Egypt's prime minister apologizes; military steps in between sides

[Turborama]

Source: CNN International

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

* Some oppositions groups say they won't meet with the Egyptian government
* Doctors report five dead; an official reports 836 injuries on state TV
* Some profess neutrality and say Tahrir Square does not represent protests nationwide
* Obama official: The next 24-48 hours are critical, and the situation "could turn really ugly"

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Egypt's prime minister apologized Thursday for the violent attacks on protesters yesterday and said the country's president has asked him to investigate the security chaos.

"This is a fatal error, and when investigations reveal who is behind this crime and who allowed it to happen, I promise they will be held accountable and will be punished for what they did," Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq said on state-owned TV.

Meanwhile, the military -- which had largely remained still in the area of Tahrir Square during violent clashes between supporters and foes of President Hosni Mubarak -- took position between the clashing groups Thursday. Rocks flew back and forth in an empty construction area in front of a metal barricade that anti-Mubarak protesters set up overnight.

Shafiq and newly-appointed Vice President Omar Suleiman are meeting with the opposition -- including protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square, state media said Thursday.

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/02/03/egypt.protests/

---

Click on this photo for a video report:
http://edition.cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2011/02/03/bpr.pleitgen.egypt.protest.cnn">

[FreakinDJ]

1. About time they did some thing

I was afraid this was going to go the route of Iran's protest with lots of sniper fire to dispel the protesters

[FailureToCommunicate]

5. Too little, too late for all the injured and shot last night...

PLUS, it seemed like the Army allowed the pro regime thugs to wade into the crowds.

[sabrina 1]

2. Mubarak has embarrassed his benefactors. They were trying to

save him by warning him against firing on his own people. Now, he cannot be saved as a 'friend and ally' of the U.S. But no one can say that the U.S. didn't try to help him out. Asking him nicely to 'show restraint' while including the protesters in the same 'request', although how the peaceful protesters could in any way be equated to the Mubarak security forces with the long history of violence against the people, is anyone's guess. But this is the new Orwellspeak. Moral Equivalency. It's all the rage these days.

The 'outrage' expressed by this government and the British PM is almost comical if it weren't so tragic. I mean you supply a brutal criminal with cash and support and you call him a 'friend and ally' knowing full well how he stays in power for 30 years and plans to pass his power on to his son, and you are 'surprised' when he acts like a dictator?

I think this will raise a lot of questions, I hope it will, about the U.S.'s long history of supporting the world's worst dictators.

[starroute]

6. I don't fault the US for going through the necessary moves

Like it or not, great powers have to do things like maintaining loyalty to their allies, even when the allies have made it clear they don't deserve it. That's just part of the game.

But what it means is that you have to be able to set up situations that give you a graceful out. That let you say, "We gave them every chance and they cut their own throats."

If that's what the Obama administration has been doing, we'll know because the winds will shift very quickly. And in that case, it will be clear that things like sending Frank Wisner, Jr. over there to lean on Mubarak were just part of the process.

But if the winds don't shift -- well, we'll know that, too.

[Threedifferentones]

16. That's why so many of us leftists are so angry.

Great power and evil empire are synonymous. How can all these morons in our country believe our troops are fighting for "freedom" when we support so many ruthless dictators? Including of course Saddam and Osama, when they suited our rulers' desires.

If hypocrisy and the brutalizing of ordinary people are "just part of the game," why the fuck are we still playing?

[decidedlyso]

9. Excellent post, and if I would have seen a forceful statement from

Obama himself on it being time for a power transition in Eqypt now (Mubarak stepping down immediately), I would be more sanguine about a change of thought regarding future relations with dictators and oppressive regimes. But I have not seen that; I have instead heard grossly conflicting statements from State, the Vice President and various members of the white house staff. Until all are walking the same walk, I think this is simply a transition toward no change.

[6000eliot]

3. I think the crackdown was supposed to coincide with the US media's demonizing of the protesters.

They made a mistake in also attacking the US media.

[decidedlyso]

10. The only media I saw demonizing the protesters was Fox news,

which I watched because someone was tearing O'Reilly apart.

[Turborama]

15. Who do you think it is that's attacking the US media? n/t

[6000eliot]

19. Mubarak's hired thugs?

[FailureToCommunicate]

4. "(They) will be punished for what they did," Sure, blame the people in

Tahir Square, when it is clear to most everyone - except some baffled Media anchors- that those responsible are paid thugs of the regime:

Organized, freshly supplied with 'street' weapons and allowed to move into the Square area by the Army. Not a good development.

"Round up the usual suspects" --Mubarak

[florida08]

7. Apologizes?

Watched this last till 1am. What went on there was brutal. Brian Williams and Richard Engel reporting that they were Mubarak's hired men. They were hired by the NDP to impose a crackdown. The revolutionaries are amazing. They fought them all night. The military let them in. They're gearing up again for tonight. I am so humbled by their resolve.

It certainly proves the barbarity of Mubarak.

[decidedlyso]

11. The protesters are brave and resolved beyond belief. If we had that

here, these corporations controlling us would not be in power much longer.

[bemildred]

8. Resign, Stooge. nt

[Uncle Joe]

12. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Turborama.

[4dsc]

13. The Army is withdrawling from the area

This is not going to be a good develepment.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Prometheus Bound]

17. Another misleading headline

This does not match the headline in the link and the article concludes "but in the afternoon, in parts of the square, the soldiers were nowhere to be seen."

The army is not the good guys here.

[Turborama]

18. You obviously need to learn something about how internet news works

They update their stories, regularly. Sometimes they even change the headlines.

Instead of going around calling me out for making up headlines and denigrating my integrity, next time google the headline and see for yourself it it has been previously used.

Here you go, again: http://www.google.com/search?q=Egypt's+prime+minister+apologizes;+military+steps+in+between+sides&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&ie=utf8&oe=utf8">Google seach of this exact headline