For online resources; see: accuracy.org/online-resources-on-egypt

FAWAZ GERGES
Gerges is director of the Middle East Center at the London School of Economics. He writes in a piece in today’s Independent: “The regime’s base is extremely shallow in comparison to the opposition, which represents an overwhelming majority of the population. The regime has alienated most of the rising social and political classes: centrists and democrats, leftists, nationalists, independent Islamists, and the Muslim Brotherhood. They’re left with about 10 percent of the country, the uppermost echelon of the population.”

SEIF DA’NA
Seif Da’Na is an associate professor of sociology and international studies at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside specializing in the Mideast and North Africa. On January 25, the first day of protests in Egypt, he was featured on an IPA news release stating that the popular movements indicated the “beginning of a new era” in the region.

He notes that economic policies pursued by the the regimes being protested were favored by the Western powers and the International Monetary Fund.

GHADA TALHAMI
Talhami is emeritus professor in the department of politics at Lake Forest College. Her books include “The Mobilization of Muslim Women in Egypt” and “Palestine in the Egyptian Press.” She said today: “The U.S. is still oblivious to the fact that the de-legitimization of the Mubarak regime has [also] been due to its total lack of leverage over the Israeli-Palestinian question [Read more...]

“May be preparing for something which he does not want the world to see.”

Pro-regime forces in Cairo are attacking and detaining media and human rights workers, leading to wide-spread concerns about an increase in state violence against pro-democracy protesters. Egypt is 7 hours ahead of U.S. ET. For online resources; see: accuracy.org/online-resources-on-egypt

KHALED FAHMY
Fahmy is chair of the history department at the American University in Cairo. He was interviewed yesterday by GRITtv.

EMAD MEKAY
Based in Cairo, Mekay reports for Inter Press Service and other outlets. He just wrote the Institute for Public Accuracy: “Just outside Tahrir Square right now. Pro-Mubarak ‘hired muscle’ is attacking journalists and stopping them from going into the square. These are the government types, possibly even police staff in plainclothes. They are confiscating all cameras. They set up road blocks around most entryways to the square. I sense they may be preparing for something tomorrow, Friday. Friday has been called by the anti-Mubarak movement ‘The Departure Friday’ i.e. a day in which Mubarak will decide to step down. Government supporters and apparently former police force members are searching all those heading towards Tahrir before turning them back. They confiscate food, water and medicine.

“Mubarak may be preparing for something which he does not want the world to see. The government is using all tools it can to thwart tomorrow’s big marches in Tahrir Square and elsewhere. They are sending text messages in Arabic through the local mobile phone companies warning people about ‘getting into trouble.’ One message reads: ‘Oh you young people of Egypt, listen to the voice of reason and be warned of rumors. Egypt is above all.’ Mubarak has always portrayed himself as a wise man and the ‘voice of reason.’” [Read more...]

ERVAND ABRAHAMIAN
Abrahamian, who was born in Iran, is a distinguished professor of history at City University of New York. His books include A History of Modern Iran.
He said today: “Those who warn that if the U.S. eases out Mubarak the outcome will be another Iran may unwittingly bring about a self-fulfilling prophecy. In Iran there could have been a bloodless transfer of power to the moderate opposition — [Ayatollah Mohammad] Shariatmadari, [Prime Minister Mehdi] Bazargan and the National Front — if the U.S. had not hung onto the Shah until it was too late. The massacre in September 1978 — known as Bloody or Black Friday — undercut the moderates and brought to the fore [Ayatollah Ruhollah] Khomeini. After Bloody Friday, moderates did not want to be in any way associated with the Shah. We are now facing the same situation. If Liberation Square becomes Martyrs Square, there will be few moderates left in Egypt.”
[Read more...]

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Egypt: Did Obama Give a Green Light for Violence?

Pro-regime forces in Cairo have attacked peaceful protesters and media personnel. Phone lines are intermittent; Egypt is 7 hours ahead of U.S. ET.

Last night, following Mubarak and Obama’s speeches, As’ad AbuKhalil, wrote the piece “Obama to Mubarak: License to Murder the Egyptian People.” For updates on his blog, see: angryarab.blogspot.com. See Al Jazeera English video showing some of the attacks. AbuKhalil is a professor in the department of politics at California State University, Stanislaus. For additional online resources: accuracy.org/online-resources-on-egypt

EMAD MEKAY
Based in Cairo, Mekay reports for Inter Press Service and other outlets. He just wrote the Institute for Public Accuracy: “Mubarak is clearly backed by the Americans. He took some moves after speaking with Obama and a visit by a former U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Frank Wisner. Mubarak, the army, the Americans and the Israelis are clearly on one side. That’s one camp. The people of Egypt (most of them now) are the other. …” See full piece

PHILIP RIZK
Available for a limited number of interviews, Rizk is an independent blogger and filmmaker based in Cairo. He just emailed the Institute for Public Accuracy: “I just came from Tahrir [Liberation Square], extreme brutality by government thugs on anti-government protesters there. Masses are streaming out.”

MOUNZER SLEIMAN
Just back from the Mideast, Sleiman directs Think Tanks Monitor and is founder of the Center for American and Arab Studies. He warned on Monday: “The clique immediately around Mubarak through force and intimidation are trying to use the army and the air force (Mubarak himself came from the air force) to get the people off the streets and in effect end the uprising. They are also trying to reconstitute their security apparatus.” [Read more...]

NOAM CHOMSKY
While many are claiming the U.S. government goal is to minimize Islamic influence, such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Chomsky just contributed a short piece to the Institute for Public Accuracy’s new blog: “Strategic and Economic Objectives, Not Anti-Islamization, Drives U.S. Policy.”
Chomsky is one of over 100 academics who just signed a call for a new U.S. foreign policy
For online resources, many from Egypt

MOUNZER SLEIMAN
Just back from the Mideast, Sleiman directs Think Tanks Monitor and is founder of the Center for American and Arab Studies. He said today: “The Egyptian popular uprising begun on January 25 is being threatened on two fronts: The clique immediately around Mubarak through force and intimidation are trying to use the army and the air force (Mubarak himself came from the air force) to get the people off the streets and in effect end the uprising. They are also trying to reconstitute their security apparatus.

“The other threat is from some self-imposed opportunistic leaders (like Mohamed ElBaradei) who are backed indirectly by U.S. government, seeking superficial change in Egypt and wanting to ride to power on this uprising. [Read more...]

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Over one hundred academics and other specialists have signed this just-released statement:

Dear President Obama:

“As political scientists, historians, and researchers in related fields who have studied the Middle East and U.S. foreign policy, we the undersigned believe you have a chance to move beyond rhetoric to support the democratic movement sweeping over Egypt. As citizens, we expect our president to uphold those values.

“For thirty years, our government has spent billions of dollars to help build and sustain the system the Egyptian people are now trying to dismantle. Tens if not hundreds of thousands of demonstrators in Egypt and around the world have spoken. We believe their message is bold and clear: Mubarak should resign from office and allow Egyptians to establish a new government free of his and his family’s influence. It is also clear to us that if you seek, as you said Friday ‘political, social, and economic reforms that meet the aspirations of the Egyptian people,’ your administration should publicly acknowledge those reforms will not be advanced by Mubarak or any of his adjutants.

“There is another lesson from this crisis, a lesson not for the Egyptian government but for our own. In order for the United States to stand with the Egyptian people it must approach Egypt through a framework of shared values and hopes, not the prism of geostrategy. [Read more...]