Egypt: Internet cut ahead of Friday protests

[Turborama]

Source: Global Post

Egypt cut off the country's Internet service in what looks like an attempt to disrupt plans for massive new protests on Friday.

The government also sent out an elite special operations force to take up position in strategic places around Cairo like Tahir Square, which saw some of the biggest protests on Jan. 25.

Cutting off the Internet threatens to weaken an opposition that began with no leaders but built its strength in numbers thanks to online organizing. The protesters have used new media tools to rally those angry with President Hosni Mubarak's authoritarian regime.

The government quickly recognized this and began blocking access to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter Wednesday, disrupting cell phone text messaging and BlackBerry Messenger services and then completely shutting down the Internet. About 25 percent of Egypt's population use the Internet, according to BBC News.

Read more: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/egypt/110127/egypt-internet-friday-protests

[riverwalker]

1. "Anonymous" threatening Egyptian Government unless they restore internet

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/01/anonymous-calls-attacks-egyptian-government-websites/

[WestSeattle2]

2. When the unrest finally makes it way here, it will be interesting

to see who sides with the masses and who sides with those who will support the Federales pulling the plug on the internet to quell civil unrest.

It will be quite the debate behind closed doors to be sure.

Basically, those in the US government pushing for pulling the plug will be no better morally or ethically than their counterparts in Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, Egypt or Saudi Arabia.

Nice crowd to hang with guys.

[Catherina]

10. +1 n/t

[riverwalker]

3. Operation Egypt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOLc3B2V4AM

[riverwalker]

4. they plan a massacre

"Dear World: When govts shut down internet, its not to just silence the tweets, but to silence the screams. | #Egypt #onmymind less than 20 seconds ago via ÜberTwitter"

http://twitter.com/search?q=%23egypt

[Catherina]

12. Thanks for the video. That tweet nailed it.

I'm fuming. Thank you Anonymous. Thank you to all people around the world who support self determination.

[Turborama]

7. Thanks for that video link! ^^^MUST SEE^^^

I went to have a check and two versions have been posted in the videos forum too, so I gave them both a K&R there. Those videos should be getting a lot more recs, IMO.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x547951

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x547830

[rabs]

5. Protests around the world

Quick check of twitter comments; protests have been held or are planned for tomorrow (Friday) at Egyptian embassies or consulates in:

Mayalsia
Houston
Stockholm
Ottawa
Calgary
Muscat
Tokyo
Barcelona
Detroit
Dublin
New York
Switzerland
Bahrain
East Jerusalem
Tel Aviv
Washington
Sydney
Melbourne
Ankara
Istanbul
Beirut

There are probably many more, esp. in Europe and the Arab world.

[purrFect]

6. That's EXACTLY why TPTB need it here as well

Once the masses rise up against those who have robbed and enslaved us only to enrich themselves, they will soon rise up, too.

Tha is the ONLY reason for the Internet 'kill' switch legislation.

FUCK the first amendment.

[TatonkaJames]

8. What worries me about the situation in Egypt is...

Our media (owners), since they are profiting "persons" now, are drooling over their profits
from the advertising they're receiving from viewers watching daily footage on TV,
being bombarded with it in the paper, internet and news.

Have they forgotten there are two wars and our troops, who have been there for a decade,
were given tons of airtime when we bombed the heck out of them, showing the mighty
USA and its killing force and statues being torn down. Why have they forgotten to report
on their progress as aggressively now as they did when the "action" was hot ?

So now fill the airwaves with images of demonstrations in other countries, and make sure you
show the protesters who have been shot dead.

We weren't allowed to give honor and respect to the troops who sacrificed their lives on TV
when they returned, give our moment of silence and grief for their families.

No, they don't want to remind us this is what war is about too. They learned their lesson from Vietnam
and the troop totals flashed each night at dinnertime. But young adults in another country shot in the head
for disagreeing with our/their government is just fine for us to see.

Why is that ? Well, here's my take on it.
THEY WANT US TO SEE WHAT CAN HAPPEN TO US WHEN THE S*#! HITS THE FAN HERE.

Kent State ring a bell ? When you begin to see the middle class seriously begin to fail, with families
literally losing all they have in droves, and still hearing the news about corporate profits at record highs
and no jobs available for another year OR FIVE or, well, I'm not in the prediction business but when a person
is used to a way of life, or the poor, who already have nothing see their entitlement programs gone,
and veterans who lose half their benefits, all I see is Kent State and people standing up and shouting;

"WE'RE MAD AS HELL AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO TKAE IT ANYMORE".

[Kablooie]

9. This is beginning to sound like the Tiananmen massacre.

[Catherina]

11. Israeli ministry urges Egypt to use force

Default_profile_5_normal mjjregan RT @aglb66: RT @STXherry: RT @hannaq: Israeli ministry urges Egypt to use force: http://bit.ly/eZLY2V #Jan25 #Egypt /

Israeli min. urges Egypt to use force

Fri Jan 28, 2011 2:46AM

An Israeli minister says Egyptian government forces will have to exercise force to rein in public protests as the African country is teetering on the brink of a Tunisia-style revolution.


Inspired by the recent popular revolution in Tunisia, which resulted in the historic overthrow of the country's President Zine El Abidin Ben Ali, Egyptians have staged similar anti-government protests since Tuesday, calling on President Hosni Mubarak to relinquish power after three decades in office.

Meanwhile, an Israeli cabinet minister who spoke on condition of anonymity to Israeli media stated on Thursday that the Egyptian president backed by a strong militarily prowess will eventually subdue the crisis, The Washington Post reported.

"His regime is well-rooted in the military and security apparatus," said the Israeli minister, adding that, "They will have to exercise force, power in the street and do it. But they are strong enough according to my assessment to overcome it."

Egypt, which is widely regarded as the first Arab country to seal peace agreement with Israel three decades ago, remains one of Tel Aviv's most important allies.

...

http://www.presstv.com/detail/162335.html

Israeli Minister: Mubarak regime will prevail in Egypt, despite protests
Egyptian security apparatus will use required force to retain control, says a minister in the Netanyahu government who insists on maintaining anonymity.


...

"His regime is well-rooted in the military and security apparatus," the minister said. "They will have to exercise force, power in the street and do it. But they are strong enough according to my assessment to overcome it."

He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a sensitive diplomatic issue with a key ally.

...


Eli Shaked, a former Israeli ambassador to Cairo, said it is in Israel's interest for Mubarak's regime to survive since the alternatives, ranging from an Islamic government to the secular opposition, would be far less friendly to the Jewish state.

"I am very much afraid that that they wouldn't be as committed to peace with Israel, and that would be bad for Egypt, bad for Israel and bad for the U.S. and the West in general," he said.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israeli-minister-mubarak-regime-will-prevail-in-egypt-despite-protests-1.339571

Fucking great. Stay out of it Israel. Stay out of this Western governments. These countries do not belong to you and these people are not your slaves.

[Psephos]

13. Meanwhile, OUR government is trying again to get the Internet "Kill Switch" installed here.

http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security/2011/01/25/us-internet-kill-switch-bill-to-return-40091536/

This needs to be rolled out to the curb with the rest of the garbage.

[SnakeEyes]

14. I guess Egypt has

an Internet kill switch

[Turborama]

15. Hissyspit's excellent OP on this in GD --->

Here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x290323

[Turborama]

16. Sabrina's excellent related OP in GD ---->

Here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x289368

[Turborama]

17. Tweet from CNN on this....

(Credit: http://twitter.com/#!/bencnn & http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20029857-245.html)

[slay]

18. Egypt: Internet down, police counterterror unit up

Source: Associated Press

By HAMZA HENDAWI and SARAH EL DEEB, Associated Press – 24 mins ago

CAIRO – Internet service in Egypt was disrupted and the government deployed an elite special operations force in Cairo on Friday, hours before an anticipated new wave of anti-government protests.

The developments were a sign that President Hosni Mubarak's regime was toughening its crackdown following the biggest protests in years against his nearly 30-year rule.

The counter-terror force, rarely seen on the streets, took up positions in strategic locations, including central Tahrir Square, site of the biggest demonstrations this week.

Facebook and Twitter have helped drive this week's protests. But by Thursday evening, those sites were disrupted, along with cell phone text messaging and BlackBerry Messenger services. Then the Internet went down.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_egypt_protest

[The Doctor.]

19. Those that operate in darkness shall forever dwell in it.

Those that encourage darkness shall join it.

[Lorien]

20. I hope that the Egyptian people stay strong and manage to drive Mubarak from office

it would send a much needed message across the globe!

[micraphone]

21. Isn't he a US ally?

Can we allow a popular uprising by the majority?

[Alamuti Lotus]

22. Six US presidents have spent billions trying to prevent precisely that...

but still, it doesn't seem to be working so well. Good.

[dipsydoodle]

23. For latest news almost by the minute or so

use this link :

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Egypt-Thousands-Due-To-Protest-As-Communication-Lines-Disrupted/Article/201101415914646?lpos=World_News_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15914646_Egypt%3A_Thousands_Due_To_Protest_As_Communication_Lines_Disrupted

Scroll down to the little pics of Tim marshall and hit Click for live updates.

[Turborama]

24. Thanks, I'm flicking between them & AJ English. This one is a good resource for regular updates, too

Automatically updates: http://www.google.com/search?q=%23Jan25+site:twitter.com&tbs=mbl:1&tbo=1&num=100&hl=en&sa=G&biw=1280&bih=705&ei=_MdATZzzH8KVcYGg_Y0C&ved=0CF0QsQcwBQ

[dipsydoodle]

26. Yes that's a good one

hard to tell which are outside views and which are internal.

I liked this one :

JustAmira‎ RT @draddee: oh YES!!! RT @epaga: "Egyptian Christians said they will guard the Muslims from the police while they on Friday Pray." #Jan25 via @edsetiadi
Twitter - seconds ago

:hi:

[Turborama]

25. TOON

Also posted here as an OP: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x290511

[cbdo2007]

27. Ok, so who's working on the "backup internet" plan for when they cut it here in the U.S.?

Surely someone out there has a plan in case this happens here.