As Crowds Swell In Cairo, Military In Crisis Talks

[Dover]

Source: AP


Tens of thousands gather in Tahrir Square, while three Americans are detained


CAIRO (AP) — A swelling crowd of tens of thousands filled Cairo’s Tahrir Square Tuesday, answering the call for a million people to turn out and intensify pressure on Egypt’s military leaders to hand over power to a civilian government. The ruling military council held crisis talks with political parties across the spectrum to try to defuse growing cries for a “second revolution.”

The military head of state, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, was expected to address the nation as protests in Cairo and other major cities carried on for a fourth day. Security forces stayed out of Tahrir itself to lower the temperature. But there were clashes on side streets leading to the square — the epicenter of the uprising that ousted longtime authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak in February.

The new wave of protests and violence around the country that began on Saturday has left 29 dead and has thrown Egypt’s politics into chaos less than a week before landmark parliamentary elections were to begin.

“If the elections don’t happen, there could be a clash between the army and the people. That’s what we’re afraid of,” said protester Mustafa Abdel-Hamid. He said he wanted a clear timetable for the transfer of power.


Read more: http://www.salon.com/2011/11/22/as_crowds_swell_in_cairo_military_in_crisis_talks/

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Wow! It is fascinating to see this process unfold and how the people of different nations are going about forming new governments.
It's like a volcanic eruption.

[Dover]

1. Egypt Military Rulers Move Up Power Transfer Date

AP

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s ruling military moved up the date for transferring power to a civilian government to July next year and consulted Tuesday with political parties on forming a new Cabinet. But the major concessions were immediately rejected by tens of thousands of protesters in Cairo’s iconic Tahrir Square threatening a “second revolution.”

“We are not leaving, he leaves,” chanted the protesters, demanding that military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi and his council of generals immediately give up power to a civilian transitional authority. “The people want to bring down the field marshal,” they shouted in scenes starkly reminiscent of the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak nine months ago.

Aboul-Ela Madi and Mohammed Selim el-Awa, two politicians who attended a five-hour crisis meeting with the military rulers, said the generals accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Essam Sharaf’s government and will form a “national salvation” Cabinet to replace it.

Previously, the military rulers had floated late next year or early 2013 as the timetable for transferring power.

..cont'd


http://www.salon.com/2011/11/22/egypt_military_rulers_move_up_power_transfer_date/

[Ghost Dog]

2. There's livestream video from the square here

+ tweets:

http://live.reuters.com/uk//Event/Revolution_continues_in_Egypt

[Uncle Joe]

3. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Dover.