Egyptians Take the Streets, Mubarak Fires Ministers, Obama Speaks (live blog)
Posted: January 28, 2011 Filed under: Barack Obama, Breaking News, Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, Diplomacy Nightmares, Egypt, Foreign Affairs | Tags: Egypt protests, Hosni Mubarak, oil prices, Stock Market, US presidential statement on Egypt, US response 61 CommentsUS President Barack Obama is preparing for a press conference and statement following Egyptian President’s Hosni 
Mubarak’s earlier TV appearance on Nile Television. No questions for Mubarak. How about Obama?
markknoller Mark Knoller
Pres. Obama willl be making his statement with the famous portrait of Abraham Lincoln on the wall behind him.
Other US reactions:
Equity Markets fall while Oil Prices rise.
Crude oil prices spiked Friday as anti-government protests in Egypt sparked concerns over regional stability.
Prices settled just shy of $90 a barrel, for an increase of more than 4%.
Clinton Urges Egypt to Seize Moment `Immediately’ for Reforms
The Obama administration is ramping up pressure on President Hosni Mubarak to address the grievances of the Egyptian people and said the government’s response to protests may affect U.S. aid.
“The people of Egypt are watching the government’s actions, they have for quite some time, and their grievances have reached a boiling point and they have to be addressed,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters in Washington. The U.S. will be looking at its “assistance posture” toward Egypt, Gibbs said.
Starting with an early afternoon statement by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the U.S. today toughened its criticism of Mubarak’s methods in suppressing protests that pose the biggest challenge to his 30-year rule over the Arab world’s most populous country.
“For the U.S., any effort on our part to provide support for Mubarak is going to be read in Egypt as support for a crackdown and support for an undemocratic regime,” said Steven Cook, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington. “We need to be forward looking for this.”
More than 80 percent of U.S. aid to Egypt, or $1.3 billion, is in the form of military assistance, according to data supplied by the U.S. State Department. With President Barack Obama in power, military aid has stayed unchanged and economic assistance has been cut to $250 million from $411 million in 2008 with the phasing out of democracy-linked programs.
The amount of money Egypt receives from the U.S. is exceeded only by Afghanistan, Pakistan and Israel, based on the State Department’s budget request for the current fiscal year.
Senator John Kerry is talking on AJ right now. He’s encouraging Mubarak to make changes. He’s also saying it’s not constructive right now to focus on negatives but positives. He’s saying Mubarak has opportunities. Wonder if this will be what Obama says …
ON NOW … 6:31 EST. It’s on CNN, etc.
UPDATE: President Obama’s statement via MSNBC.
AJ has a front row seat to this via a bureau there. BTW, take a look at how many silly Americans are leaving best wishes comments to Egyptians on this media outlet that is headquartered in Doha, Qatar and run/owned by folks from there. Such a geography #FAIL. On top of that, Egypt can’t get access to the internet right now. (Palm meet forehead!)
peej
Carissa
ecocatwoman
mablue2
Mama Lopez
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
Obama is saying first concern is preventing injury. He’s saying right to free speech, right to assemble, and right to choose their government.
he’s calling for reversing internet censoring.
AJELive AJELive
Obama calls for the internet and communication services to be restored in Egypt – Al Jazeera #Jan25 #Egypt #Mubarak #Obama
It’s backwards. The rights to free speech, assembly and government choice come before personal safety, in times like this.
Dictators use personal safety all the time as a cudgel to beat the people.
As does our own government….
@jawbone 10:07: Exactly!
Obama is also calling on protesters to stop violence.
Saying US has close partnership with egypt including wanting to advance a peaceful region
politico POLITICO
Obama calls for Egyptian authorities to respect citizens rights, saying “suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away.”
I wonder, did he call on the soldiers and police to stop their violence? How come the violence always comes from the protesters (supposedly) when the pictures I see show only the protesters bleeding, getting tear gassed, shot, hit with cudgels..
How does a peaceful protester ‘stop the violence’ when they are suddenly hit with mace? (Saw this happen at the WTO protests in Seattle). It’s not like they did anything to elicite the violence. So basically, calling upon protesters to stop violence is calling upon them to stop protesting.
Just steam of consciousness thought here.
Obama says in the absence of reforms, grievances have been building up.
Says he spoke to mubarak after his speech and has asked him to address these grievances and he says suppressing ideas does not make them go away.
He’s calling for meaningful dialogue leading to a future with more freedoms and those things we all want … and US is committed to being a partner to achieve that kind of future.
He’s saying governments have a responsibility to respond to their citizens.
Hmmmm….. that sounds familiar.
He didn’t mention anything about the U.S. government having such responsibilities though.
Do as I say, not as I do?
markknoller Mark Knoller
A White House aide says Pres. Obama spent about 30 minutes on the phone with Pres. Mubarak this evening.
KeithOlbermann Keith Olbermann
It’s a guess, but I believe POTUS’s speech was crafted to show #Mubarak he does NOT have unquestioned US support nor a lot of time #jan25
dk said: Obama says in the absence of reforms, grievances have been building up.
I wonder if he’s realized that might sound very familiar to U.S. citizens?
everything he said would’ve applied to us … they just haven’t pulled the kill switch yet, but they’re trying to get ti
He saying governments should maintain power by consent not coercion and saying US will stand up for rights of Egyptian people and work with their government in pursuit of a future.
No questions.
Basically he’s urging calm on every one’s part basically … refrain from violence …
AlanColmes Alan Colmes
U.S. Threatens To Cut Off Aid To Egypt http://bit.ly/fc379l #p2
So Dak, I didn’t see this press conference…just reading your post. So no mention of Obama dropping US support of Mubarak?
No. He’s just calling for quicker reforms.
But I did sense he edged US support a bit away from Mubarak. That’s not exactly the way to put it, he by no means called for his removal or anything remotely like that, but he had more directives for Mubarak than for the people, of whom he basically just said don’t resort to violence. I guess I’m saying the US President attempted to demonstrate support for the people and their concerns, validating them.
I think he’s been put on a short timer perhaps.
I guess that’s a good way of saying it.
But I think Obama’s statement was good for where the situation stands now. What do you think?
And he’s right that the next 24 to 48 hours are key. It’s all fast changing and Obama’s response will have to continue to evolve.
I don’t think they can budge him at the moment but they can’t give them impression that they don’t support the Egyptian people given all the resources we’ve got invested in that country which is why I think he spent so much time saying the Egyptian people had the right to have their grievances addressed. I think it was fairly balanced. I also think it must’ve been crafted by the state department and not the west wing which is why he ran out and didn’t want to take questions. No one wants add any fuel to the fires over there. I bet the phones between the two state departments and defense departments are open like crazy. Good thing those are the two competent cabinet heads here.
I think they’re hoping he’ll come around and see he’s not going to ride this one out. Guess the dawn will tell.
Agree on all points.
This is one of those 3am calls and thank goodness Hillary is there to take it afterall.
I still would like to hear the stories about what was going on at the Pentagon with all those Egyptian military leaders there for the better part of two days. Oh, to be a fly on the wall for that!!
Really?
I don’t think even Hillary Clinton has covered herself with glory in this, especially yesterday, which is understandable between there’s “the official line” they have to toe.
Hillary is a full pfledge member of this administration and not someone who would go “rogue” in a situation like this.
No, I’m just saying she was probably the recipient of wholesale delegation.
Didn’t say she went rogue, mablue.
Also said I thought Obama’s statement was good.
Seems pretty obvious I think Hillary’s a full fledged member of this administration. And frankly I think that’s another demonstration of how amazing she is.
It’s really time you let go of that CDS way of reading my comments about Hillary that you and others at TM attacked me with during the campaign.
markknoller Mark Knoller
Obama said the US will work with the Egyptian govt to provide its people with a future that is more just, free & hopeful.
It’s to late, those people want him GONE. Where those people invisible when Obama visited Cairo two years ago? They are no longer in the shadows.
DavidCornDC David Corn
O: US “will continue to stand up for the rights of the Egyptian pple.”//Then he’s gone w/o Qs. #Egypt
PBS is talking about it now.
JudyWoodruff Judy Woodruff
3 experts on #Egypt unpack latest developments in political crisis there: what protesters want, crucial role of military @NewsHour tonite
Just reiterated the economic situation in Egypt, that most of the regular people are surviving on 2 dollars a day. Talking about that figuring into the situation. That pres O did not lay down the line…that they think the next 24-48 hours are key. Is O going to be saying the same thing in 24-48 hours.
I am just listening to PBS…can’t see the TV from where I am typing.
cnnbrk CNN Breaking News
Mubarak reaction “highly disappointing,” senior administration official says http://on.cnn.com/htujqR
nytimes The New York Times
David Kirkpatrick describes scenes of protest in Giza. RT @thelede: Audio Report From Cairo http://nyti.ms/gjZjBc #egypt #jan25
Dak thanks for doing these live blog post!
oh, yw … I find these live breaking history things fascinating. I’m also glad it’s not in my backyard for a change.
It is fascinating, that it isn’t in your backyard. 😉
But seriously, thanks.
My guess is that if the Egyptians were in charge of the levees and the BP oil well, we wouldn’t be victims of engineering fail!
Yeah, if my old boss who was an engineering prof at my college had been in charge of those levees, they would’ve WORKED.
Of course, he scared me to death by offering to take me to Egypt with him, but that’s another story.
Egypt protests: America’s secret backing for rebel leaders behind uprising – Telegraph
is that a wikileak thing or something else?
oh, never mind … it’s a wikileak thing
Guess somebody violated rule number 1
no body talks about fight club
I am just getting to my Google Reader stuff, did you see this: US Chamber of Commerce Affiliate Supports Mubarak’s Iron-Fisted Rule | Crooks and Liars
I’m really thinking how important the role of the middle class is in these revolts and how much every one in those countries that are poor can see the middle class and want to be there. Just when the rest of the world is developing their middle class and they’re wanting more benefits, we have our plutocrats doing things to push ours into poverty. Wonder how well that’s going to work?
also why this is so interesting:
thedailybeast
Egypt’s internet crackdown, courtesy American companies http://act2.freepress.net/sign/dpi #netfreedom #jan25
Well I think it may be relevant that the uprising in Egypt is being driven by their younger adult generation.
Dak @ 6:45, exactly. I have been hearing about this from a few (very few) media outlets. Obviously not the big 3 cable ones…I am going to see if I can find some links discussing that.
FT.com / Middle East & North Africa – Revolt against Egyptian state’s low-pay deal
This is from 2008.
Ben Wedeman is saying that the Police are all but gone from Cairo and that the Republican Guard and the Army are in charge of the streets. Guess we’ll see whose side they take in the morning when and if people pour into the streets. He’s sure in a tight spot right now.
A facebook friend told me that Blackberrys and cell phones are working again in Egypt, though they’ve gone down a couple of times since coming back on. But Twitter’s still down.
Anybody else heard about that?
Anyone with a smart phone can access twitter through Tweetdeck, according to Al Jazira.
Have they turned SMS back on? I heard that some of that stuff is still up and down. Do you suppose he actually listened to the Clinton/Obama and had them turn it all back on?
Okay here’s some news from Naked Capitalism
Guest Post: Inequality In America Is Worse Than In Egypt, Tunisia Or Yemen
Egyptian, Tunisian and Yemeni protesters all say that inequality is one of the main reasons they’re protesting.
However, the U.S. actually has much greater inequality than in any of those countries.
Specifically, the “Gini Coefficient” – the figure economists use to measure inequality – is higher in the U.S.
That’s exactly right. The U.S. government should take notice as to what happens when companies are the driving force for policy. People don’t care what a government does, as long as it allows the people to prosper. But of course, the more prosperous the people become, the more interested they become in the policies of the government. It’s funny how that works. We were prosperous in the 60s…
Dakinikat, thanks for so many interesting links and the posting on this.
yw … and good to see you! It grew from my frustration with the early in the day US media coverage … they were worthless!!!