unconfirmed news via tweet: Parliament dissolved

SultanAlQassemi Breaking: Egypt Military Statement now: Both houses of parliament have been dissolved

Good news if true, but it would be more comforting news if the Cabinet Ministers were also fired. Parliaments being dissolved by militaries always has a bit of an ominous background ring to it, though in this case the protestors won’t be sorry to see the Parliament go.

protestors reinforce Tahrir

It doesn’t look horribly serious at this point, but there was an attempt to clear Tahrir with some minor bits of heavy-handedness that you can see in the video in THIS BBC ARTICLE. The response was to send “protestor reinforcements.”

I’m still not quite sure that the army is getting this much better than the ex-President did. You can’t go into Tahrir smacking protestors around like the one officer in this video. Not anymore.

protest scheduled in Iran

And it’s nice to see the U.S.A. with a bit of verbal bite this month for once (though we were somewhat hypocritical in the other direction):

“The White House issued a statement Saturday condemning the Iranian government for attempting to block the protests. ‘By announcing that they will not allow opposition protests, the Iranian government has declared illegal for Iranians what it claimed was noble for Egyptians,’ National Security Advisor Tom Donilon said in the statement. ‘We call on the government of Iran to allow the Iranian people the universal right to peacefully assemble, demonstrate and communicate that’s being exercised in Cairo.'”

I would love to see the Iranian people succeed this time.

interactive graphic upgraded

The NY Times INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC of the revolution, already very helpful, has been substantially upgraded.

the plight of cats

The streets of Cairo are filled with cats, and as an animal lover I was saddened to read this account of the plight of cats during the protests:

“Trying to reach Cairo’s Tahrir Square through clouds of tear gas and volleys of rubber bullets, Egyptian TV anchor Mona Khalil was forced by the tumult into a side street. There, she remembers, ‘I saw cats running, running, running, and trying to get into houses or staircases or buildings and some of them were really gasping.’ Two kittens had found shelter under a car. She managed to take them inside a building, away from the toxic fumes. Others were not so lucky. ‘Going back later I found two cats that were lying on their sides, dead,’ she adds. For Khalil, 43, who is also one of the leaders of Egypt’s fledgling animal rights movement, the event had particular resonance. It was, she said, ‘the first slap in the face that, oh my God, those streets are filled with cats and dogs.'”

annoying remarks from the Prime Minister

“CAIRO (Reuters) – Egypt’s government’s top priorities are restoring security and returning life to normal, the prime minister said Saturday after meeting the head of the military council now running the country. ‘The first priority, no question about it, is security. An equally important priority is to provide the elements needed for the daily life of citizens,’ Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq told Egyptian state television. ‘The government and the citizen must unite in the coming period.'”

First of all, he shouldn’t still be Prime Minister. This is insulting to those who withstood the thugs.

Second, I disagree that “security” is the priority. The security problems, such as they exist, were artificially created by the government.

This is a very, very disappointing start to the process. We’re essentially hearing the same garbage as during the protests, but without Mubarak in charge.

what led up to Mubarak’s speech

Here’s an AP ACCOUNT of the final hours. This reads a bit like it was leaked to make the military look good, but is nonetheless of value.

Key claim: Gamal Mubarak was one of those keeping his father in a bubble of ignorance and trying to persuade him to stay.

Insiders differ as to whether the military was surprised by the non-resignation or not.

petition to nominate the Egyptian people for the Nobel Peace Prize

Nice gesture by someone HERE.

I will certainly sign, though I also think the Tunisian people must be included in any such award.

back in the office

For the first time in a month. Quite a relief. Though I’ve been able to keep up with routine administrative work via the web, there is of course a pile of snail mail here that will take some time to deal with, and that’s why I’m sleeping on campus tonight.

Tanks still on the streets in Cairo. People seem relieved, and so far I’ve experienced a 50-50 split between those who trust and deeply respect the army and those who are deeply worried about what comes next. Also, much disgust for Mubarak’s final speech. That seems nearly universal so far.

I’ve not had a chance to read the news yet, but someone tells me protestors have returned to Tahrir out of anger that police are being used to clear the crowds. If true, then it’s a tone-deaf move. You’re also not likely to scare the Egyptian public with police at this point.