Gaddafi defiant as West flexes military muscle (Reuters)

TRIPOLI (Reuters) – U.S. warships will pass through the Suez Canal on Wednesday on their way to Libya as Western nations put more pressure on Muammar Gaddafi to stop a violent crackdown and step aside.

The United States said Libya could sink into civil war unless Gaddafi quits amid fears that the uprising, the bloodiest against long-serving rulers in the Middle East, could cause a humanitarian crisis.

Gaddafi remained defiant and his son, Saif al-Islam, warned the West against launching military action. He said the veteran ruler would not step down or go into exile.

Italy said it was sending a humanitarian mission to neighboring Tunisia to provide food and medical aid to as many as 10,000 people who had fled violence in Libya on its eastern border.

Tunisian border guards fired into the air on Tuesday to try to control a crowd of people clamoring to cross the frontier.

About 70,000 people have passed through the Ras Jdir border post in the past two weeks, and many more of the hundreds of thousands of foreign workers in Libya are expected to follow.

"Using force against Libya is not acceptable. There's no reason, but if they want ... we are ready, we are not afraid," Saif al-Islam told Sky television.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told U.S. lawmakers: "Libya could become a peaceful democracy or it could face protracted civil war." The United States said it was moving ships and planes closer to the oil-producing North African state.

The destroyer USS Barry moved through the Suez Canal on Monday and into the Mediterranean. Two amphibious assault ships, the USS Kearsarge, which can carry 2,000 Marines, and the USS Ponce, were in the Red Sea and are expected to go through the canal early on Wednesday.

U.S. RULES NOTHING OUT

The White House said the ships were being redeployed in preparation for possible humanitarian efforts but stressed it "was not taking any options off the table."

"We are looking at a lot of options and contingencies. No decisions have been made on any other actions," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe sounded a note of caution, saying military intervention would not happen without a clear United Nations mandate.

British Prime Minister David Cameron, who said Britain would work with allies on preparations for a no-fly zone in Libya, said it was unacceptable that "Colonel Gaddafi can be murdering his own people using airplanes and helicopter gunships."

General James Mattis, commander of U.S. Central Command, told a Senate hearing that imposing a no-fly zone would be a "challenging" operation. "You would have to remove air defense capability in order to establish a no-fly zone, so no illusions here," he said. "It would be a military operation."

Analysts said Western leaders were in no mood to rush into the conflict after drawn-out involvements in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Gaddafi, a survivor of past coup attempts, told the U.S. ABC network and the BBC on Monday: "All my people love me," dismissing the significance of a rebellion that has ended his control over much of oil-rich eastern Libya.

REBELS SAY STRENGTH GROWING

Rebel fighters said the balance of the conflict was swinging their way. "Our strength is growing and we are getting more weapons. We are attacking checkpoints," said Yousef Shagan, a spokesman in Zawiyah, 50 km (30 miles) from Tripoli.

A rebel army officer in the eastern city of Ajdabiyah said rebel units were becoming more organized.

"All the military councils of Free Libya are meeting to form a unified military council to plan an attack on Gaddafi security units, militias and mercenaries," Captain Faris Zwei said. He said there were more than 10,000 volunteers in the city, plus defecting soldiers.

The New York Times reported that the rebels' revolutionary council was debating whether to ask for Western air strikes on some of Gaddafi's military assets under a United Nations banner.

The Times said Abdel-Hafidh Ghoga, the council's spokesman, declined to comment on its deliberations but said: "If it is with the United Nations, it is not a foreign intervention," which the rebels have said they oppose.

The Times said there was no indication the U.N. Security Council would approve such a request, or that Libyans seeking to oust Gaddafi would welcome it.

Despite the widespread collapse of Gaddafi's writ, his forces were fighting back in some regions. A reporter on the Tunisian border saw Libyan troops reassert control at a crossing abandoned on Monday, and residents of Nalut, about 60 km (35 miles) from the border, said they feared pro-Gaddafi forces were planning to recapture the town.

Mohamed, a resident of rebel-held Misrata, told Reuters by phone: "Symbols of Gaddafi's regime have been swept away from the city. Only a (pro-Gaddafi) battalion remains at the city's air base but they appear to be willing to negotiate safe exit out of the air base. We are not sure if this is genuine or just a trick to attack the city again."

Across the country, tribal leaders, officials, military officers and army units have defected to the rebels.

Tripoli is a clear Gaddafi stronghold, but even in the capital, loyalties are divided. Many on the streets on Tuesday expressed loyalty, but a man who described himself as a military pilot said: "One hundred percent of Libyans don't like him."

The U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday unanimously suspended Libya's membership of the U.N. Human Rights Council. A U.N. Security Council resolution on Saturday called for a freeze on Gaddafi's assets and a travel ban and refers his crackdown to the International Criminal Court.

The United States has frozen $30 billion in Libyan assets.

Libya's National Oil Corp said output had halved because of the departure of foreign workers. Brent crude prices surged above $116 a barrel as supply disruptions and the potential for more unrest in the Middle East and North Africa kept investors on edge.

Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper, citing unnamed U.S. sources, said British special forces were preparing to seize mustard gas and other potential chemical weapons in Libya.

It quoted unnamed British sources as saying they had not yet received a specific U.S. request for involvement, but officials said plans were being drawn up for "every eventuality."

(Additional reporting by Yvonne Bell and Chris Helgren in Tripoli, Dina Zayed and Caroline Drees in Cairo, Tom Pfeiffer, Alexander Dziadosz and Mohammed Abbas in Benghazi, Yannis Behrakis and Douglas Hamilton; Christian Lowe and Hamid Ould Ahmed in Algiers, Souhail Karam and Marie-Louise Gumuchian in Rabat and Samia Nakhoul, William Maclean and Alex Lawler in London; writing by Janet Lawrence; editing by Philip Barbara)

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Protesters say Egypt military uses force on them (Reuters)

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian soldiers fired in the air and used batons in the early hours of Saturday to disperse activists demanding the cabinet appointed by Hosni Mubarak be purged by the country's new military leaders, protesters said.

Thousands had gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square to celebrate two weeks since Mubarak's removal and remind the country's new rulers, who have promised to guard against "counter revolution" of the people's power.

In the gathering in the epicenter of the uprising against the president, activists urged the military, who had promised there would be "no return to the past" of the Mubarak era, to overhaul the cabinet and install a team of technocrats.

But after midnight, protesters said the military fired in the air, shut off the light from lampposts, and moved in on protesters to force them to leave the square, in an unusual use of military force against protesters since Mubarak's fall.

"Military police used batons and tasers to hit the protesters," Ahmed Bahgat, one of the protesters, told Reuters by telephone. "The military is once again using force. But the protesters have not responded."

Protesters left the main center but many had gathered in surrounding streets, another protester, Mohamed Emad, said. Witnesses said they saw several protesters fall to the ground but it was not clear if they were wounded or how seriously.

"I am one of thousands of people who stood their ground after the army started dispersing the protesters, shooting live bullets into the air to scare them," said protester Ashraf Omar.

TASERS AND STICKS

"They were using tasers and sticks to beat us without any control. I thought things would change. I wanted to give the government a chance but there is no hope with this regime," Omar said. "There is no use."

"I am back on the street. I either live with dignity or I die here."

Protesters say they want the resignation of the government of Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, the immediate release of political prisoners and the issuing of a general amnesty.

The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's best organized political group, and others are particularly concerned about the key portfolios of defense, interior, justice and foreign affairs, and want a clean break from Mubarak's old guard.

The military, facing strikes over pay as well as turmoil in Libya, treads a fine line between granting people new freedoms and restoring normal life.

The army officers who moved in on protesters in Tahrir, donned black masks to cover their faces to avoid being identified by protesters, Omar said.

Military busses were parked in the square to take in protesters that were caught, Mohamed Aswany, one protester who had decided to stage a sit-in, told Reuters by telephone.

Protesters were heard yelling and shouting as they were chased down side streets to Tahrir.

"It is a cat and mouse chase between the army and the people," Omar said in dismay. "There is no more unity between the people and the army."

FORMER OFFICIALS DETAINED

In one attempt to appease protesters and show a break with the past, several former ministers and business executives linked to Mubarak's ruling party have come under investigation.

Egypt's public prosecutor referred two former ministers and several prominent businessmen to a criminal court on Thursday on accusations of squandering public funds.

In the latest case, investigators have ordered the detention of former Information Minister Anas el-Fekky for 15 days on charges of profiteering and wasting public funds, the state news agency MENA said on Saturday.

Investigators also ordered the head of the Egyptian Television and Broadcasting Union be detained.

Anti-government protesters had been angered by Fekky because state media, which fell under his charge, had ignored, played down or attacked demonstrations that ousted Mubarak.

Egypt's prosecutor said in its charges against Fekky that he had allocated state television funding to back presidential and parliamentary campaigns for Mubarak and his National Democratic Party, in violation of election laws.

The prosecutor also said Fekky had used excess funding in revamping studios and for channels owned by state television.

The former minister denied the charges, MENA reported, saying that he saw no excess in allocating budgets and that he had made such decisions to maintain competitiveness with other, private channels.

Fekky also denied that state television unfairly helped the campaign for Mubarak or his party:

"Those campaigns spoke of accomplishments in Egypt in general and did not praise one person or one party."

(Additional reporting by Mohamed Abdellah; Writing by Dina Zayed; Editing by Alison Williams)

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IAEA says gets info on possible Iran military work (Reuters)

VIENNA (Reuters) – The U.N. atomic watchdog has received new information regarding allegations that Iran may be seeking to develop a nuclear-armed missile, the agency said in a report voicing deepening concern about the issue.

The confidential document from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) signaled growing frustration at what it sees as Iran's lack of cooperation with a long-running investigation into its disputed nuclear program.

It also underlined Iran's determination to press ahead with sensitive atomic activity despite four rounds of U.N. sanctions since 2006, saying the country had informed the IAEA it would soon start operating a second uranium enrichment plant.

The Islamic Republic had also told the Vienna-based U.N. body of plans to step up efforts to introduce more advanced machines used to enrich uranium, which can have both civilian and military purposes, the report said.

The report looked likely to add to Western suspicions that Iran is secretly bent on building a nuclear weapons capability from its enrichment program, which Tehran denies.

It may also provide the United States and allies with additional arguments for further tightening sanctions on Iran, after talks in December and January failed to make any progress toward resolving the dispute.

The IAEA report, obtained by Reuters Friday, said it remained concerned about possible current activity in Iran to design a nuclear payload.

"Iran is not engaging with the agency in substance on issues concerning the allegation that Iran is developing a nuclear payload for its missile program," it said.

For several years, the IAEA has been investigating Western intelligence reports indicating Iran has coordinated efforts to process uranium, test explosives at high altitude and revamp a ballistic missile cone in a way suitable for a nuclear warhead.

The report said that based on an analysis of "additional information which has come to its attention since August 2008, including new information recently received, there are further concerns which the agency ... needs to clarify with Iran."

NEW CENTRIFUGES PREPARED?

Iran's ambassador to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, told Reuters that allegations of military aspects to Iran's nuclear program were "totally fabricated."

Enriched uranium can be used to fuel nuclear power plants, which is Iran's stated aim, or provide material for bombs if processed much further.

In a surprise development, the report said Iran had said it "would have to unload fuel assemblies" from the core of the Russian-built Bushehr reactor, which Iranian officials have previously said would soon start generating electricity.

Iran did not give a reason for its move, which was announced a month after Russia said NATO should investigate a computer virus attack on Bushehr last year, saying the incident could have triggered a nuclear disaster on the scale of Chernobyl.

Security experts say the Stuxnet computer worm may have been a state-sponsored attack on Iran's nuclear program and may have originated in the United States or Israel.

Despite a brief halt of enrichment work in November, Iran's total output of low-enriched uranium rose to reach a total of 3.61 tonnes, from 3.18 tonnes at the end of October, suggesting steady work despite technical woes and possible cyber sabotage.

Experts say that amount could be enough for two bombs if refined much further.

In a further sign that Tehran has no intention of bowing to demands to halt such activity, the report said Iran had told the IAEA earlier this week it planned to begin feeding nuclear material at its second enrichment facility "by this summer."

In September 2009, Iran revealed the existence of the site, Fordow, being built inside a mountain bunker near the central city of Qom after keeping it secret for years.

Iran had also said it planned to install two new centrifuge cascades in a R&D facility at its main enrichment plant at Natanz with more modern machines than the IR-1 model now in use, which is based on a 1970s design and prone to breakdowns.

"They should have a significantly higher enrichment output and a lower failure rate than the IR-1 centrifuge," the Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington-based think-tank, said in an analysis.

(Editing by Alison Williams)

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Egypt's military to move on cabinet, march expected (Reuters)

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt's new military rulers were expected to unveil a new cabinet on Tuesday with pro-democracy protesters planning a march to pressure the generals to purge the old guard of deposed president Hosni Mubarak.

Leaks of the reshuffle to state media showing key ministers, such as foreign, finance and interior, unchanged were greeted with a sour reaction by reformists who want a fresh cabinet with technocrats to run the Arab world's most populous nation.

As the military struggled to organize a handover to power with free and fair elections in six months after the downfall of Mubarak, its neighbor Libya was engulfed by a fierce crackdown on a mounting revolt to the 41-year rule of Muammar Gadaffi.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton was in Cairo on Tuesday to offer international aid to help the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to get the country back to work and to secure a peaceful, swift and orderly transition of power.

"I am certainly looking at ways for us to offer support," Ashton told reporters, after a visit by British Prime Minister David Cameron and U.S. officials, offering help to the rulers of this key American ally that has a peace treaty with Israel.

The Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's most powerful political organization which has a growing influence in the post-Mubarak era, said it was not offered a portfolio. Others referred to in leaks of a reshuffle defended their appointments.

BROTHERHOOD, OTHERS WANT PURGE

Others involved in the movement that toppled Mubarak's 30-year rule with an 18-day uprising signaled their displeasure at the plans by the council, led by Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, who has been defense minister for two decades.

Millions turned out for Egypt's uprising, centered around Cairo's Tahrir Square, to protest about corruption, repression and poverty, whipping up a revolution that toppled Mubarak, a former air force commander who took over after Anwar Sadat was assassinated in 1981.

The military dissolved parliament, suspended the constitution and promised presidential and parliamentary elections in six months but reformists are urging wider reforms and the lifting of emergency law imposed after Sadat's killing.

A group of youths called the People's National Movement for Change will stage a march from Talaat Harb Square to Tahrir Square at 2 p.m. on Tuesday to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq's interim government.

The protesters said they would give the cabinet until Wednesday to resign and will call for a big sit-in in Tahrir on Thursday and a march on Friday.

"We will march in protest to demand the resignation of Shafiq's government and abolishing emergency law and the trial of Mubarak and his family," the movement's Mohamed Fahmy said, adding the group also demanded setting a new minimum wage.

The military, facing protests over wages and conditions that sprang out of the nation's new found post-Mubarak freedom, has effectively banned strikes and industrial action to get the nation back on its feet and to restart the damaged economy

(Writing by Peter Millership)

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After the carrot, Egypt military shows the stick (Reuters)

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt's military, after promising to deliver civilian rule in six months, warned workers using their new freedom to protest over pay that strikes must stop, in a move businessmen said on Saturday could have come sooner.

The military council, under pressure from activists to speed up the pace of reform, has adopted a softly-softly approach since taking power after the downfall of Hosni Mubarak, but said late on Friday that labor unrest threatened national security.

It issued the order, effectively banning strikes, after millions celebrated across Egypt with fireworks, dancing and music to mark a week since Mubarak, 82, was swept aside after 30 years, triggering a cascade of Middle East protests.

"I think it is a very late decision. The army should have given a firm statement for all kinds of sit-ins to stop, immediately after Mubarak stepped down," Sami Mahmoud, a board member of the Nile Company food distributor, said on Saturday.

"Though this statement should have come way earlier, I think the army was just allowing people to take their chance to voice their demands and enjoy the spirit of freedom," said Walid Abdel-Sattar, a businessman in the power industry.

"It's Not The Time For It," said Saturday's banner headline in the state-owned Akhbar Elyom newspaper, urging the nation to end work stoppages which were causing "a state of paralysis to our national economy" and losing Egypt crucial revenue.

Banks, which have been closed this week because of strikes that have disrupted business, are due to open on Sunday, the first day of the working week in Egypt. The military believes this is an important step toward restoring normality.

FREEDOM TO SPEAK OUT

Workers cite a series of grievances. What unites them is a new sense of being able to speak out in the post-Mubarak era.

The message to return to work was reinforced by influential preacher Sheikh Yousef al-Qaradawi at Friday prayers.

Most Egyptians, however, are keen to get back to normal, begin earning again and restart the damaged economy.

Life is far from normal in Egypt after the 18-day uprising erupted on January 25, with schools closed, tanks on the streets in major cities and nationwide public sector strikes.

In a sign of economic nervousness, Egypt's stock exchange, closed since January 27 because of the turmoil, said it would remain shut until it was sure banks were functioning properly.

Nine airlines canceled flights to and from Egypt's capital on Saturday, Cairo airport officials said. The unrest prompted foreign embassy travel warnings, hitting tourism.

The military statement also said that "some elements" were preventing state employees from working. Others were appropriating state land and building on farm land.

"The Supreme Council for the Armed Forces will not allow the continuation of those illegitimate practices," it said in the strongly-worded statement, without specifying precisely what steps would be taken against the perpetrators.

Protests, sit-ins and strikes have occurred at state-owned institutions across Egypt, including at the stock exchange, textile and steel firms, media organizations, the postal service, railways, the Culture Ministry and the Health Ministry.

The council understood workers' demands and had instructed the relevant state bodies to study and act on them, the military statement said. But citizens had a duty toward the state.

"It was also noted that the continuation of the state of instability and the consequences resulting from it will lead to damage in national security," the statement said.

Pro-democracy campaigners welcomed the army's suspension of the constitution, dissolution of parliament and a referendum on constitutional amendments but still want the immediate release of political prisoners and lifting of emergency laws.

A Cairo court on Saturday approved the establishment of an Egyptian political party that has been trying to secure an official license for 15 years.

The Wasat Party (Center Party) has applied four times for a license since the 1990s. Saturday's ruling made it the first party to gain legal status since Mubarak was toppled.

The ruling paves the way for the Wasat Party, founded by a former Muslim Brotherhood member, to take part in coming elections.

(Additional reporting by Sarah Mikhail, Edmund Blair, Sherine El Madany, Yasmine Saleh, Shaimaa Fayed, Marwa Awad, Dina Zayed, Tom Pfeiffer, Tom Perry, Patrick Werr, Alexander Dziadosz; Writing by Peter Millership; editing by David Stamp)

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A Brief History of Military Takeover (Time.com)

The resignation of Hosni Mubarak prompted widespread euphoria in Egypt's cities, where millions had massed on the streets for nearly three weeks to bring down Mubarak's three-decade-old regime. His departure is the product of an unprecedented display of courage and defiance by Egypt's people, but the hopes of many in the country still hinge on the actions of its military, which has assumed power and will preside over whatever transition that takes place.

Generals are used to delivering commands from top-down with the expectation of total obedience - unsurprisingly, they don't make the most natural democrats. Following the 1952 toppling of Egypt's British-backed monarchy by a group of young army officers, political authority in Cairo has always depended upon the military's backing. Never before has it sanctioned the development of a real democracy in the country.

But examples of coups elsewhere offer cause for optimism. In 1974, a coordinated revolt by disaffected officers in the Portuguese army against the country's repressive quasi-fascist government brought out tens of thousands into the streets. It was dubbed the Carnation Revolution as residents of Lisbon festooned the weapons of mutinous troops with flowers. Portugal's authoritarian regime collapsed, its overseas colonies - beset by violent insurgencies - were granted freedom, and elections led to a civilian-run center-left government. Democracy followed a year later in neighboring Spain, and has flourished in both countries since. Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, endured 16 years of iron-fisted military rule, but its top brass eventually relented, allowing for a new constitution in 1999 that ushered in a credible, durable democracy. While the country is still burdened by corruption and longstanding ethnic and religious tensions, the army looks to have receded into the background. (See what was left behind after Tunisia's revolution.)

In Egypt's case, that may be hoping for too much. It boasts the largest army in Africa and the military as an institution is deeply embedded in the workings of the state. Unlike the reviled security forces of the Interior Ministry, guilty of decades of arbitrary arrests, intimidation and torture, the army is well-regarded as a patriotic and proud custodian of the nation. But while many of the army's rank-and-file conscripts may be on the side of the protesters, some among its current top brass - as well as former key generals like Vice President Omar Suleiman - directly helped preserve Mubarak's reign and were its beneficiaries. It's too early to tell how they will adjust to the new political calculus.

Movements toward democracy have been sidelined by similar personalities in the past. In 1977, Pakistani General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq stepped in during a rancorous political crisis and arrested Pakistan's elected Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto on the pretext of returning order to the country. Bhutto was executed a year later and Zia stayed in power until his death in 1988. In the aftermath of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Zia became a key ally of the U.S., directing American aid to the anti-Moscow mujahedin while maintaining a draconian grip on Pakistan's politics throughout.

Over the decades, perhaps no military is more guilty of meddling with its country's fledgling civilian democracy than that of Thailand, the Southeast Asian land of smiles and coups. In 2006, the Royal Thai Army launched its latest intervention, ousting the controversial populist Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and declaring martial law. Civilian rule has returned, but Thailand's political landscape is deeply polarized and fractious - a product, in part, of a society far too accustomed to seeing tanks on the streets at the first instance of crisis. (See a brief history of people power.)

Of course, there's a limit to how instructive these external comparisons may be for Egypt, which is in the grips of a truly epochal moment. Commentators in the West have tended to place the protests in two vastly different historical paradigms. For some, the events in Egypt parallel the 1979 Iranian Revolution, where a mass uprising against a U.S.-backed dictator brought about an illiberal, Islamist theocracy. For optimists, Cairo represents the long-awaited Arab Spring, when, like the 1989 revolutions in Eastern Europe, democracy would bloom as authoritarian rule crumbled. In the first case, fears of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood gaining the same political traction as Iran's Shi'ite mullahs have been considerably overblown. In the latter, the hope for any sort of peaceful democratic transformation still awaits the license of Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.

That may yet come. The famous 1986 protests that toppled Ferdinand Marcos, the longtime dictator of the Philippines, gave to global lexicon the term "people power" - a phrase which has been repeatedly invoked when characterizing events in Tahrir Square. But for all the incredible scenes of mobilization and protest, little would have been achieved had it not been for the mutiny of a prominent general and the defense minister in Marcos' camp. In the beginning, the military bought into the post-Marcos democracy but, later, factions within the army launched a number of botched coups and even the attempted assassination of the country's sitting elected President. As ever, the men in uniform can be real arbiters for change, but democracy is rarely secure when preserved just through the barrel of a gun.

See TIME's complete coverage: "The Middle East in Revolt."

See photos of the celebration in Tahrir Square.

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Military rulers dissolve Egypt's parliament (Reuters)

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt's new military rulers said on Sunday they had dissolved parliament, suspended the constitution and would govern only for six months or until elections took place, following the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak.

Troops, some wielding sticks, earlier took control of Tahrir (Liberation) Square, the fulcrum of the 18 days of protests that swept Mubarak from power, to let traffic through central Cairo as the army struggled to return life to normal.

The Higher Military Council, which took over after a revolt that changed modern Egyptian history and ended Mubarak's 30-year rule, promised a referendum on constitutional amendments.

The initial response from opposition figures and protest leaders was overwhelmingly positive. "Victory, victory," chanted pro-democracy activists in Tahrir Square. "More is needed, more is needed," others yelled.

"It is a victory for the revolution," said Ayman Nour, who challenged Mubarak for the presidency in 2005 and was later jailed. "I think this will satisfy the protesters."

Egypt's constitution was written with built-in guarantees to keep Mubarak in power, elections were rigged in favor of his ruling party and opposition groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood were sometimes harassed, sometimes tolerated.

As the momentous events in Egypt continued to ripple across the Middle East, demonstrators in Yemen, inspired by protests in Tunisia and Egypt, clashed with police blocking them from marching on Ali Abdullah Saleh's presidential palace.

Egypt's government now reports to the military as it did to Mubarak, a former air force commander who was despised by many for ruling like a pharaoh but who was once a hero for his role in the 1973 war with Israel and who steadied Egypt after the 1981 assassination of his predecessor Anwar Sadat.

Protest organizers were forming a Council of Trustees to defend the revolution and urge swift reform from a military intent on restoring law and order during the transition.

Mahmoud Nassar, a youth movement leader, said: "The army has moved far along to meet the people's demands and we urge it to release all political prisoners who were taken before and after January 25 revolution. Only then will we call off the protests."

Protesters argued heatedly in Tahrir Square over whether to stay or comply with army orders to leave. "The people want the square cleared," one group chanted. "We will not leave, we will not leave," replied another.

Police officers, emboldened by Mubarak's downfall, gathered outside the Interior Ministry to demand higher pay. Warning shots were fired in the air. No one was hurt.

The cabinet met and, for the first time, the portrait of Mubarak did not gaze over its proceedings as Egyptians quietly removed once ubiquitous images of the 82-year-old former leader.

"REVOLUTION CONTINUING"

Protesters have demanded the release of political prisoners, the lifting of a state of emergency, the abolition of military courts, fair elections and a swift handover to civilian rule.

The army has said it would lift emergency law, used to stifle dissent under Mubarak, when "current circumstances end." But it has not specified a timetable.

Despite Mubarak's resignation, some protesters have said they plan to stay in Tahrir Square to ensure the military keeps its promises on transition. They have urged Egyptians to turn out in their millions for a "victory march" on Friday.

The military's strategy has been to calm the nation and the world about its intentions and, in the short term, to try to enforce the law after the disgraced police melted away, having failed to crush protesters with teargas and batons.

On Saturday, the army said it would uphold Egypt's international obligations. These include a peace treaty with Israel, whose defense minister has been in touch with his Egyptian counterpart, who heads the military council.

How to handle policing has become a pressing issue.

Interior Minister Mahmoud Wagdy has said Egypt needs "the speedy return of the police to duty," saying 13,000 inmates who escaped from prison early in the uprising were still on the run.

Some traffic police were back on Cairo streets beside soldiers and tanks guarding intersections and key buildings. But the minister said the police force was only back at 35 percent of its pre-crisis strength, without giving numbers.

NO CABINET CHANGES

Apparently seeking to reassure Egyptians that everything was under control, Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq said government affairs were being presented to the Higher Military Council, "as they were presented to the president of the republic."

"There is no change in the form, method or process of work. Matters are completely stable," he told a news conference.

The head of the military council is Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Mubarak's long-time defense minister.

Shafiq was appointed by Mubarak when he sacked his former cabinet on January 29 in a vain effort to quell the uprising. His remarks were likely to anger Egyptians hoping Mubarak's ruling system would be dismantled in the new era.

"It looks like Mubarak is still in power but behind the scenes. I am sorry for Egypt. They continue to try to fool the people," said Salem Metwali, 41, a protester in Tahrir Square.

Shafiq said the military would decide the role of Omar Suleiman, who was appointed vice president by Mubarak last month. Suleiman's position has been in doubt since Mubarak resigned on Friday, handing power to the armed forces. He was previously head of intelligence, on close terms to Washington.

Mohamed ElBaradei, a retired U.N. diplomat who has been put forward as a reformist spokesman, urged the army to bring in civilians to take part in the transitional process:

"We need heavy participation by the civilians," he told CNN. "It cannot be the army running the show."

Shafiq said he believed Mubarak was in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, and that the cabinet had not made any request to freeze the deposed president's assets abroad. The cabinet spokesman added that "if there is a need, they will do it."

A British minister said there should be an international approach to dealing with Mubarak's overseas assets.

Workers from the health and culture ministries staged demonstrations as Egyptians began venting pent-up frustrations.

TENTS REMOVED

The military was clear in its instructions for Tahrir.

"We do not want any protesters to sit in the square after today," Mohamed Ibrahim Moustafa Ali, head of military police, said as soldiers removed protesters' tents from the square.

People chanted "peacefully, peacefully" as soldiers and military police in red berets moved in to disperse them. Scuffles broke out and some soldiers lashed out with sticks. Protesters said soldiers detained about 50 people.

The most committed protesters vowed to remain.

Jihad Laban, an accountant, said much work remained to make sure the revolution did not squander what it had gained.

"The goal was never just to get rid of Mubarak. The system is totally corrupt and we won't go until we see some real reforms. I am going to be buried in Tahrir. I am here for my children. Egypt is too precious to walk away now."

(Reporting by Marwa Awad, Edmund Blair, Alexander Dziadosz, Shaimaa Fayed, Andrew Hammond, Alistair Lyon, Sherine El Madany, Tom Perry, Yasmine Saleh, Patrick Werr, Jonathan Wright and Dina Zayed, Writing by Peter Millership; Editing by Alistair Lyon and Alastair Macdonald)

View the original article here

Military urges halt to strikes gripping Egypt (AFP)

CAIRO (AFP) – Egypt's military government urged an end to widespread strikes following the popular uprising that overthrew Hosni Mubarak, as the United States pressed for an end to 30-year-old emergency laws.

The orders came after the elderly generals now ruling the country met some of the young Internet activists who triggered the revolt against Mubarak, reportedly promising a referendum on a new constitution within two months.

European governments, meanwhile, moved on Egyptian requests to freeze the assets of several officials of the ousted regime amid accusations that they had salted away billions of dollars in ill-gotten assets.

In its latest announcement since it took power on Friday, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces urged union leaders to call off their action.

They stopped short however of issuing a decree banning strikes, as it had been rumoured to be preparing to do.

"Honourable citizens can see that protests at this critical time will have a negative effect in harming the security of the country," its spokesman said.

The uprising that toppled Mubarak's 30-year rule has splintered into pay strikes by workers in the banking, transport, health care, oil, tourism and textiles sectors, as well as state-owned media and government bodies.

"It's difficult to say exactly how many people are striking and where. Who isn't striking?" Kamal Abbas of the Centre for Trade Union and Workers' Services said.

Many of the strikes were aimed at removing corrupt union leaders tied to Mubarak, he said.

At one such protest, public transport workers demanded better working conditions, accusing officials of corruption.

"They send us out with vehicles with bad brakes... There is no maintenance," said one demonstrator.

At another protest, hospital workers formed a human chain to stop traffic on the highway south out of the capital, causing a major traffic jam and infuriating motorists.

The strikes prompted the stock exchange to once again postpone reopening until next week.

The cyber campaigners said the junta, which dissolved parliament and suspended the constitution on Sunday, had vowed to rewrite the document within 10 days in line with the protesters' demands for democratic change.

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has set a six-month timetable for holding elections but said the cabinet Mubarak hastily appointed on January 31 -- headed by a former air force commander -- would stay on.

"We met the army... to understand their point of view and lay out our views," said 30-year-old Google executive Wael Ghonim and blogger Amr Salama, in a note on a pro-democracy website that helped launch the revolt.

Ghonim became an unlikely hero of the uprising after tearfully describing his 12 days in detention in a televised interview.

The sweeping changes announced by the council dismantled the political system that underpinned Mubarak's rule, which ended Friday when he was driven from power after the 18-day pro-democracy uprising.

The dissolved parliament was seen as illegitimate following elections last year marred by widespread allegations of fraud, which gave Mubarak's National Democratic Party (NDP) an overwhelming majority.

Protesters had also demanded the overhaul of the constitution, which placed restrictions on who could stand in elections and made it virtually impossible to seriously challenge the NDP.

Several members of the previous government, including sacked premier Ahmed Nazif and widely hated interior minister Habib al-Adly, have been banned from leaving Egypt by authorities investigating graft allegations.

In an attempt to show their solidarity with the uprising, hundreds of members of Mubarak's police force -- widely viewed as corrupt and brutal -- have called for Adly, their former boss, to be publicly executed.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she hoped the military leaders would lift the three-decade old emergency law as promised.

In comments to Al-Jazeera television, Clinton stressed that the process should be "directed and defined" by the Egyptian people.

But she added: "One of the demands which we have supported for a long time is to lift the emergency decree.

"There has been an announcement that will be done and we hope that it will be," she added.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said his government had been asked to freeze the assets of several former regime officials. A German foreign ministry said Berlin had received a similar request.

The Tunisian uprising was an inspiration to Egypt's protest movement, which in turn triggered anti-government demonstrations around the Middle East, from Algeria to Iran and Yemen.

View the original article here

A Brief History of Military Takeover (Time.com)

The resignation of Hosni Mubarak prompted widespread euphoria in Egypt's cities, where millions had massed on the streets for nearly three weeks to bring down Mubarak's three-decade-old regime. His departure is the product of an unprecedented display of courage and defiance by Egypt's people, but the hopes of many in the country still hinge on the actions of its military, which has assumed power and will preside over whatever transition that takes place.

Generals are used to delivering commands from top-down with the expectation of total obedience - unsurprisingly, they don't make the most natural democrats. Following the 1952 toppling of Egypt's British-backed monarchy by a group of young army officers, political authority in Cairo has always depended upon the military's backing. Never before has it sanctioned the development of a real democracy in the country.

But examples of coups elsewhere offer cause for optimism. In 1974, a coordinated revolt by disaffected officers in the Portuguese army against the country's repressive quasi-fascist government brought out tens of thousands into the streets. It was dubbed the Carnation Revolution as residents of Lisbon festooned the weapons of mutinous troops with flowers. Portugal's authoritarian regime collapsed, its overseas colonies - beset by violent insurgencies - were granted freedom, and elections led to a civilian-run center-left government. Democracy followed a year later in neighboring Spain, and has flourished in both countries since. Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, endured 16 years of iron-fisted military rule, but its top brass eventually relented, allowing for a new constitution in 1999 that ushered in a credible, durable democracy. While the country is still burdened by corruption and longstanding ethnic and religious tensions, the army looks to have receded into the background. (See what was left behind after Tunisia's revolution.)

In Egypt's case, that may be hoping for too much. It boasts the largest army in Africa and the military as an institution is deeply embedded in the workings of the state. Unlike the reviled security forces of the Interior Ministry, guilty of decades of arbitrary arrests, intimidation and torture, the army is well-regarded as a patriotic and proud custodian of the nation. But while many of the army's rank-and-file conscripts may be on the side of the protesters, some among its current top brass - as well as former key generals like Vice President Omar Suleiman - directly helped preserve Mubarak's reign and were its beneficiaries. It's too early to tell how they will adjust to the new political calculus.

Movements toward democracy have been sidelined by similar personalities in the past. In 1977, Pakistani General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq stepped in during a rancorous political crisis and arrested Pakistan's elected Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto on the pretext of returning order to the country. Bhutto was executed a year later and Zia stayed in power until his death in 1988. In the aftermath of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Zia became a key ally of the U.S., directing American aid to the anti-Moscow mujahedin while maintaining a draconian grip on Pakistan's politics throughout.

Over the decades, perhaps no military is more guilty of meddling with its country's fledgling civilian democracy than that of Thailand, the Southeast Asian land of smiles and coups. In 2006, the Royal Thai Army launched its latest intervention, ousting the controversial populist Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and declaring martial law. Civilian rule has returned, but Thailand's political landscape is deeply polarized and fractious - a product, in part, of a society far too accustomed to seeing tanks on the streets at the first instance of crisis. (See a brief history of people power.)

Of course, there's a limit to how instructive these external comparisons may be for Egypt, which is in the grips of a truly epochal moment. Commentators in the West have tended to place the protests in two vastly different historical paradigms. For some, the events in Egypt parallel the 1979 Iranian Revolution, where a mass uprising against a U.S.-backed dictator brought about an illiberal, Islamist theocracy. For optimists, Cairo represents the long-awaited Arab Spring, when, like the 1989 revolutions in Eastern Europe, democracy would bloom as authoritarian rule crumbled. In the first case, fears of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood gaining the same political traction as Iran's Shi'ite mullahs have been considerably overblown. In the latter, the hope for any sort of peaceful democratic transformation still awaits the license of Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.

That may yet come. The famous 1986 protests that toppled Ferdinand Marcos, the longtime dictator of the Philippines, gave to global lexicon the term "people power" - a phrase which has been repeatedly invoked when characterizing events in Tahrir Square. But for all the incredible scenes of mobilization and protest, little would have been achieved had it not been for the mutiny of a prominent general and the defense minister in Marcos' camp. In the beginning, the military bought into the post-Marcos democracy but, later, factions within the army launched a number of botched coups and even the attempted assassination of the country's sitting elected President. As ever, the men in uniform can be real arbiters for change, but democracy is rarely secure when preserved just through the barrel of a gun.

See TIME's complete coverage: "The Middle East in Revolt."

See photos of the celebration in Tahrir Square.

View this article on Time.com

Most Popular on Time.com:

View the original article here

Military rulers dissolve Egypt's parliament (Reuters)

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt's new military rulers said on Sunday they had dissolved parliament, suspended the constitution and would govern only for six months or until elections took place, following the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak.
Troops, some wielding sticks, earlier took control of Tahrir (Liberation) Square, the fulcrum of the 18 days of protests that swept Mubarak from power, to let traffic through central Cairo as the army struggled to return life to normal.
The Higher Military Council, which took over after a revolt that changed modern Egyptian history and ended Mubarak's 30-year rule, promised a referendum on constitutional amendments.
The initial response from opposition figures and protest leaders was overwhelmingly positive. "Victory, victory," chanted pro-democracy activists in Tahrir Square. "More is needed, more is needed," others yelled.
"It is a victory for the revolution," said Ayman Nour, who challenged Mubarak for the presidency in 2005 and was later jailed. "I think this will satisfy the protesters."
Egypt's constitution was written with built-in guarantees to keep Mubarak in power, elections were rigged in favor of his ruling party and opposition groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood were sometimes harassed, sometimes tolerated.
As the momentous events in Egypt continued to ripple across the Middle East, demonstrators in Yemen, inspired by protests in Tunisia and Egypt, clashed with police blocking them from marching on Ali Abdullah Saleh's presidential palace.
Egypt's government now reports to the military as it did to Mubarak, a former air force commander who was despised by many for ruling like a pharaoh but who was once a hero for his role in the 1973 war with Israel and who steadied Egypt after the 1981 assassination of his predecessor Anwar Sadat.
Protest organizers were forming a Council of Trustees to defend the revolution and urge swift reform from a military intent on restoring law and order during the transition.
Mahmoud Nassar, a youth movement leader, said: "The army has moved far along to meet the people's demands and we urge it to release all political prisoners who were taken before and after January 25 revolution. Only then will we call off the protests."
Protesters argued heatedly in Tahrir Square over whether to stay or comply with army orders to leave. "The people want the square cleared," one group chanted. "We will not leave, we will not leave," replied another.
Police officers, emboldened by Mubarak's downfall, gathered outside the Interior Ministry to demand higher pay. Warning shots were fired in the air. No one was hurt.
The cabinet met and, for the first time, the portrait of Mubarak did not gaze over its proceedings as Egyptians quietly removed once ubiquitous images of the 82-year-old former leader.
"REVOLUTION CONTINUING"
Protesters have demanded the release of political prisoners, the lifting of a state of emergency, the abolition of military courts, fair elections and a swift handover to civilian rule.
The army has said it would lift emergency law, used to stifle dissent under Mubarak, when "current circumstances end." But it has not specified a timetable.
Despite Mubarak's resignation, some protesters have said they plan to stay in Tahrir Square to ensure the military keeps its promises on transition. They have urged Egyptians to turn out in their millions for a "victory march" on Friday.
The military's strategy has been to calm the nation and the world about its intentions and, in the short term, to try to enforce the law after the disgraced police melted away, having failed to crush protesters with teargas and batons.
On Saturday, the army said it would uphold Egypt's international obligations. These include a peace treaty with Israel, whose defense minister has been in touch with his Egyptian counterpart, who heads the military council.
How to handle policing has become a pressing issue.
Interior Minister Mahmoud Wagdy has said Egypt needs "the speedy return of the police to duty," saying 13,000 inmates who escaped from prison early in the uprising were still on the run.
Some traffic police were back on Cairo streets beside soldiers and tanks guarding intersections and key buildings. But the minister said the police force was only back at 35 percent of its pre-crisis strength, without giving numbers.
NO CABINET CHANGES
Apparently seeking to reassure Egyptians that everything was under control, Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq said government affairs were being presented to the Higher Military Council, "as they were presented to the president of the republic."
"There is no change in the form, method or process of work. Matters are completely stable," he told a news conference.
The head of the military council is Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Mubarak's long-time defense minister.
Shafiq was appointed by Mubarak when he sacked his former cabinet on January 29 in a vain effort to quell the uprising. His remarks were likely to anger Egyptians hoping Mubarak's ruling system would be dismantled in the new era.
"It looks like Mubarak is still in power but behind the scenes. I am sorry for Egypt. They continue to try to fool the people," said Salem Metwali, 41, a protester in Tahrir Square.
Shafiq said the military would decide the role of Omar Suleiman, who was appointed vice president by Mubarak last month. Suleiman's position has been in doubt since Mubarak resigned on Friday, handing power to the armed forces. He was previously head of intelligence, on close terms to Washington.
Mohamed ElBaradei, a retired U.N. diplomat who has been put forward as a reformist spokesman, urged the army to bring in civilians to take part in the transitional process:
"We need heavy participation by the civilians," he told CNN. "It cannot be the army running the show."
Shafiq said he believed Mubarak was in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, and that the cabinet had not made any request to freeze the deposed president's assets abroad. The cabinet spokesman added that "if there is a need, they will do it."
A British minister said there should be an international approach to dealing with Mubarak's overseas assets.
Workers from the health and culture ministries staged demonstrations as Egyptians began venting pent-up frustrations.
TENTS REMOVED
The military was clear in its instructions for Tahrir.
"We do not want any protesters to sit in the square after today," Mohamed Ibrahim Moustafa Ali, head of military police, said as soldiers removed protesters' tents from the square.
People chanted "peacefully, peacefully" as soldiers and military police in red berets moved in to disperse them. Scuffles broke out and some soldiers lashed out with sticks. Protesters said soldiers detained about 50 people.
The most committed protesters vowed to remain.
Jihad Laban, an accountant, said much work remained to make sure the revolution did not squander what it had gained.
"The goal was never just to get rid of Mubarak. The system is totally corrupt and we won't go until we see some real reforms. I am going to be buried in Tahrir. I am here for my children. Egypt is too precious to walk away now."
(Reporting by Marwa Awad, Edmund Blair, Alexander Dziadosz, Shaimaa Fayed, Andrew Hammond, Alistair Lyon, Sherine El Madany, Tom Perry, Yasmine Saleh, Patrick Werr, Jonathan Wright and Dina Zayed, Writing by Peter Millership; Editing by Alistair Lyon and Alastair Macdonald)
View the original article here

A Brief History of Military Takeover (Time.com)

The resignation of Hosni Mubarak prompted widespread euphoria in Egypt's cities, where millions had massed on the streets for nearly three weeks to bring down Mubarak's three-decade-old regime. His departure is the product of an unprecedented display of courage and defiance by Egypt's people, but the hopes of many in the country still hinge on the actions of its military, which has assumed power and will preside over whatever transition that takes place.
Generals are used to delivering commands from top-down with the expectation of total obedience - unsurprisingly, they don't make the most natural democrats. Following the 1952 toppling of Egypt's British-backed monarchy by a group of young army officers, political authority in Cairo has always depended upon the military's backing. Never before has it sanctioned the development of a real democracy in the country.
But examples of coups elsewhere offer cause for optimism. In 1974, a coordinated revolt by disaffected officers in the Portuguese army against the country's repressive quasi-fascist government brought out tens of thousands into the streets. It was dubbed the Carnation Revolution as residents of Lisbon festooned the weapons of mutinous troops with flowers. Portugal's authoritarian regime collapsed, its overseas colonies - beset by violent insurgencies - were granted freedom, and elections led to a civilian-run center-left government. Democracy followed a year later in neighboring Spain, and has flourished in both countries since. Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, endured 16 years of iron-fisted military rule, but its top brass eventually relented, allowing for a new constitution in 1999 that ushered in a credible, durable democracy. While the country is still burdened by corruption and longstanding ethnic and religious tensions, the army looks to have receded into the background. (See what was left behind after Tunisia's revolution.)
In Egypt's case, that may be hoping for too much. It boasts the largest army in Africa and the military as an institution is deeply embedded in the workings of the state. Unlike the reviled security forces of the Interior Ministry, guilty of decades of arbitrary arrests, intimidation and torture, the army is well-regarded as a patriotic and proud custodian of the nation. But while many of the army's rank-and-file conscripts may be on the side of the protesters, some among its current top brass - as well as former key generals like Vice President Omar Suleiman - directly helped preserve Mubarak's reign and were its beneficiaries. It's too early to tell how they will adjust to the new political calculus.
Movements toward democracy have been sidelined by similar personalities in the past. In 1977, Pakistani General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq stepped in during a rancorous political crisis and arrested Pakistan's elected Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto on the pretext of returning order to the country. Bhutto was executed a year later and Zia stayed in power until his death in 1988. In the aftermath of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Zia became a key ally of the U.S., directing American aid to the anti-Moscow mujahedin while maintaining a draconian grip on Pakistan's politics throughout.
Over the decades, perhaps no military is more guilty of meddling with its country's fledgling civilian democracy than that of Thailand, the Southeast Asian land of smiles and coups. In 2006, the Royal Thai Army launched its latest intervention, ousting the controversial populist Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and declaring martial law. Civilian rule has returned, but Thailand's political landscape is deeply polarized and fractious - a product, in part, of a society far too accustomed to seeing tanks on the streets at the first instance of crisis. (See a brief history of people power.)
Of course, there's a limit to how instructive these external comparisons may be for Egypt, which is in the grips of a truly epochal moment. Commentators in the West have tended to place the protests in two vastly different historical paradigms. For some, the events in Egypt parallel the 1979 Iranian Revolution, where a mass uprising against a U.S.-backed dictator brought about an illiberal, Islamist theocracy. For optimists, Cairo represents the long-awaited Arab Spring, when, like the 1989 revolutions in Eastern Europe, democracy would bloom as authoritarian rule crumbled. In the first case, fears of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood gaining the same political traction as Iran's Shi'ite mullahs have been considerably overblown. In the latter, the hope for any sort of peaceful democratic transformation still awaits the license of Egypt's Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.
That may yet come. The famous 1986 protests that toppled Ferdinand Marcos, the longtime dictator of the Philippines, gave to global lexicon the term "people power" - a phrase which has been repeatedly invoked when characterizing events in Tahrir Square. But for all the incredible scenes of mobilization and protest, little would have been achieved had it not been for the mutiny of a prominent general and the defense minister in Marcos' camp. In the beginning, the military bought into the post-Marcos democracy but, later, factions within the army launched a number of botched coups and even the attempted assassination of the country's sitting elected President. As ever, the men in uniform can be real arbiters for change, but democracy is rarely secure when preserved just through the barrel of a gun.
See TIME's complete coverage: "The Middle East in Revolt."
See photos of the celebration in Tahrir Square.
View this article on Time.com
Most Popular on Time.com:
View the original article here

Military rulers dissolve Egypt's parliament (Reuters)

CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt's new military rulers said on Sunday they had dissolved parliament, suspended the constitution and would govern only for six months or until elections took place, following the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak.

Troops, some wielding sticks, earlier took control of Tahrir (Liberation) Square, the fulcrum of the 18 days of protests that swept Mubarak from power, to let traffic through central Cairo as the army struggled to return life to normal.

The Higher Military Council, which took over after a revolt that changed modern Egyptian history and ended Mubarak's 30-year rule, promised a referendum on constitutional amendments.

The initial response from opposition figures and protest leaders was overwhelmingly positive. "Victory, victory," chanted pro-democracy activists in Tahrir Square. "More is needed, more is needed," others yelled.

"It is a victory for the revolution," said Ayman Nour, who challenged Mubarak for the presidency in 2005 and was later jailed. "I think this will satisfy the protesters."

Egypt's constitution was written with built-in guarantees to keep Mubarak in power, elections were rigged in favor of his ruling party and opposition groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood were sometimes harassed, sometimes tolerated.

As the momentous events in Egypt continued to ripple across the Middle East, demonstrators in Yemen, inspired by protests in Tunisia and Egypt, clashed with police blocking them from marching on Ali Abdullah Saleh's presidential palace.

Egypt's government now reports to the military as it did to Mubarak, a former air force commander who was despised by many for ruling like a pharaoh but who was once a hero for his role in the 1973 war with Israel and who steadied Egypt after the 1981 assassination of his predecessor Anwar Sadat.

Protest organizers were forming a Council of Trustees to defend the revolution and urge swift reform from a military intent on restoring law and order during the transition.

Mahmoud Nassar, a youth movement leader, said: "The army has moved far along to meet the people's demands and we urge it to release all political prisoners who were taken before and after January 25 revolution. Only then will we call off the protests."

Protesters argued heatedly in Tahrir Square over whether to stay or comply with army orders to leave. "The people want the square cleared," one group chanted. "We will not leave, we will not leave," replied another.

Police officers, emboldened by Mubarak's downfall, gathered outside the Interior Ministry to demand higher pay. Warning shots were fired in the air. No one was hurt.

The cabinet met and, for the first time, the portrait of Mubarak did not gaze over its proceedings as Egyptians quietly removed once ubiquitous images of the 82-year-old former leader.

"REVOLUTION CONTINUING"

Protesters have demanded the release of political prisoners, the lifting of a state of emergency, the abolition of military courts, fair elections and a swift handover to civilian rule.

The army has said it would lift emergency law, used to stifle dissent under Mubarak, when "current circumstances end." But it has not specified a timetable.

Despite Mubarak's resignation, some protesters have said they plan to stay in Tahrir Square to ensure the military keeps its promises on transition. They have urged Egyptians to turn out in their millions for a "victory march" on Friday.

The military's strategy has been to calm the nation and the world about its intentions and, in the short term, to try to enforce the law after the disgraced police melted away, having failed to crush protesters with teargas and batons.

On Saturday, the army said it would uphold Egypt's international obligations. These include a peace treaty with Israel, whose defense minister has been in touch with his Egyptian counterpart, who heads the military council.

How to handle policing has become a pressing issue.

Interior Minister Mahmoud Wagdy has said Egypt needs "the speedy return of the police to duty," saying 13,000 inmates who escaped from prison early in the uprising were still on the run.

Some traffic police were back on Cairo streets beside soldiers and tanks guarding intersections and key buildings. But the minister said the police force was only back at 35 percent of its pre-crisis strength, without giving numbers.

NO CABINET CHANGES

Apparently seeking to reassure Egyptians that everything was under control, Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq said government affairs were being presented to the Higher Military Council, "as they were presented to the president of the republic."

"There is no change in the form, method or process of work. Matters are completely stable," he told a news conference.

The head of the military council is Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, Mubarak's long-time defense minister.

Shafiq was appointed by Mubarak when he sacked his former cabinet on January 29 in a vain effort to quell the uprising. His remarks were likely to anger Egyptians hoping Mubarak's ruling system would be dismantled in the new era.

"It looks like Mubarak is still in power but behind the scenes. I am sorry for Egypt. They continue to try to fool the people," said Salem Metwali, 41, a protester in Tahrir Square.

Shafiq said the military would decide the role of Omar Suleiman, who was appointed vice president by Mubarak last month. Suleiman's position has been in doubt since Mubarak resigned on Friday, handing power to the armed forces. He was previously head of intelligence, on close terms to Washington.

Mohamed ElBaradei, a retired U.N. diplomat who has been put forward as a reformist spokesman, urged the army to bring in civilians to take part in the transitional process:

"We need heavy participation by the civilians," he told CNN. "It cannot be the army running the show."

Shafiq said he believed Mubarak was in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, and that the cabinet had not made any request to freeze the deposed president's assets abroad. The cabinet spokesman added that "if there is a need, they will do it."

A British minister said there should be an international approach to dealing with Mubarak's overseas assets.

Workers from the health and culture ministries staged demonstrations as Egyptians began venting pent-up frustrations.

TENTS REMOVED

The military was clear in its instructions for Tahrir.

"We do not want any protesters to sit in the square after today," Mohamed Ibrahim Moustafa Ali, head of military police, said as soldiers removed protesters' tents from the square.

People chanted "peacefully, peacefully" as soldiers and military police in red berets moved in to disperse them. Scuffles broke out and some soldiers lashed out with sticks. Protesters said soldiers detained about 50 people.

The most committed protesters vowed to remain.

Jihad Laban, an accountant, said much work remained to make sure the revolution did not squander what it had gained.

"The goal was never just to get rid of Mubarak. The system is totally corrupt and we won't go until we see some real reforms. I am going to be buried in Tahrir. I am here for my children. Egypt is too precious to walk away now."

(Reporting by Marwa Awad, Edmund Blair, Alexander Dziadosz, Shaimaa Fayed, Andrew Hammond, Alistair Lyon, Sherine El Madany, Tom Perry, Yasmine Saleh, Patrick Werr, Jonathan Wright and Dina Zayed, Writing by Peter Millership; Editing by Alistair Lyon and Alastair Macdonald)

View the original article here

Two Koreas military talks collapse

The two sides fail to reach an agreement on securing high-level military talksThe talks were the first of its kind since the Yeonpyeong island bombingThe bombing killed four South Koreans last November
Seoul (CNN) -- Talks between North and South Korea collapsed Wednesday after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on securing high-level military discussions during preparatory meetings held in the border area of Panmunjom.
The resumption of talks, the first of its kind since the Yeonpyeong island bombing that killed four South Koreans last November, signaled a change in atmosphere between the two Koreas. It led many to speculate that a consensus on holding higher-level military would be reached.
However, the North Korean delegation walked away from the negotiating table less than five hours after the second round of talks had begun, a move that was called "unilateral" by the South Korean Defense Ministry.
One of the issues that stalled talks was North Korea's demand for a comprehensive agenda from both sides on possible military actions, while the South pushed to limit the talks to the sinking of the Cheonan warship and Yeonpyeong Island attack, the South Korean Defense Ministry said.
The South and North ran into a similar deadlock while discussing the agenda of the high-level talks on the first day Tuesday. Seoul has demanded that North Korea apologizes for its military provocations carried out last year that also include the sinking of a warship that killed 46 sailors in March.
Pyongyang has denied involvement in the case.
South Korea emphasized Tuesday that it wants the agenda of the high-level talks to specify the island bombing and warship attack. The North argued back, saying that restricting the talks to those issues is "the equivalent of refusing to hold higher-level military talks," according to Seoul's Defense Ministry.
The resumption of humanitarian talks may also be in jeopardy because of the collapse in military talks.
Seoul earlier in the day sent a message to the North saying that it agreed in principal to hold humanitarian talks, in response to two requests Pyongyang had made this year, according to the Unification Ministry.
The South said it would be willing to discuss the details of the time and venue of the humanitarian talks after the high-level military talks are over. The Unification Ministry has not yet indicated whether the collapse of the military talks will push back or affect the resumption of the so-called Red Cross talks.
The Red Cross talks are used to facilitate reunions for families separated by the Korean War and for the North to receive humanitarian aid such as rice and fertilizer from Seoul.
CNN's Paula Hancocks and Jiyeon Lee contributed to this report.
View the original article here