Demokratiakehitystä Pohjois-Afrikassa

[Jussi Jalonen]

Vielä lähtiäisiksi kohtalaisen mukiinmenevä bloggaus Libyan tilanteesta.

Ranskan harjoittama politiikka vaikuttaa hieman erikoiselta.


Best,

J. J.

[Demonisoitu]

Laitetaan Suomen Kuvalehdessä julkaistu Nicolas Kayser-Brillin(kuka lie?) äärettömän mielenkiintoinen avaus vallan verkoista tänne koska se aloittaa käsittelemällä Libyan sotareissuun päätymistä.

Vielä kirjoituksen alkua ja Bernard-Henri Lévyn yhteyksiä kutkuttavampaa on tekstin lopussa esitelty Influence Networks palvelu jolla kerrotaan voitavan availla vaikuttajien, instituutioiden ja yritysten yhteyksiä toisiinsa. Itse en tosin tuossa lainkaan onnistunut, mutta sen voinee laskea käyttäjän piikkiin tai yrittämiensä nimien merkityksen? En jaksanut tarkistella enempää että miten ja kuka tuota oikein päivittää, eli onko esim. Talvivaaran omistajien kumminkaimojen kissalääkärit jo mahd. piankin tuon avulla koko kansan ihmeteltävissä.

SK on kyllä viime aikoina petrannut, journalistisilta ansioiltaan ainakin verkkoversio oli mielestäni ennen lähinnä pohjanoteeraus.

[Vongoethe]

Oi Muammar... kuinkahan tuossa on käynyt? Kovin epäselvältä vaikuttaa tässä vaiheessa.

Helsingin Sanomat, 20.10.2011: Väliaikaishallinto: Muammar Gaddafi kuoli kiinniotettaessa

"Syrt. Libyan väliaikaishallinnon joukkojen mukaan maan entinen diktaattori Muammar Gaddafi on kuollut kiinniotettaessa. Aiemmin Gaddafin kerrottiin haavoittuneen kiinniotettaessa molempiin jalkoihin. Tietoa ei ole toistaiseksi vahvistettu muista lähteistä. Arabikanava Al Jazeeran lähteiden mukaan Gaddafi on kuollut. Libyan television mukaan Gaddafi on puolestaan nähty vangittuna. Nato on puolestaan ilmoittanut selvittävänsä asiaa."

[Kaptah]

Kyllä on Muammarista tainnut oikeasti henki lähteä.

Peruspessimistisenä luonteena en jaksa uskoa, että tästä seuraisi Libyan nousu demokraattiseksi, tasa-arvoiseksi ja turvalliseksi yhteiskunnaksi. Saas nähdä käykö jopa vielä huonommin kuin aikaisemmin...

[Julmuri]

Kyllä on Muammarista tainnut oikeasti henki lähteä.

Peruspessimistisenä luonteena en jaksa uskoa, että tästä seuraisi Libyan nousu demokraattiseksi, tasa-arvoiseksi ja turvalliseksi yhteiskunnaksi. Saas nähdä käykö jopa vielä huonommin kuin aikaisemmin...

Pääasia, että paha sai palkkansa. Tietysti olisi ollut hyvä saada hänet oikeuden eteen, mutta käyhän se näinkin.

[Timo Anttila]

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Christians-and-Muslims-a-year-since-the-start-of-the-Arab-spring-23530.html

[Timo Anttila]

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Al-Azhar-in-defense-of-democracy-and-religious-freedom-23702.html

[Timo Anttila]

Aiheeseen liittyy, vaikka ei ihan alueellisesti:

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Lebanon-must-remain-neutral-in-the-Syrian-revolution-23736.html

[Timo Anttila]

http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Salafist-threats-against-Christians-must-stop,-says-Mahmoud-Salem-23819.html

[Vongoethe]

Tyytymättömyyden talvi, totta tosiaan.

Variety, 31.8.2013: Egyptian Filmmaker Blasts Muslim Brotherhood

Double Dutch Intl. sold Ibrahim El-Batout's 'Winter of Discontent' to HBO Europe at the Venice market

Nick Vivarelli

With the country in turmoil, the Egyptian presence at Venice is small this year. The notable exception being
multi-hyphenate Amr Waked, who is on the Lido wearing two hats despite what he claims is the Muslim
Brotherhood’s best attempts to keep him home in Cairo. "They sent a message to the festival organizers here
saying that I am a supporter of what they claim is a bloody coup," alleges Waked, known internationally for
thesping turns in "Syriana" and "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen." He is not only on the Horizons jury
but also on the Lido as producer of "The Cat," screening in the Venice Film Market’s Final Cut workshop.

"The Brotherhood wanted the festival to pull me from jury duty for political reasons," Waked says, alleging,
"they even sent them an image of me wearing military garb from the TV series 'House of Saddam' as if it
were the real me. What kinds of idiots did they think the Venice people are?"

While he says he has been threatened by the Brotherhood in the past, he adds this latest burst of
animosity on its part stems from the fact that, when violence erupted after the Egyptian military ousted
former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, Waked gave TV interviews saying that "the Muslim Brothers
started the blood, not the army."

"Before the army intervened, there were about 16 locations in Egypt, including Cairo and Alexandria,
where the Muslim Brothers came out and killed people with guns," he alleges. "They sent their own people
to get killed so they could have a body count; so that the U.S. could come and bomb us. What is this?
This is stupid politics!"

Turmoil in Egypt is clearly impacting the country’s film industry in several ways, including impeding
production of Ibrahim El-Batout's "The Cat," an action-thriller about human organ trafficking
in Egypt, which Waked is producing through his Zad shingle, and in which he also stars. Footage from
"The Cat" screened for potential investors Saturday.

El-Batout’s previous pic, "Winter of Discontent," a raw and powerful look into the events that
led to the Tahrir Square uprising, has just been released by Barbican in the U.K. And at the Venice
market, "Winter" was sold to HBO Europe by Double Dutch Intl.

Waked says the crew was trying to shoot "Cat" finale in Giza just as Morsi followers protested
the new military-backed government.

"I kept thinking: 'We have to wait for things to calm down,' but they did not and I have had to keep
postponing the shoot."

[Vongoethe]

The Wall Street Journal, 26.3.2014: Egypt's Military Chief to Run for President

Egypt's Military Chief to Run for President

Abdel Fattah Al Sisi Led Ouster of Elected Islamist Leader

By Tamer El-Ghobashy and Nicholas Casey 

Updated March 26, 2014 4:52 p.m. ET


Abdel Fattah Al Sisi announced he was resigning as defense minister and running for president in an
address on state television on Wednesday. Egyptian State Television/Associated Press
 
Egypt's military chief and the architect of the ouster of the nation's first democratically elected president
resigned as minister of defense late on Wednesday, announcing a presidential run he is expected to win.

Field Marshal Abdel Fattah Al Sisi tendered his resignation as defense chief to Egypt's interim president,
Adly Mansour, and to a military leadership council that had already endorsed his candidacy in January,
calling it a national duty following the removal of the Muslim Brotherhood-backed Mohammed Morsi in July.

"I announce my intention to run for president and ask for your support," Mr. Sisi said in a recorded
statement on state television.

The move ends months of speculation over Mr. Sisi's political ambitions amid a harsh crackdown on his
opponents in the Brotherhood in particular and among secular figures who have expressed discomfort
with Egypt's return to a military-backed autocracy.

Egyptian law requires presidential candidates be civilians. Also Wednesday, military chief of staff Sedki Sobhy
was promoted to the rank of general, setting him up to take over as minister of defense.

Mr. Sisi, 59 years old, has enjoyed a meteoric rise and massive public support, and has been endorsed by
many in Egypt's political and business elite as the only figure strong enough to provide stability following
three years of political and economic turmoil.

But the challenges of leading Egypt loom large. He would face the continued street demonstrations that
have shrunk significantly but have been consistent, especially on university campuses. Workers, from
doctors to bus drivers, have been striking over pay disputes while the summer months will continue to
strain Egypt's already rickety electricity grid, resulting in blackouts.

Hours before his resignation, one student was killed by security forces during a demonstration at Cairo
University protesting the mass death sentence imposed Monday on 529 people, alleged supporters of
the Brotherhood who had been charged with killing a police official in August. The sentence has been
condemned by human-rights organizations, the United Nations and some Western powers, including the
U.S., as an abandonment of due process after the defendants were found guilty after two court sessions
in which their attorneys weren't allowed to mount a defense.

Meanwhile, a sustained low level insurgency that was sparked by the coup in the Sinai Peninsula has
resulted in the deaths of dozens of soldiers and police.

Some warned that as Field Marshal Sisi inched closer to the presidency, he might eventually lose some
of his popularity. His post as defense minister had shielded him from scrutiny over how to handle some
intractable issues, from power cuts to the stagnant economy, says Hisham Kassem, a former newspaper
publisher in Cairo.

Mr. Sisi's exit from the military leaves him outside the country's most venerated institution, even if he
still may have allies there, Mr. Kassem said. "The minute he walks out, he is on his own," he said.

In the announcement of his candidacy, Mr. Sisi did not shy away from identifying with his military background,
saying he would continue to fight for Egypt despite shedding the military uniform he said he has worn since
joining the Air Force High School in 1970 at age 15.

His statement took a strong nationalist tone, saying Egypt's next leader would restore the nation's dignity
and prevent it from being a "playground for any internal, regional or international party" while acknowledging
the multitude of social, economic and political challenges the Arab world's most populace nation faces.

Mr. Sisi said Egypt faced an unprecedented terrorist threat and pledged to make the nation inclusive of
all citizens who have not been convicted of threatening its national security, an apparent reference to
the Muslim Brotherhood, the once powerful group Mr. Sisi has cracked down on.

He invited other candidates to step into race and not be "intimidated" by his bid. "I can't promise miracles
but I can pledge hard work," Mr. Sisi said. "If I have the honor to lead this country, then I promise that
we will fight for Egypt's stability, security and hope."

Some Egyptian politicians praised Field Marshall Sisi's decision. Emad Gad, a politician from Egypt's
Social Democratic Party, which held key roles in the caretaker government earlier this year, said Field Marshall
Sisi's tough hand with the Muslim Brotherhood and ability to unite Egyptians after Mr. Morsi's overthrow
made him ideal to lead the country.

"We have a prominent and strong leader," he said. "We're in a war with terrorist groups, and he is ready
to fight that war."

A relative unknown on the political scene, Field Marshal Sisi was appointed as the nation's minister of
defense by Mr. Morsi in 2012 as the Islamist president sought to weaken the military's influence in
politics by reshuffling the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.

The council had run the nation for 17 months following Mr. Mubarak's resignation. Field Marshal Sisi,
who had previously served as the head of military intelligence, was the youngest member of the SCAF.
Since the popular uprising that toppled the government of longtime President Hosni Mubarak in 2011,
Egypt has been roiled by street violence and an economy on the brink of collapse, in addition to a
power struggle between the military and the Muslim Brotherhood which emerged as the two strongest
political entities in the post-Mubarak era.

The Muslim Brotherhood, backed by its status as Egypt's oldest and most organized opposition group,
swept parliamentary elections and presidential elections in 2012 but were stymied by a hostile judiciary
and security apparatus. Mr. Morsi's single year in office was also marked by persistent street
demonstrations against his perceived insular rule that elbowed out the secular forces that were
instrumental in Mr. Mubarak's fall.

Following massive demonstrations on June 30th, then-General Sisi announced on July 3rd that Mr. Morsi
had been removed from office and taken into custody. In the following months, he gained wild popularity
for framing a bloody crackdown on the Brotherhood and its supporters as a war against terrorism while
overseeing a so-called "roadmap to democracy" that called for amending the nation's charter followed by
presidential and parliamentary elections.

The campaign against the Brotherhood has led to security forces killing some 2,000 people during street
demonstrations and imprisoning thousands more, including Mr. Morsi, on charges ranging from illegally
protesting to murder and treason. In December, the military back interim regime officially outlawed the
once powerful group and designated it a terrorist organization.

Western governments, local and international human rights organizations and the United Nations have
expressed concern over Egypt's political atmosphere which has pushed moderate or critical political voices
to the sidelines while imprisoning particularly critical voices, including journalists and academics.

Still, powerful Gulf Nations have enthusiastically backed the coup, pouring billions of dollars in economic
aid to Egypt while Russia has pledged political and military support. Last month, during a visit by Field
Marshall Sisi to Moscow, Russian president Vladimir Putin said he endorsed Sisi's expected presidential run.

Specific dates for the presidential elections have not been set, but Egypt's interim President Adly Mansour
has said they would take place before July. So far, only one candidate, Hamdeen Sabahi, have announced
formal bids.

At least two former candidates from the 2012 contest have declined to run again, denouncing coming
elections as theater.

- Leila Elmergawi contributed to this article.

Write to Tamer El-Ghobashy at tamer.el-ghobashy@wsj.com and Nicholas Casey at nicholas.casey@wsj.com

[Vongoethe]

Vallan ääni

"Power resides only where men believe it resides. It's a trick, a shadow on the wall, yet shadows can kill.
And ofttimes a very small man can cast a very large shadow."

 - George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings -

Exposed: Final Conversation Between Morsi and Sisi

Exposed: Final Conversation Between Morsi and Sisi

By Raymond Ibrahim on July 9, 2013 in From The Arab World

On July 5, El Watan ("the nation"), one of Egypt's most popular newspapers, published the final dialogue
between General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Dr. Muhammad Morsi, which took place on Tuesday July 2, a few
hours before Morsi's final speech to the Egyptian people. A reporter who was taken to an adjacent room
was allowed to witness and transcribe their conversation from a TV screen. I translate the entire speech
as it appears on El Watan below:


Exchange Between Morsi and Sisi

Morsi: What's the military's position concerning what's going on? Is it just going to stand by watching?
Shouldn't it protect the legitimacy?

Sisi: What legitimacy? The entire army is with the will of the people, and the overwhelming majority
of people, according to documented reports, don't want you.

Morsi: My supporters are many and they won't be silent.

Sisi: The army will not allow anyone to destroy the nation, no matter what happens.

Morsi: What if I don't want to leave?

Sisi: The matter is settled and no longer up to you. Try to leave with your dignity and tell those whom
you call supporters to go back to their homes in order to prevent bloodshed, instead of threatening the
people through them.

Morsi: But this way it will be a military coup, and America won't leave you alone.

Sisi: The people concern us, not America. And since you've started to talk this way, I'll talk to you candidly.
We have evidence to condemn you and to condemn many governmental officials of compromising Egypt's
national security. The judiciary will have its say and you will all be judged before the whole people.

Morsi: Okay, can you permit me to make a few phone calls and then afterwards I'll decide on what to do?

Sisi: You are not permitted; but we can let you check up on your family only.

Morsi: Am I imprisoned or what?

Sisi: You are under arrest from this moment.

Morsi: Don't think the Brotherhood is going to stand by if I leave office. They will set the world on fire.

Sisi: Just let them try something and you'll see the reaction of the army. Whoever among them wants to
live in peace, he's more than welcome; otherwise, [if they try anything] we will not leave them alone.
We will not single anyone out, and the Brotherhood is from the Egyptian people, so don't try to use them
as fuel for your disgusting war. If you truly love them, leave office and let them go to their homes.

Morsi: Anyway, I'm not going, and the people outside of Egypt are all with me, and my supporters are
not going.

Sisi: Anyway, I've advised you.

Morsi: Okay, but take care—I'm the one who hired you as minister and can remove you.

Sisi: I became minister of defense due to the military's will and not yours—and you know this very well.
Moreover, you can't remove me; that's it—you no longer have any legitimacy.

Morsi: Okay, if I agree to be removed, will you allow me to travel abroad and promise not to imprison me?

Sisi: I can't offer you any promises. It's the justice [department] that will pass its verdict.

Morsi: Okay, if that's the case, I'll make it war, and we'll see who will prevail in the end.

Sisi: Naturally the people will win.