For those looking to follow what's happening in Egypt, far and away the best source is Al Jazeera English. Live online feed can be found HERE.
Cairo Falls into Near-Anarchy; Army Warns it Will Treat Protesters as Criminals from the Washington Post
"Since they deployed, Egyptian soldiers have remained steadfastly neutral and protesters have been imploring the troops to join their cause. But the statement Saturday suggested that the army intends to attempt what the police could not do: Quell a movement of tens of thousands of Egyptians who are demanding Mubarak's immediate resignation."
A bad sign. If the army takes the side of the security services, it could get exponentially more ugly this weekend.
Egyptian Military Deploys in Streets of Cairo: Protesters Warmly Greet Army, Urge Them to Join Demonstrations from the Washington Post
"In some parts of the capital, the protests appeared to grow more violent, and there were reports that demonstrators were attacking government buildings and a police station. But in other parts, an apparently festive atmosphere prevailed, as demonstrators warmly greeted newly deployed army troops and urged them to join the protests. Unlike the police, the military did not appear to be battling the demonstrators."
Five Things to Understand About the Egyptian Riots (Heather Hurlburt) from the New Republic
"Here are five points that American observers should keep in mind whatever comes next, while consuming the blog posts, Tweets, and TV coverage of their choice."
Egyptian Government on Last Legs, Says ElBaradei from the Guardian [of the UK]
"Mohamed ElBaradei says he is sending a message 'to the Guardian and to the world'"
The New Arab World Order (Robert Kaplan) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Don't mistake the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt for 1978 Iran. But that doesn't mean that U.S. diplomacy in the Arab world is going to be any less complicated going forward."
Waves of Unrest Spread to Yemen, Shaking a Region from the New York Times
"Thousands of protesters on Thursday took to the streets of Yemen, one of the Middle East’s most impoverished countries, and secular and Islamist Egyptian opposition leaders vowed to join large protests expected Friday as calls for change rang across the Arab world."
Is Qaddafi Next? (Philip Shenon) from the Daily Beast
"As protesters rise up in Egypt, a new WikiLeaks cable threatens to stir unrest in Libya. Philip Shenon reports on the St. Barts parties and bad behavior fueling Muammar Qaddafi's new PR problem."
Not happening -- at least not any time soon. So far, this wave of revolution is hitting relatively moderate dictatorships. The hardcores (Libya, Sudan) show little sign of real protest. In all these cases, the regimes have been successful FOR DECADES in obliterating organized opposition and what we in the west would call "civil society." Moreover, twitter, Facebook, etc. have had much less of an impact in those countries. So -- reformers there have a much bigger set of hurdles to clear.
Israel Fears Regime Change in Egypt from Der Spiegel [of Germany in English]
"Israel is watching developments in Egypt with concern. The government is standing by autocratic Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, out of fear that the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood could take power and start supplying arms to Hamas."
If Mubrark's government falls, IN VERY SHORT ORDER, the Israelis will regret that that they didn't cut a deal with Abbas and the PLA when they had the chance. A new Egyptian government [if at all representative of public opinion in the country] will almost immediately end the embargo of Hamas in Gaza and probably start arming Hamas newly. The Egyptian public hates Egypt's "alliance" with Israel and the embargo of Gaza in particular.
Jordanians March for Political Reform from the Financial Times [of London]
"Thousands of Jordanians have taken part in anti-government protests in Amman and other towns, demanding political reform, better economic conditions and the resignation of the country's unpopular prime minister. The demonstrations were supported by a large number of political and social groups, including the Jordanian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s main opposition party."
The Arab World's Youth Army (Ellen Knickmeyer) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Meet the chronically unemployed twenty-somethings fueling social and political upheaval across the Middle East."
Savagery and Respect (Benny Morris) from the National Interest
"It is worth looking a little more closely at where exactly street-orchestrated regime change is taking place—and where it isn't. The regimes that have crumbled or appear to be on the verge of crumbling, are those linked to the West, and they are regimes characterized by a relatively soft authoritarianism, and are commonly perceived as weak, if not downright flabby, well past their prime."
I think this is true -- for the moment. The most savage dictatorships have not seen much unrest yet.
Warily Watching the Arab Revolt (David Ignatius) from the Washington Post
"It's an easy revolution to like, and U.S. officials have wisely endorsed the protesters' goals of openness and reform. But in truth, there's little America could do to bolster the octogenarian Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, even if it wanted to. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton may endorse reform, as she did Wednesday, but this is a post-American revolution, encouraged in part by a recognition of the limits of U.S. power."
Do Tunisia and Egypt mark the beginning of a new chapter for Obama in the Middle East? (David Rothkopf) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"The Obama administration has thus far been pitch perfect in its public statements regarding the unrest in Egypt. Learning from its ill-considered silence in the early days of the Iranian protests, it has offered a balanced message. … That said, the uprisings in Egypt also signal a new period in the administration's foreign policy that will pose conundrums that make the riddle of the Sphinx look like a snap in comparison."
The View from Tehran: How Iran is Spinning the Arab Revolution (Mehrun Etebari) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"From Iran, it's more about 1979 than 2009."
Why Iran's Ahmadinejad Needs a Nuclear Deal (Jamsheed Choksy) from World Politics Review
"Ahmadinejad's administration requires a positive outcome, at least on paper, so that the U.S., its European allies and the United Nations Security Council lift the debilitating economic sanctions targeting the Islamic Republic."
In Africa, Refusal to Cede Power a Test for Democracy (Patrick Smyth) from the Irish Times
"African leaders who use violence to stay in power are sending out a dangerous signal."
This Week in War: Lessons from Cyber War I (Robert Haddick) from Foreign Policy Magazine
"How Russia pioneered the use of cyberattacks as a military tactic."
What 'Shellacking'? Recent Polls Show Major Momentum For Obama from TalkingPointsMemo
"Now, it seems like everything is coming up in Obama's favor. Buoyed by a surging approval rating, an improved economic outlook, and some popular legislative achievements, Obama is suddenly back on top."
Obama Finds the Sweet Spot (Richard Gwyn) from The Star [of Toronto]
"Democrats are quarrelling with Democrats. … Likewise Republicans with Republicans. … All this has left Obama looking like the one politician left standing who is cool and reasonable and trying to get things done by the only way they ever can get done — by compromise and listening to what the other side has to say."
The Children Must Play: What the United States Could Learn from Finland about Education Reform (Samuel Abrams) from the New Republic
"Obama Says He Wants to Reform Education. He Should Take a Cue From Finland."
GOP Fires at the Pentagon (Robert Dreyfuss) from the Nation
"Among Republicans, a civil war has broken out over defense spending."
A Big Warning Sign for Mitt Romney from Politico
"An array of Republican heavyweights who backed Mitt Romney’s 2008 presidential bid are not yet committed to - and in some cases, downright skeptical of - the former Massachusetts governor’s all-but-certain 2012 campaign."
Republicans are Terrified of the Tea Party from Politico
"Bachmann’s Republican critics may be sick of her grandstanding, but they’re more terrified of her tea party following."
Why Michele Bachmann is the Real Sarah Palin (David Swerdlick) from The Root
"They rep the same constituency. One in Congress, one from the comfort of her living room. Which Tea Party pol is the one to watch?"
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