Security forces disappear off Cairo streets

[pinboy3niner]

Security forces disappear off Cairo streets
(AP) – 2 hours ago

CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian security forces have all but disappeared from the streets in the heart of the country's capital ahead of planned demonstrations against President Hosni Mubarak's rule.

Egyptians had expected a huge police presence ahead of Friday's planned protests.

Instead, there is no sight of riot police on Cairo's main streets and key bridges, including areas where security forces are visible even in normal times.

Before dawn, the largest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, said at least five of its leaders and five former members of parliament had been arrested.

More:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j_I10o3uf6-s5lJSPfKp94DAJlpw?docId=39ae3e99ea8442f1880a07d29424af12

[struggle4progress]

1. Egypt: Internet down, police counterterror unit up

By HAMZA HENDAWI and SARAH EL DEEB
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. ...

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9L148I81.htm

[struggle4progress]

2. Internet, phones down as Egypt braces for protests

Hamza Hendawi and Sarah El Deeb
Cairo— The Associated Press
Published Thursday, Jan. 27, 2011 9:04AM EST
Last updated Friday, Jan. 28, 2011 4:14AM EST

... Uniformed security forces at least temporarily disappeared from the streets of central Cairo mid-morning Friday, but truckloads of riot police and armoured cars started moving back about an hour later.

The Muslim Brotherhood said at least five of its leaders and five former members of parliament had been arrested ...

Egypt's four primary Internet providers – Link Egypt, Vodafone/Raya, Telecom Egypt, Etisalat Misr – all stopped moving data in and out of the country at 12:34 a.m. local time, according to a network security firm monitoring the traffic. Telecom experts said Egyptian authorities could have engineered the cutoff with a simple change to the instructions for the companies' networking equipment.

The Internet appeared to remain cut off Friday morning, and cellphone text and Blackberry Messenger services were all cut or operating sporadically in what appeared to be a move by authorities to disrupt the organization of demonstrations ...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/africa-mideast/internet-phones-down-as-egypt-braces-for-protests/article1884579/

[xchrom]

3. Solidarity. Nt