Meanwhile in Egypt...

[oberliner]

Hundreds of Islamists stone Egypt's ElBaradei

CAIRO — Islamists hurled stones and shoes at Mohamed ElBaradei, Nobel Peace laureate and a secular contender for Egypt's presidency, as he tried to vote Saturday in a referendum on constitutional amendments.

ElBaradei was hit in the back by a stone thrown from the crowd of hundreds but managed to escape unhurt and slammed as "irresponsible" the holding of a referendum without adequate law and order.

"We don't want you," the mob shouted, throwing stones, shoes and water at the former UN nuclear watchdog chief as he turned up at a Cairo polling station, five weeks after president Hosni Mubarak was ousted by mass protests.

"He lives in the United States and wants to rule us. It's out of the question," one of them said.

"We don't want an American agent," said another.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gem9Kx0MIS57hXR6bplIhQAG11LA?docId=CNG.4ff2e782ea3c513ce60adb517b709f8e.6e1

[riderinthestorm]

1. Prediction: This thread will drop like a stone. DUers don't want to hear these kind of messy details

like violence to prevent a person from voting, stoning a candidate and more, about Egypts recent vote.

[DainBramaged]

4. Not when stick-pokers like me kick it up!

[Lisa0825]

11. I saw it posted a day or two again, so that's another reason it may drop. nt

[riderinthestorm]

12. Another prediction: less than 20 posts on this thread like the others. nt

[nalnn]

2. He lives

In the U.S.?

I did not know that.

[mdmc]

3. but,.but,,. don't the good guys win in a democracy?

:O

[Modern_Matthew]

5. I understand their distrust. They've already had one American puppet. nt

[Desertrose]

6. I can understand that too. nt

[riderinthestorm]

10. Bzzt! Wrong answer imho. Stoning anyone wanting to vote in order to prevent them from voting

especially a candidate is WRONG! No matter how much you may distrust.

Defending this kind of behavior by the Egyptians because we desperately want them to succeed in embracing democracy only means they will certainly fail.

[Motown_Johnny]

7. so, they are holding free and fair elections for a referendum on constitutional issues

interesting

[oberliner]

8. How are they free and fair if people are prevented from voting by angry mobs?

Doesn't that go against the "free and fair" concept?

This was not the only report of such harrassment.

[tavalon]

9. I think we need to see all sides of this

[MedleyMisty]

13. Are you responsible for everything every American does?

Also, do note, our votes are pretty freaking far from perfect. We are not perfect paragons of democracy, that we can go judging other people.

This is like the attack on the reporter - using that as an example for zomg brown people can't rule themselves, and then when an 11 year old gets gang raped here no one says Americans can't rule themselves. Or, you know, points out that women are assaulted here every day.

I don't mind hearing about this. This does not disrupt any fantasy I have of some perfect halcyon Egyptian society. Because I know that no society is perfect, and I think that the Egyptians are capable of handling this on their own. But then I'm not into being a colonialist who is concerned about letting the natives have "home rule".

[PurityOfEssence]

14. Not good.

Not that I have any love for El Baradei or anything of the sort, but the implications of what could happen here are disturbing. As an inveterate religion avoider, I see dreadful things in the offing. Hopefully I'm wrong, but these cats play for keeps, and it's a crazy time right now.

[rabs]

15. Also in Tahir Square today (Monday)

Around 50 demonstrators loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi surrounded UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Cairo's Tahir Square on Monday forcing him to retreat into the adjacent Arab League headquarters, a correspondent reported.

Chanting "Down, Down USA, Libya, Libya," and carrying banners and the national flag of Gaddafi's Libya the protesters surged towards Ban and his 15-strong delegation that included a UN deputy secretary general and former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, the head of UN women.

The UN chief had been following in the footsteps of a string of international visitors to Cairo in recent weeks, including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in touring the square which was the focus of mass protests that forced veteran president Hosni Mubarak from power last month.

Police and troops intervened to let the UN group make good their escape.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/world/africa/pro-gaddafi-protesters-mob-un-chief-cairo-644