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Anna Massry reports by mobile phone to Axis of Logic from Cairo
Saturday, April 29, 12:30 p.m. (Anna's report is augmented by a report from the Muslim Brotherhood, republished below)
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The Security Forces (National and local police) are obeying Mubarak.
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See Anna's original report:
- It is 9 PM here in Cairo, the streets are very dark. There are no security forces anywhere and the looting has started. Outside our building, our men and teenage boys are policing the streets with any weapon they can find - shovels, tennis rackets, sticks. The looters are police thugs and undercover agents. There are reports of them even looting hospitals.
- I went to the center of Cairo today and there are tanks on the streets but the security forces are too few for the crowds and are doing nothing.
- The regime removed almost all security forces out of Alexandria. We have friends and family there. The men are at their front doors protecting their own homes against looters.
- Mubarak refused having a vice president for 30 years and has refused tochange his Prime Minister. Now he's telling the people that he wants both, a vice president and new PM. The people know that he only wants to continue his own regime. The people know what he's up to and are rejecting his offer.
- Last year, the Security Forces received a larger budget than the military. There has been a feud between the army and the regime but the army is cooperating so far. Normally, the army would be deployed in a situation like this for crowd control and to stop looting and other crimes. They have not been deployed.
- Yesterday, I was in the street participating in the demonstrations. I have many good photos but no way to send them to you. Almost all of the demonstrators are younger than me (in their 20s). They have their families with them including mothers and young children. The demonstration and march was completely peaceful - no violence at all.
- In other parts of Cairo the Security Forces did not come out in force until the people refused the curfew. Then they came out, killed 3 and injured many others.
- The U.S. Embassy and American University are surrounded by tanks. The first tank in front of the U.S. Embassy has a large Egyptian flag spread across it and a sign above it, "Down With Mubarak!"
- Israeli diplomats and spies have returned to Israel. The Israeli Embassy is empty and is not protected with tanks.
- The Mubarak family is in England and France.
- Many big business people have fled the country. A businessman and Member of Parliament who lives just down the street has disappeared with his family in his car and nobody knows where he went.
- Mubarak has now assigned a new Vice President and Prime Minister and the people are very unhappy about this. They do not want anyone in government that comes from his or his regime.
"Oh yes! Of course they are aware. One of the slogans repeated in the protests is, 'You kiss America's feet. Don't expect it from us!' and another is 'Mubarak is an American Agent'.
Anna also said that the United States will have to deal with the Muslim Brotherhood. When I asked her if she thinks the MB might compromise with the U.S. she said, "They are very good but nothing would surprise me. They will have to deal with the U.S. diplomatically one way or another." When I told her that some have suggested that Mohamed ElBarade, Former International Atomic Energy Agency chief and anti-government leader, could be working for the U.S. in this revolt, she answered emphatically, "No! No Way!", said a few things about his relationship to the U.S. at the IAEA and didn't elaborate further.
When asked about the April 6th Youth Movement who are instrumental in the protests have a Facebook page for protest communications. She said she would not be surprised if they are an invention of or are being used by the U.S. State Department. (A Wikileaks State Dept communique reveals that one of their activists was trained by the US in New York.)
Anna Massry concluded by saying that she's very frustrated by her inability to read any international news or use the internet because of the government media blackout.
- Anna Massry (reported
by Les Blough, Editor)
READ HER BIO AND MORE REPORTS FROM AXIS OF LOGIC'S
Report from Muslim Brotherhood 14 :40 MB demands the formation of temporary government to transfer power peacefully 14 :32 Al Jazzera: 100 protestors killed since yesterday 14 :00 Unconfirmed: Army Chief of Staff, General Sami Anan, leading revolt within army ranks to remove the dictator 13 :57 38 killed and more than 2000 injured across Egypt since yesterday only 13 :54 Ruling party headqaurters in Luxur destroyed, army tanks rolling into the streets New13 :49 Al Jazeera confirms: Disagreements among Army leaders on handling the crisis 13 :37 Citizens arrest several police thugs and agents engaged in widspread looting, hand them over to the Army 13 :34 Al Jazeera: Saudi King supports the dictator, and criticize protestors 13 :31 Number of army officers in Tahrir Sqaure join protestors carrying Egyptian flag 13 :22 Protestors in Tahrir Sqaure reache 50 thousands, chanting for the dictator to step down 13 :13 Massive protests in Monofyya, dictator's hometown, demanding his resignation 13 :04 13 protestors killed today in Ma'adi Gardens, Cairo 12 :54 Ikhwanweb still down in Egypt, staff are in direct contact with London's office for breaking news updates 12 :52 Widspread looting by police thugs and undercover agents in Cairo 12 :49 After canceling exams, thousands of students join protestors in Alexandria and Ismalia 12 :46 More than 10000 in Tahrir Sqaure demanding the dictator to step down 12 :41 al Horra TV: Rift between the dictator and army leaders on managing the crisis 12 :36 Textile workers in Suez announced indefinite strike till the dictator steps down 12 :33 500 thousands protest across Alexandria, more than 20 killed 23 :51 Unconfirmed: The dictator will step down, his family fled the country secretly Source: Muslim Brotherhood Ikhwanweb
EGYPTIAN COLUMNIST, ANNA MASSRY