http://news.linktv.org Link TV News Videos (Filtered by topics: Ministry of Interior (Egypt)) en-us Thu, 14 Mar 2013 20:11:00 -0700 Copyright 2011 Link Media, Inc. http://news.linktv.org/videos/probe-police-snipers-killed-hundreds-in-egyptian-revolution?start=0 Egyptian police, using snipers on rooftops to shoot into huge crowds in Tahrir Square, were behind almost all of the 846 protestor deaths during the 2011 uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak's rule, according to a top-level probe likely to play a key role in Mubarak's retrial.<br /> Thu, 14 Mar 2013 20:11:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/probe-police-snipers-killed-hundreds-in-egyptian-revolution Egyptian Revolution, Tahrir Square, Cairo, Hosni Mubarak, Egypt, Police, Habib Ibrahim El Adly, Sniper, Ministry of Interior (Egypt), Al Jazeera English Egyptian police, using snipers on rooftops to shoot into huge crowds in Tahrir Square, were behind almost all of the 846 protestor deaths during the 2011 uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak's rule, according to a top-level probe likely to play a key role in Mubarak's retrial. http://news.linktv.org/videos/egypt-black-bloc-anarchists-release-protest-promo-video?start=0 A new Egyptian anarchist group released its first statement on the eve of expected protests to mark the second anniversary of the start of the Egyptian Revolution. In a slick music video-style promo filmed on the Stanley Bridge in Alexandria, the Black Bloc group announced that it seeks to "liberate humans, bring down corruption and topple tyrants."&nbsp; It said it wanted to make an official appearance to face the "Muslim Brotherhood's tyrant regime" and its military wing -- a thinly veiled reference to tomorrow's protests -- and warned the Interior Ministry against interfering in the matter. "Toppling fascism no matter how long it takes," the video titles say. "Glory for the martyrs and victory for the revolution." Thu, 24 Jan 2013 11:52:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/egypt-black-bloc-anarchists-release-protest-promo-video Egyptian Revolution, Muslim Brotherhood, Tahrir Square, Black bloc, Egypt, Anarchist, Cairo, Ministry of Interior (Egypt), Protest, Alexandria A new Egyptian anarchist group released its first statement on the eve of expected protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square to mark the second anniversary of the start of the Egyptian Revolution. In a slick music video-style promo filmed on the Stanley Bridge in Alexandria, the Black Bloc group announced that it seeks to "liberate humans, bring down corruption and topple tyrants." It said it wanted to make an official appearance to face the Muslim Brotherhood's tyrant regime and its military wing -- a thinly veiled reference to tomorrow's protests -- and warned the Interior Ministry against interfering in the matter. "Toppling fascism no matter how long it takes," the video titles say. "Glory for the martyrs and victory for the revolution." http://news.linktv.org/videos/energized-and-angry-egyptians-reclaim-tahrir-square?start=0 For the fourth consecutive day, Egyptians protesting the exoneration of key regime figures have settled into sit-ins. In the cities of Suez, Alexandria, and Arish, organized sit-ins are growing in size and formulating their demands. Tue, 05 Jun 2012 08:54:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/energized-and-angry-egyptians-reclaim-tahrir-square Tahrir Square, Egyptian Revolution, Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, Ahmed Shafiq, Protest, Egyptian presidential election, 2012, Habib Ibrahim El Adly, Gamal Mubarak, Alaa Mubarak For the fourth consecutive day, Egyptians protesting the exoneration of key regime figures have settled into sit-ins. In the cities of Suez, Alexandria, and Arish, organized sit-ins are growing in size and formulating their demands. Meanwhile, former presidential candidates deemed revolutionary by some joined in the demonstrations. On Monday, the former hopefuls spoke to protesters in the iconic Tahrir Square, proposing the formation of a presidential council that would rival the military junta's elections. Political groups, organizations, and campaigns endorsed a march of millions scheduled Tuesday afternoon. http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-june-4-2012?start=737 Protests have erupted across Egypt following the sentencing of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and other former regime officials, after many of those on trial escaped conviction. Mon, 04 Jun 2012 11:46:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-june-4-2012 Hosni Mubarak, Egypt, Egyptian Revolution, Life imprisonment, Trial, Norman Finkelstein, Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israel, Habib Ibrahim El Adly, Middle East Peace Process Protests have erupted across Egypt following the sentencing of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and other former regime officials. On Saturday, an Egyptian court gave Mubarak and his former interior minister, Habib el-Adly, life in prison for failing to stop the killing of unarmed demonstrators during the protests that ended Mubarak’s nearly 30-year rule. However, the court dismissed corruption charges against Mubarak and his sons, Alaa and Gamal, on technical grounds. The court also acquitted six former police chiefs for their roles during the uprising when 840 protesters were killed and more than 6,000 injured. No one was found guilty of actually ordering the killing of protesters. The verdicts sparked demonstrations across the country, with tens of thousands rallying in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and in other cities. We go to Cairo to speak with Heba Morayef, a Middle East and North Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch who closely monitored the Mubarak trial. Crowds continue to fill Cairo’s Tahrir Square to protest the outcome of the trial of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and other former regime officials. On Saturday, an Egyptian court sentenced Mubarak and his former interior minister, Habib el-Adly, to life in prison for failing to stop the killing of unarmed demonstrators during last year’s protests that ended Mubarak’s nearly 30-year rule. However, the court dismissed corruption charges against Mubarak and his sons, Alaa and Gamal, on technical grounds. The court also acquitted six former police chiefs of their roles during the uprising last year when 840 protesters were killed and more than 6,000 injured. No one was found guilty of actually ordering the killing of protesters. The verdicts sparked protests across Egypt, with several thousand angry demonstrators gathering in Cairo’s Tahrir Square as well as Alexandria, Suez and other cities Saturday. One protester, Ahmed Metwaly, explained why he was unsatisfied with the trials’ outcome. AHMED METWALY: [translated] We were not expecting the verdicts that were announced yesterday, for the six interior minister’s aides to be acquitted and the sons of Mubarak also acquitted. Then who committed these crimes against the people? Who killed the revolutionaries? Did we kill them? Did we kill ourselves? Who squandered the country’s resources? Did we do that? Demonstrators say they were also concerned Mubarak’s conviction will likely be reversed on appeal. Many protesters also were frustrated by the presidential elections, which will see Mubarak’s last prime minister, Ahmed Shafik, in a runoff against Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. For more, we go now to Cairo to speak with Heba Morayef, who closely monitored the Mubarark trial. She’s Middle East and North Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. Heba, welcome to Democracy Now! First, your reaction to the verdict? Well, we didn’t really have very high expectations for this trial because we had seen, from the beginning, the quality of the investigation conducted by the prosecutors, the kind of witnesses that they summoned and the quality of the evidence they presented. But I still think that this outcome was shocking, and shocking for two reasons, even for those of us within the human rights community who were closely following the trial. The inconsistency in applying the failure to prevent violence standard—the judge sentenced Mubarak and Adly, his former minister of interior, on the grounds that they knew of the violence and they failed to prevent it, but he didn’t apply the same standard to the four Ministry of Interior assistant ministers—Ahmed Ramzy, the head of the riot police, the one in fact ordering the deployment; Hassan Abdel Rahman, the head of Egypt’s secret police, the security investigations. So, that was a shocking thing—the acquittal of the four Ministry of Interior chiefs and, of course, the fact that despite the evidence presented before the judge, there wasn’t in the end a finding that anybody was responsible. And it’s important to remember, this trial looks at the killing of protesters in Tahrir Square and in the other squares around Egypt. There are separate sets of police trials that are looking only at the killings that took place in front of police stations. So, in fact, nobody has been held responsible, apart from Adly and Mubarak, for the killing of hundreds of protesters in the square. Talk about the minister of interior, Habib el-Adly. So, Habib el-Adly presided over the Ministry of Interior and, I think, best represents what Mubarak’s police state was all about. He was the one signing thousands of administrative detention orders under Egypt’s emergency law. He presided over the Ministry of Interior, which used torture systematically, systematically against political detainees but also as part of regular criminal investigations. And enforced disappearance, which is an international crime, was also taking place while Habib el-Adly was minister of interior. So, known for using all of these abusive practices. And then the protests of January came around, and instead of just using the same kind of excessive force that we were used to at protests under Mubarak, which we’d regularly monitor, there was an escalation. And the riot police started using live ammunition against protesters on that day. And so, I think it’s absolutely right that Adly is the—ultimately, the one responsible for the way the Ministry of Interior behaved on those six days, which this trial is looking at. It’s looking at January 25th to January 31st. But in an equal measure, the other Ministry of Interior officials were also decision makers. These were the policy—the officials who were responsible for the policies of the Ministry of Interior. And at the same time, there hasn’t been any accountability at the police officer level for the people who actually shot protesters on those days. Why the limited scope of when the killings took place? Why were they only tried ’til—for the end of, what was it, January? I’m sorry, Amy. I didn’t catch that. The scope of when the killings took place, what these men were tried for, was a limited period of time. Yes, and I think that’s really important to remember, because this was also a decision that the prosecution took. Important to remember that the public prosecutor was a Mubarak appointee and has remained in place throughout this entire period. So the default setting under Mubarak was that the police would get away with torture, would get away with enforced disappearance, would get away with beating up protesters again and again, and there would never be real prosecutions. And this is why, when the protests actually happened, one of the first demands of the 18 days in Tahrir and in other squares around Egypt was for accountability, for justice, for a trial, for a break with the past. And yet, the prosecutors only looked at those six days of Mubarak’s rule. There was no intent to have a broader process of transitional justice that would look at the use of torture as a tool, that would look at the death in custody cases. The reason Khaled Saeed, the torture case from June 2010, became so iconic, and his picture was everywhere in the square, was specifically because he represented the kind of police abuse that was one of the main—the main things that fueled the anger during the protests. So Egypt hasn’t had a process of transitional justice. And, in fact, the Ministry of Interior continues to behave pretty much as it did under Mubarak. Last November, 45 protesters were killed in Tahrir. In June, we saw excessive use of force and people losing their eyes, because the riot police were shooting rubber pellets at protesters’ heads instead of shooting them at their feet. We’ve seen the same practices continue. We’ve seen torture continue. And I think this is the real opportunity cost in the sense of this trial. It was a missed opportunity for both civil society and the protest movement to push for real torture prosecutions, for the prosecution to attempt to choose—you know, you don’t have to prosecute every police officer, but you can choose some of the leaders, and in particular Hassan Abdel Rahman, who was the person ordering torture of political detainees. This could have been a trial to break with the abusive practices of the past. And instead, I think—and this is the reason why people are so angry—it’s reaffirmed that the system is still very much in place, and the Ministry of Interior can still protect itself. Following Saturday’s verdict, presidential hopeful Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood promised to put Mubarak on trial again. MOHAMED MORSI: [translated] I will immediately put in place a team made up from the criminal investigations department and from the prosecutor’s office and from experts at the highest level to put forward evidence for the accusations and real proof against those who killed the revolutionaries and against those who corrupted the state and against those who ruined the country and those who smuggled the country’s wealth for decades out of Egypt. That was Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, who’s running for president. Your response, Heba? Well, I think the Muslim Brotherhood realizes at this point that it has very little credibility with the protest movement. On many occasions, for strategic choices on their part, they refused to join certain protests, and in the early months, they refused to condemn the excessive use of force by the Ministry of Interior and definitely refused to condemn any violations on the part of the military. And this is why there’s been so much growing distrust of the Brotherhood by revolutionary activists. But at this point, I think the response of the Muslim Brotherhood—as early as the afternoon, a few hours after the verdict, they had already started calling for protests in Alexandria’s main square, in Tahrir, and in other cities around Egypt. I think that response is an indication that they realize they can’t quite win against Shafik without getting more support from revolutionaries and that they can, in a sense, use the kind of anger that exists right now against the trial, against Mubarak, against the previous regime, and try and channel that to campaign against Shafik. The question, I think, that remains unanswered is to what extent the Brotherhood feels it needs the votes of revolutionary activists, because if it feels that it can’t—that Morsi can’t win on his own just based on the Islamist votes, then we might see some serious concessions being offered in the next days. But if these protests are really just part of elections campaigning, then it may just be business as usual, and you may see most revolutionary activists choosing to boycott the next round of elections. I wanted to turn to Egyptian presidential candidate Ahmed Shafik, whom Morsi is running against, who served as Mubarak’s final prime minister. He’s vowed not to take the country back to pre-revolution politics. AHMED SHAFIK: [translated] The Muslim Brotherhood says that I will reproduce the previous regime. But I say to whoever claims this that you do not know Egypt, and you are unaware of the amount of change that took place in Egypt since the 25th of January. That was Ahmed Shafik. Heba, your response? Well, I think Ahmed Shafik is also right now trying to pitch to different constituencies. And we’ve seen him attack the Brotherhood very, very enthusiastically over the last few days. We’ve seen him try to distance himself from Hosni Mubarak very early on. But ultimately, his main pitch has been the language of stability: "I will bring back the kind of security that you enjoyed. I will bring back the economic progress we had before." And people are voting for him because of that. He has also been strongly campaigning against the Muslim Brotherhood and really blatant fear mongering about the Brotherhood, and has, over the last few days, also pitched himself to the more secular and more liberal constituencies in Egypt, talking about the position of women and trying to present himself in that light. I think the reason that, for some revolutionary activists, we’re hearing calls for boycotts—and it’s impossible to tell at this point how significant that boycott could be—is because Shafik is still unacceptable because of who he is. He was prime minister when thugs, armed thugs on horses and camels, went into that square and beat up protesters. He was prime minister when a lot of the documents of state security investigations, but also other documents to do with corruption, were destroyed and mysteriously disappeared. So people see him as somebody who really tried to protect Mubarak up until the last moment in the Mubarak regime. And I think he can’t really reinvent himself or gain new credibility with those revolutionary forces. But he can speak to the people who are very worried about the security situation, who are very worried about the economic situation, and who fear the Brotherhood because of all they represent. And also, the Brotherhood obviously hasn’t helped by running especially in the first round, pitching itself in the light of the more conservative Islamist party, to distance themselves from Aboul Fotouh’s campaign at the time, so they were also pitching to the Salafi vote and came up with a number of very conservative statements with regards to the application of sharia. Finally, Heba, the sons, Gamal— But I think, you know, unfortunately, this runoff is going— The sons, Gamal and Alaa, who were acquitted—and in fact no one was charged with corruption—could they be retried? And the significance of that, that no one was convicted of corruption? Well, I think it’s shocking to see the quality of the evidence on which the prosecution based its referral to trial of Gamal and Alaa Mubarak, because any first-year law student knows what a statute of limitations is. And I think that’s another of the reasons why there is a lot of anger about the verdict. I mean, Gamal and Alaa will remain in prison—in preventative detention, rather, because there is a new set—there’s a new investigation that is against them that just started a few days before the trial, again giving people the impression that—that people realized that there would be an acquittal for them on these charges. There hasn’t been a serious corruption investigation, basically, or of the involvement of Alaa Mubarak in the NDP’s politics, in how the forged elections were run under the NDP, a lot of the policy decisions that the NDP policies committee was involved in. This hasn’t been investigated yet. And I think part of it is a question of capacity, but more importantly, it’s a question of political will on the part of the prosecution. Until the prosecution really starts digging into the Ministry of Interior’s records, into the corruption records, we won’t see the kind of accountability that Egypt needs to be able to move on. Heba Morayef, I want to thank you very much for being with us, Middle East and North Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch, speaking to us from Cairo, Egypt. This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report. Back in a minute. http://news.linktv.org/videos/cairo-clashes-dead-protestors-had-slit-throats?start=0 At least 11 people are killed and dozens injured in Cairo as grisly details emerge of a violent attack on protestors demonstrating against Egypt's ruling military council. Wed, 02 May 2012 09:26:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/cairo-clashes-dead-protestors-had-slit-throats Cairo, Ministry of Defense (Egypt), Egypt, Abbasiyah, Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Sit-in, Throwing stones, Gunshot, Protest, Violence At least 11 people are killed and dozens injured in Cairo as grisly details emerge of a violent attack on protestors demonstrating against Egypt's ruling military council. Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh has this update from the Egyptian capital. http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-fifth-day-of-violent-clashes-in-egypt?start=0 In a fifth consecutive day of violence in Cairo, police fired tear gas at protesters angry over 74 deaths a football match on Wednesday. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:32:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-fifth-day-of-violent-clashes-in-egypt Egypt, Port Said Stadium disaster, Cairo, Al-Ahly, Protest, Tear gas, Throwing stones, Ministry of Interior (Egypt), Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Egyptian Revolution In a fifth consecutive day of violence in Cairo, police fired tear gas at protesters angry over 74 deaths a football match on Wednesday. ---- A protester hurls stones during clashes with security forces near the Interior Ministry in Cairo February 6, 2012. Egypt's army-backed government said it was preparing to move ousted President Hosni Mubarak to a Cairo prison hospital in an apparent bid to calm protests, but clashes continued with police firing tear gas at demonstrators hurling rocks and broken tiles. Raw video http://news.linktv.org/videos/three-killed-during-overnight-protests-in-cairo-suez?start=0 Unrest was continuing on Egyptian streets, as the death toll climbed to at least three from clashes in Cairo and Suez in the wake of Wednesday night's deadly stadium riot in Port Said. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:10:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/three-killed-during-overnight-protests-in-cairo-suez Port Said, Egypt, Cairo, Suez, Al-Ahly, Protest, Tear gas, Port Said Stadium disaster, Ministry of Interior (Egypt), Football in Egypt Unrest was continuing on Egyptian streets, as the death toll climbed to at least three from clashes in Cairo and Suez in the wake of Wednesday night's deadly stadium riot in Port Said. http://news.linktv.org/videos/egypt-more-protests-as-al-ahly-supporters-blame-authorities-for-deaths?start=0 Protesters have gathered for a second day outside Egypt's interior ministry, two days after the killing of 74 people at a football match in Port Said. Hardcore supporters of Cairo club Al-Ahly say authorities allowed the violence to happen. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:46:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/egypt-more-protests-as-al-ahly-supporters-blame-authorities-for-deaths Egypt, Port Said, Cairo, Ultras Ahlawy, Al-Ahly, Protest, Throwing stones, Tear gas, Football in Egypt, Tahrir Square Protesters have gathered for a second day outside Egypt's interior ministry, two days after the killing of 74 people at a football match between Premier League sides Al-Ahly and Al-Masry in Port Said. Hardcore supporters of Cairo club Al-Ahly, known as Ultras, say the police and military allowed the violence to happen. Al-Ahly Ultras battled with police during last year's revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak. http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-soccer-fans-protest-in-cairo?start=0 Security forces fired tear gas at demonstrators near the headquarters of the Interior Ministry in Cairo, after thousands descended on the city center furious about by the deaths of 74 people in Wednesday's football violence. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:44:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-soccer-fans-protest-in-cairo Cairo, Egypt, Protest, Port Said, Al-Ahly, Tear gas, Ministry of Interior (Egypt), Football in Egypt, Violence, Football Security forces fired tear gas at demonstrators near the headquarters of the Interior Ministry in Cairo, after thousands descended on the city centre furious about by the deaths of 74 people in Wednesday's football violence. http://news.linktv.org/videos/protests-over-deadly-egyptian-football-riot-turn-violent?start=0 Protestors gathered in Cairo today to send a message to authorities about who they held responsible for yesterday's tragic events in Port Said, but anger boiled over into violence, tear gas, and reports of hundreds more injuries. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:33:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/protests-over-deadly-egyptian-football-riot-turn-violent Port Said, Cairo, Egypt, Protest, Al-Ahly, Ministry of Interior (Egypt), Tear gas, Football in Egypt, Al-Masry Club, Police Supporters of Al-Ahly soccer club, political activists, and ordinary citizens gathered in Cairo today, angry over the handling of security at last night's soccer match in Port Said that descended into violence, leaving scores dead. They wanted to send a clear message to the authorities about who they held responsible for the tragic events. But, as the protestors neared Egypt's Interior Ministry building, police responded with tear gas, prompting yet more violence and reports of hundreds of injuries. http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-police-protestors-clash-in-cairo-over-soccer-deaths?start=0 Egyptian police fired tear gas Thursday at thousands of demonstrators outside the Interior Ministry protesting the security forces' failure to prevent a soccer riot in Port Said that killed more than 70 people. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:42:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/raw-video-police-protestors-clash-in-cairo-over-soccer-deaths Port Said, Cairo, Tear gas, Al-Ahly, Egypt, Al-Masry Club, Protest, Ministry of Interior (Egypt), Police, Interior ministry Egyptian police fired tear gas Thursday at thousands of demonstrators outside the Interior Ministry protesting the security forces' failure to prevent a soccer riot in Port Said that killed more than 70 people. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-020212?start=32 Seventy-four people were killed in the incidents that turned what was supposed to be a friendly game of soccer between al-Ahly and al-Masry Clubs into a chaotic scene of violence, reports Dubai TV. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-020212 Protest, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Syrian Civil War, Syria, Civilian casualties, Bashar al-Assad, Port Said, Kuwait, Ali Abdullah Saleh Presenter, Male #1 For three days starting today, Egyptians will be dressed in black to express grief and sorrow over last night's heavy causalities. Seventy-four people were killed in the incidents that turned what was supposed to be a friendly game of soccer between al-Ahly and al-Masry Clubs into a chaotic scene of violence. The military council formed a fact-finding committee to investigate the incident and pursue the perpetrators responsible for the violence, which erupted immediately after the referee blew the whistle ending the game. The fans of the winning al-Masry team rushed onto the field and attacked the al-Ahly fans. The field turned into a confrontation zone, leaving behind a large number of injured. The incidents in Port Said quickly echoed across Cairo Stadium, which was hosting a soccer match between the al-Zamalek and the al-Ismaeli teams. The game in Cairo, which was halted in light of the Port Said violence, also witnessed acts of violence and vandalism, including setting part of the stadium on fire. What happened was not rage provoked by a soccer game, but rather a premeditated act of violence, as confirmed by the head of the ruling military council, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. Tantawi expressed regret over the incident and vowed to pursue and prosecute the criminals. The People's Assembly held an emergency session and observed a minute of silence to mourn the fallen victims. Politically, Egyptians continue to mobilize on various fronts in an attempt to contain the situation, amid rage and condemnation by the Egyptian public that was hoping to take a break after a year of tragic incidents. Tawfiq Ahmad reports from Cairo. Reporter, Male #2 Egyptians experienced hours of regretful and tragic events, and the reason this time wasn't political. Egyptians expressed shock, rage, and condemnation over the incidents that took place at a soccer game that was part of the Premier League's tournament. Guest, Male #3 We are mad and sad for what happened. This was only a game, not a war. Guest, Male #4 There must be someone behind what happened. As an Egyptian citizen who watched the game, I believe the Interior Ministry was negligent. Why didn't they secure the game? Guest, Female #1 I'm very sad for what happened. May God help the country and protect it from what's coming. What happened doesn't please anyone. Guest, Male #5 This is a disaster affecting the entire Egyptian public, socially and politically. This will reflect negatively on the political situation and the country's future. Reporter, Male #2 Egyptians are demanding to know who is responsible for the security breakdown, which seems only to be getting worse, not better as many expected. Many Egyptians believe the bloody incidents are nothing but a series of premeditated acts of violence aimed at aborting the Egyptian revolution. Amid the rage, Egyptians across the Republic are observing three days of mourning. Politically, the head of the military council, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi confirmed that the incident was premeditated and vowed to pursue and punish the criminals. Guest, Male #6 (Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Head of the Military Council) No one will be able to harm Egypt, God willing. We will continue moving forward and we will overcome this phase. These types of incidents could happen anywhere in the world. Having said that, we will not let these perpetrators or those behind them go free. Reporter, Male #2 All state institutions are being put on alert. The People's Assembly held an emergency session in order to discuss the incidents and their repercussions. In addition, Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal al-Janzuir held an urgent session with the security committees. The Attorney General opened an investigation into the incident. Politicians and parliamentarians condemned the violence and called for the resignation of the country's interior minister and security leaders. Meanwhile, the Egyptian Football Association suspended all games until the investigation is complete and all necessary security measures are taken. Otherwise, the association will cancel the entire season. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-071311-world-news-from-the-middle-east?start=972 Somali humanitarian organization makes urgent plea for aid, Obama urged to probe Bush torture claims as secret prison details emerge, main opposition group pulls out of Bahrain's national dialogue, and more.<br /> Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-071311-world-news-from-the-middle-east Syria, Israel, Protest, Bashar al-Assad, Human Rights Watch, Damascus, Human rights, Syrian Civil War, Somalia, Bahrain Presenter, Male #1 The Egyptian interior minister announced a series of transfers, promotions, and terminations of members of the ministry, the largest in its history. It includes nearly 4,000 officers, including 18 major-generals and 19 brigadier-generals, who will be dismissed over accusations related to the killing of protestors. This comes as protests continue in the Egyptian capital's Tahrir, or Liberation Square for the sixth consecutive day, demanding the ruling military council speed up the reform measures demanded by the protestors. Reporter, Male #2 This woman is a housewife and has never been to Tahrir Square before. Guest, Female #1 I implore you; I implore you; the military decision, the military council, Field Marshal Tantawi, to make a quick decision. He has all the power in his hand; he holds everything in his hand. He can do anything in Egypt; have mercy on Egypt's people. He saw everything and we don't want to suffer again. We don't want to suffer a second time. Enough already! Have mercy! Reporter, Male #2 Many people here have the same demands. It is estimated that tens of thousands are also spread on side streets, which remain closed. The military council issued a statement to the protestors. Guest, Male #3 (Mohsen al-Fangary, Egyptian Supreme Council for Armed Forces Spokesman) The armed forces are supported by the people's trust. Based on its national principles, it affirms that it will not tolerate the hijacking of power. Reporter, Male #2 The protestors were quick to react. Guest, Male #4 He did not mention the martyrs' rights; he didn't mention anything about the prosecution of Mubarak, or whether he is indeed in Sharm Sheikh or not, as is being said. He did not mention Gamal and Alaa Mubarak, or the trials on the former ministers. His entire speech did not address any of these issues. Reporter, Male #2 The organizers say this means the sit-in at the square will continue. Guest, Male #5 We are revolutionaries and we are protestors. Our protest is peaceful. The military council threatened us; the threat was within the statement, not a direct threat. His speech echoed in Tahrir Square and we reject the threat, even from the military council. Reporter, Male #2 The atmosphere seems festive after one full day of protests that reached the prime minister's headquarters, only meters from here, to demand his ouster. As the protestors say, the protests will continue to escalate until their demands are met, especially the demand for an urgent and open trial of former President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak. From above, Cairo appears calm at night. However, the situation on the ground is different. According to observers, the conflict now is between a military council that holds power and the thousands of protestors holding a sit-in at Tahrir Square, who hold revolutionary power and the media's interest, in addition to great popular support. Mustafa al-Minshawi, BBC, Cairo. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-071211-world-news-from-the-middle-east?start=37 <p>Egyptians extend their protest despite the military's warning, Syria slams Washington's "provocative" comments, Israel passes "boycott bill" criminalizing opposition to the occupation, and more.</p> Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-071211-world-news-from-the-middle-east Israel, Middle East Peace Process, Palestinian National Authority, Egypt, Middle East Quartet, West Bank, Protest, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli settlement, Negotiation More than five months since they toppled Hosni Mubarak, Egyptians are back in the iconic Liberation Square. What has gone wrong with the Egyptian revolution? Tensions are running high in Egypt, months after the January revolution put an end to the decades-long rule of former President Hosni Mubarak. The same protestors who brought down Mubarak say he and his henchmen must not be allowed to escape justice. The protestors also demand that the interior ministry has yet to be purged of who backed police tactics against people during the January uprising. Under pressure to speed up reforms, the ruling military council it will not give up its role in running the nation's affairs.