Egypt Foreign Minister Warns of Military Intervention

[Joanne98]

Source: NYT

CAIRO — As Egypt’s uprising entered its 17th day on Thursday, bolstered by strikes and protests among professional groups in Cairo and workers across the country, a senior official in President Hosni Mubarak’s embattled government was quoted as saying the army would “intervene to control the country” if it fell into chaos.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/11/world/middleeast/11egypt.html

[harun]

1. Mubarak, Moses called and he says "Let my people go!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9rEoSA3iG0

[rabs]

2. El Pais newspaper of Madrid reporting large tank deployment

in its story today from Cairo. Its correspondents said "hundreds of tanks" could be seen deploying in/near Nasr City, an eastern suburb of the capital. The story speculates it could be in preparation to enter Cairo on Friday if so ordered by the military.

Have seen this report only in El Pais, a serious newspaper in the Spanish-speaking world. But hopefully other media will confirm.

[leveymg]

3. That's the worst-case Tienamen Square scenario.

When the initial troop deployment (mostly local militia) "went over" to the pro-democracy protesters in Beijing, the Deng regime brought in large numbers of troops and tanks from a remote province that had not been "contaminated" by the movement.

If Mubarak and Soleimen intend to squash the Cairo protests by force, this is likely how they would do it.

I hope that Obama is far more vigorous in his persuasion against such repression than was Bush, Sr.

[Knight Hawk]

4. Hope?.......................

there that word again................that and one dollar will buy you a cup of coffee

[Bragi]

5. Maybe, but maybe not

I acknowledge you may be right, but the statement could also be 'aspirational" in that if it becomes apparent that the Mubarak regime cannot hang on, then this statement is really expressing the "hope" that, if ordered to do so, the military will intervene on their side. Whether the military does that or not is another matter.

As for your expression of hope about what Obama might do, I too "hope" that he would get off the fence and state that he supports the demand of the protesters that Mubarak leave immediately, not 9 months from now.

Since the President has refused to make this declaration so far, I am not optimistic he will now do so. If he did, though, then I honestly think the Egyptian military would be listening closely, and Mubarak would be clearly isolated and forced to leave in short order.

[bemildred]

6. Clearly, "the military" is not unified, and it's "reliability" is in question.

I submit we would not be having this discussion at all now, if that were not so, since the regime has already made perfectly clear its willingness to use force.

[Bragi]

7. I hope this thead is being overtaken by events /nt