekistan447,400 172,700 27,372,000 59 150 Tashkent $71.501 billion (2008) $2,629 (2008) Uzbekistani som Semi-presidential republic Uzbek 
Turkmenistan488,100 188,500 5,110,023 9.9 26 Ashgabat $30.091 billion (2008) $5,710 (2008) Turkmenistani manat Presidential republic Turkmen 
Tajikistan143,100 55,300 7,215,700 45 120 Dushanbe $13.041 billion (2008) $2,019 (2008) Somoni Semi-presidential republic Tajik 
Kyrgyzstan199,900 77,200 5,356,869 26 67 Bishkek $11.580 billion (2008) $2,180 (2008) Kyrgyzstani som Semi-presidential republic Kyrgyz,Russian 
Algeria2,381,740 919,590 33,333,216 14 36 Algiers $233.098 billion (2008) $6,698 (2008) Algerian dinar Semi-presidential republic Arabic 
Mauritania1,030,700 398,000 3,291,000 70 180 Nouakchott $6.221 billion (2008) $2,052 (2008) Ouguiya Military junta Arabic 
Western Sahara163,610 63,170 10,102,000 62 160 El Aaiun Moroccan dirham Arabic 
Libya1,759,540 679,360 6,036,914 3 7.8 Tripoli $90.251 billion (2008) $14,533 (2008) Libyan dinar Jamahiriya Arabic 
Morocco446,550 172,410 33,757,175 70 180 Rabat $136.728 billion (2008) $4,349 (2008) Moroccan dirham Constitutional monarchy Arabic 
Tunisia163,610 63,170 10,102,000 62 160 Tunis $82.226 billion (2008) $7,962 (2008) Tunisian dinar Semi-presidential republic Arabic 
Sudan2,505,813 967,500 39,379,358 14 36 Khartoum $87.885 billion (2008) $2,305 (2008) Sudanese pound Presidential republic Arabic 
Djibouti23,200 9,000 496,374 34 88 Djibouti $1.877 billion (2008) $2,392 (2008) Djiboutian franc Parliamentary republic Arabic,French,Somali,Afar 
Eritrea117,600 45,400 4,401,009 37 96 Asmara $3.739 billion (2008) $747 (2008) Nakfa Provisional government Tigrinya,Arabic 
Somalia637,661 246,202 9,588,666 13 34 Mogadishu $5.524 billion (2008) $600 (2008) Somali shilling Semi-presidential republic Somali,Arabic 
Comoros2,235 863 798,000 275 710 Moroni $772 million (2009) $1,159 (2009) Comorian franc Federal republic Comorian,Arabic,French Source:
- International Monetary Fund, April 24, 2009, PPP GDP 2008
- World Bank, July 1, 2009, PPP GDP 2008
Notes: 1 Afghanistan is often considered Central Asian[23][24]
History
Main article: History of the Middle EastSee also: List of conflicts in the Middle EastThe Middle East lies at the juncture of Eurasia and Africa and of the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. It is the birthplace and spiritual center of the Christianity, Islam,Judaism, Yezidi, and in Iran, Mithraism, Zoroastrianism,Manichaeism and the Bahá'í Faith. Throughout its history the Middle East has been a major center of world affairs; a strategically, economically, politically, culturally, and religiously sensitive area.
The earliest civilizations, Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt, originated in the Fertile Crescent and Nile Valley regions of the ancient Near East, as well as the civilizations of theLevant, Persia, and Arabian Peninsula. The Near East was first unified under the Achaemenid Empire followed later by the Macedonian Empire and later Iranian empires, namely the Parthian and Sassanid Empires. However, it would be the Arab Caliphates of theMiddle Ages, or Islamic Golden Age, that would first unify the entire Middle East as a distinct region and create the dominant ethnic identity that persists today. The Turkic Seljuk, Ottoman and Safavid empires would also later dominate the region.
The modern Middle East began after World War I, when the Ottoman Empire, which was allied with the defeated Central Powers, waspartitioned into a number of separate nations. Other defining events in this transformation included the establishment of Israel in 1948 and the departure of European powers, notably Britain and France. They were supplanted in some part by the rising influence of the United States.
In the 20th century, the region's significant stocks of crude oil gave it new strategic and economic importance. Mass production of oil began around 1945, with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates having large quantities of oil.[25] Estimated oil reserves, especially in Saudi Arabia and Iran, are some of the highest in the world, and the international oil cartel OPEC is dominated by Middle Eastern countries.
During the Cold War, the Middle East was a theater of ideological struggle between the two superpowers: the United States and the Soviet Union, as they competed to influence regional allies. Of course, besides the political reasons there was also the "ideological conflict" between the two systems. Moreover, as Louise Fawcett argues, among many important areas of contention, or perhaps more accurately of anxiety, were, first, the desires of the superpowers to gain strategic advantage in the region, second, the fact that the region contained some two thirds of the world's oil reserves in a context where oil was becoming increasingly vital to the economy of the Western world [...][26] Within this contextual framework, the United States sought to divert the Arab world from Soviet influence. Throughout the 20th and into the 21st century, the region has experienced both periods of relative peace and tolerance and periods of conflict and war. Current issues include the US Occupation of Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Demographics
Ethnic groups
See also: Demographics of the Arab LeagueThe Middle East is home to numerous ethnic groups, including Arabs, Turks, Persians,Jews, Kurds, Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriacs, Armenians, Azeris, Circassians, Greeks andGeorgians.
Migration
According to the International Organization for Migration, there are 13 million first-generation Arab migrants in the world, of which 5.8 reside in other Arab countries. Arab expatriates contribute to the circulation of financial and human capital in the region and thus significantly promote regional development. In 2009 Arab countries received a total of 35.1 billion USD in remittance in-flows and remittances sent to Jordan, Egypt and Lebanonfrom other Arab countries are 40 to 190 per cent higher than trade revenues between these and other Arab countries.[27]
Non-Arab Middle Eastern countries such as Turkey, Israel and Iran are also subject to important migration dynamics.
Religions
Main articles: Religion in the Middle East and Christianity in the Middle EastThe Middle East is very diverse when it comes to religions, many of which originated there. Islam in its many forms is by far the largest religion in the Middle East, but other faiths, such as Judaism and Christianity, are also important. There are also important minority religions like Bahá'í, Yazdânism, Zoroastrianism.
Languages
The three top languages, in terms of numbers of speakers, are Arabic, Persian and Turkish, representing the Afro-Asiatic, Indo-European, and Turkic language families, respectively. Various other languages are also spoken in the Middle East.
Arabic is the most widely spoken language in the Middle East, being official in all the Arab countries. It is also spoken in some adjacent areas in neighbouring Middle Eastern non-Arab countries. It is a member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic languages.
The second-most widely spoken language is Persian. While it is confined to Iran and some border areas in neghbouring countries, the country is one of the region's largest and most populous. It belongs to the Indo-Iranian branch of the family of Indo-European languages. It is much influenced by Arabic (through Islam) and Aramaic (the pre-Arabic lingua franca of the Middle East).
The third-most widely spoken language, Turkish, is confined to Turkey, which is also one of the region's largest and most populous countries. It is present in areas in neighboring countries. It is a member or the Turkic languages, which have their origins in Central Asia.
Other languages spoken in the region include Syriac (a form of Aramaic), Armenian, Azerbaijani, Berber, Circassian, smaller Iranian languages, Hebrew, Kurdish, smaller Turkic languages, Greek, and several Modern South Arabian languages.
English is commonly spoken as a second language, especially among the middle and upper classes, in countries such as Egypt, Jordan,Israel, Iran, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.[28][29] It is also a main language in some of the Emirates of the United Arab Emirates. French is spoken in Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, and Tunisia. Urdu is widely spoken in many Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia(where 20-25% of the population is South Asian), the United Arab Emirates(where 50-55% of the population is South Asian), Israel, and Qatar, which have large numbers of Pakistani immigrants. The largest Romanian-speaking community in the Middle East is found in Israel, where as of 1995 Romanian is spoken by 5% of the population.[30][31][32] Russian is also spoken by a large portion of the Israeli population, due to emigration in the late 1990s.
Economy
Main articles: Economy of the Middle East and Middle East economic integrationMiddle Eastern economies range from being very poor (such as Gaza and Yemen) to extremely wealthy nations (such as Qatar, UAE and Saudi Arabia). Overall, as of 2007, according to the CIA World Factbook, all nations in the Middle East are maintaining a positive rate of growth.
According to the World Bank's World Development Indicators database published on July 1, 2009, the three largest Middle Eastern economies in 2008 were Turkey ($ 794,228,000,000), Saudi Arabia ($ 467,601,000,000) and Iran ($ 385,143,000,000) in terms of Nominal GDP.[33] In regards to nominal GDP per capita, the highest ranking countries are Qatar ($93,204), the UAE ($55,028), Kuwait ($45,920) and Cyprus ($32,745).[34] Turkey ($ 1,028,897,000,000), Iran ($ 839,438,000,000) and Saudi Arabia ($ 589,531,000,000) had the largest economies in terms of GDP-PPP.[21] When it comes to per capita (PPP)-based income, the highest-ranking countries are Qatar ($86,008), Kuwait ($39,915), the UAE ($38,894), Bahrain ($34,662) and Cyprus ($29,853). The lowest-ranking country in the Middle East, in terms of per capita income (PPP), is the autonomous Palestinian Authority of Gaza and the West Bank ($1,100).
The economic structure of Middle Eastern nations are different in the sense that while some nations are heavily dependent on export of only oil and oil-related products (such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait), others have a highly diverse economic base (such as Cyprus, Israel, Turkey and Egypt). Industries of the Middle Eastern region include oil and oil-related products, agriculture, cotton, cattle, dairy, textiles, leather products, surgical instruments, defence equipment (guns, ammunition, tanks, submarines, fighter jets, UAVs, and missiles). Banking is also an important sector of the economies, especially in the case of UAE and Bahrain.
With the exception of Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon and Israel, tourism has been a relatively undeveloped area of the economy, due in part to the socially conservative nature of the region as well as political turmoil in certain regions of the Middle East. In recent years, however, countries such as the UAE, Bahrain, and Jordan have begun attracting greater number of tourists due to improving tourist facilities and the relaxing of tourism-related restrictive policies.
Unemployment is notably high in the Middle East and North Africa region, particularly among young people aged 15–29, a demographic representing 30% of the region's total population. The total regional unemployment rate in 2005, according to the International Labor Organization, was 13.2%,[35] and among youth is as high as 25%,[36] up to 37% in Morocco and 73% in Syria.[37]
See also
- Central Asia
- Fertile Crescent
- Greater Middle East
- History of the Middle East
- List of conflicts in the Middle East
- Maayan Middle East poetry magazine
- Middle East Institute
- Middle East Studies Association of North America
- Middle East Youth Initiative
- Near East
- Orientalism
- Timeline of Middle Eastern History
- Waithood
- Western Asia
Notes
- ^ "8 : Names and Terms: Chapter Contents»Names of Places»Parts of the World". The Chicago Manual of Style. 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
- ^ IMF WEO Oct. 2010 Retrieved 15-10-2010
- ^ Beaumont (1988), p. 16
- ^ Koppes, C.R. (1976). "Captain Mahan, General Gordon and the origin of the term "Middle East"". Middle East Studies 12: 95–98.doi:10.1080/00263207608700307.
- ^ Lewis, Bernard (1965). The Middle East and the West. p. 9.
- ^ Fromkin, David (1989). A Peace to end all Peace. p. 224.
- ^ Melman, Billie. The Cambridge Companion to Travel Writing: 6 The Middle East / Arabia, Cambridge Collections Online. Retrieved January 8, 2006.
- ^ Palmer, Michael A. Guardians of the Persian Gulf: A History of America's Expanding Role in the Persian Gulf, 1833-1992. New York: The Free Press, 1992. ISBN 0-02-923843-9 p. 12-13.
- ^ Laciner, Dr. Sedat. "Is There a Place Called 'the Middle East'?", The Journal of Turkish Weekly]", June 2, 2006. Retrieved January 10, 2007.
- ^ Adelson (1995), p. 22-23
- ^ Adelson (1995), p. 24
- ^ Adelson (1995), p. 26
- ^ a b Davison, Roderic H. (1960). "Where is the Middle East?".Foreign Affairs 38: 665–675.
- ^ Held, Colbert C. (2000). Middle East Patterns: Places, Peoples, and Politics. Westview Press. p. 7.
- ^ Shohat, Ella. "Redrawing American Cartographies of Asia". City University of New York. Retrieved 2007-01-12.
- ^ Hanafi, Hassan. "The Middle East, in whose world?". Nordic Society for Middle Eastern Studies. Retrieved 2007-01-12.
- ^ "'Near East' is Mideast, Washington Explains". The New York Times. 1958-08-14. Retrieved 2009-01-25.
- ^ Goldstein, Norm. The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law. New York: Basic Books, 2004. ISBN 0-465-00488-1 p. 156
- ^ In Italian, the expression "Vicino Oriente" (Near East) was also widely used to refer to Turkey, and Estremo Oriente (Far East or Extreme East) to refer to all of Asia east of Middle East
- ^ Anderson, Ewan W., William Bayne Fisher (2000). The Middle East: Geography and Geopolitics. Routledge. pp. 12–13.
- ^ a b c The World Bank: World Economic Indicators Database.GDP (PPP) 2008. Data for the year 2008. Last revised on July 1, 2009.
- ^ The World Bank: World Economic Indicators Database.Population 2008. Data for the year 2008. Last revised on July 1, 2009.
- ^ The 2007 Middle East & Central Asia Politics, Economics, and Society Conference University of Utah.
- ^ "Regional Economic Outlook: Middle East & Central Asia" May 2006, International Monetary Fund.
- ^ Goldschmidt (1999), p. 8
- ^ Louise, Fawcett. International Relations of the Middle East. (Oxford University Press, New York, 2005)
- ^http://www.egypt.iom.int/Doc/IOM%20Intra%20regional%20labour%20mobility%20in%20Arab%20region%20Facts%20and%20Figures%20(English).pdf
- ^ "World Factbook - Jordan".
- ^ "World Factbook - Kuwait".
- ^ According to the 1993 Statistical Abstract of Israel there were 250,000 Romanian speakers in Israel, at a population of 5,548,523 (census 1995).
- ^ "Reports of about 300,000 Jews that left the country after WW2". Eurojewcong.org. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ "Evenimentul Zilei". Evz.ro. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
- ^ The World Bank: World Economic Indicators Database. GDP (Nominal) 2008. Data for the year 2008. Last revised on July 1, 2009.
- ^ Data refer to the year 2008. World Economic Outlook Database-October 2009, International Monetary Fund. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
- ^ "Unemployment Rates Are Highest in the Middle East". Progressive Policy Institute. August 30, 2006.
- ^ Navtej Dhillon, Tarek Yousef (2007). "Inclusion: Meeting the 100 Million Youth Challenge". Shabab Inclusion.
- ^ Hilary Silver (September 200). "Social Exclusion: Comparative Analysis of Europe and Middle East Youth". Middle East Youth Initiative Working Paper. Shabab Inclusion.
References
- Adelson, Roger (1995). London and the Invention of the Middle East: Money, Power, and War, 1902-1922.. Yale University Press.ISBN 0300060947.
- Anderson, R., Seibert, R., & Wagner, J. (2006). Politics and Change in the Middle East (8th ed.). Prentice-Hall.
- Barzilai, Gad.,Klieman Aharon.,Shidlo Gil (1993). The Gulf Crisis and its Global Aftermath. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-08002.
- Barzilai, Gad. (1996). Wars, Internal Conflicts and Political Order. State University of New York Press. ISBN 0-7914-2943-1.
- Beaumont, Peter, Gerald H. Blake, J. Malcolm Wagstaff (1988). The Middle East: A Geographical Study. David Fulton.
- Goldschmidt Jr., Arthur (1999). A Concise History of the Middle East. Westview Press.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Middle East 
Look up middle east inWiktionary, the free dictionary. 
Wikinews has related news:Middle East 
This audio file was created from a revision of Middle East dated 2008-03-28, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. (Audio help)- "Middle East - Articles by Region" - Council on Foreign Relations: "A Resource for Nonpartisan Research and Analysis"
- "Middle East - Interactive Crisis Guide" - Council on Foreign Relations: "A Resource for Nonpartisan Research and Analysis"
- Middle East Department University of Chicago Library
- Middle East Business Intelligence since 1957: "The leading information source on business in the Middle East" - MEED.com
- Middle East News from Yahoo! News
- Middle East at the Open Directory Project
- Middle East Business, Financial & Industry News — ArabianBusiness.com
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