Egypt #3

[quadruplify]

The situation in Egypt seems to have taken a turn for the worse; after yesterday's peaceful "million man march" on Tahrir Square in Cairo, pro-government counter-protesters have come out of the woodwork begun clashing with the anti-Mubarak protesters who have been on the streets for the past week. Because the attacks appear to be coordinated and tend to be coming from plainclothes police and security officers, and it's very likely that Mubarak's government has planned the recent violence; as a result, three people are confirmed dead and at least 1500 others have been injured. Meanwhile, Mubarak has promised electoral reform and to step down when his term ends in September, despite continued calls for his immediate resignation. The only good that seems to have come out of today is that anti-Mubarak protesters have re-taken Tahrir Square (though this might not last for long), and the Internet in Egypt has been turned back on.

ontd_political has their latest live-blog here, though the one before that has an exhaustive list of liveblogs, Twitter accounts, articles, and other resources; because I won't try to replicate that here, go to those links first for the latest information. I've also been retweeting some good bits of info on my own Twitter (to all my Twitter followers: sorry about all the spam XD).

Here's a list of some of the best articles and analysis I've come across over the past couple of days. There's a lot this time, so recommended readings are in bold:

Other liveblogs I've been following:
Al Jazeera: Tuesday 2/1 || Wednesday 2/2 || Thursday 2/3
The Lede @ New York Times
Mother Jones
Mondoweiss

Al Jazeera:
Turkish prime minister backs Egypt protesters
Disrupting Mideast balance of power
The Arab world at a tipping point?
Getting in line for a revolution
Inception: Dreams of revolution
The hidden economic roots of Egypt's despair
Three questions: Egypt's future
Is Egypt the next Iran?
From the grave: Hosni Mubarak vs. Bertrand Russell
U.S.-Egypt realpolitik
Analysts distant from Egypt street
Egypt businesses hit by instability

Foreign Policy:
Day of the Thugs
With Eyes Red From Rage
Who are you calling a "thug"?
The bloodbath in Tahrir Square
Mubarak's 9 biggest mistakes
America's other most embarrassing allies
A realist argument for Obama to ask Mubarak to step down
This just (not) in: What's missing from the 24/7 Cairo news

New York Times:
Arab world faces its uncertain future
Egypt's economy is near paralysis
Al Jazeera English finds an audience

Los Angeles Times:
El Baradei says he fears coming "bloodbath"
Government loyalists target foreign journalists after state TV cites "interference"

Reuters:
U.S. sees debate within Mubarak inner circle

The Telegraph (UK):
El Baradei says he will run for president

Washington Post:
Looters included undercover Egyptian police

National Journal:
White House policy on Egypt evolves

Slate:
Egypt's protests were a safe space for women -- until things turned violent.

TIME:
People power in Egypt is focused on Egypt, not Israel or the U.S.
The violent struggle for Cairo's Tahrir Square: An eyewitness account

Al Masry Al Youm:
Protesters give army Friday deadline to choose sides
Egypt refuses Western pressures to begin power transfer

Wall Street Journal:
How Cairo, U.S. were blindsided by revolution
Egyptian protests inspire opposition in Iran

Foreign Affairs:
Is El Baradei Egypt's hero?
The people's military in Egypt?
The U.S.-Egyptian breakup

Sydney Morning Herald (Australia):
Google, Facebook, Twitter sound off on Egypt

Haaretz (Israel):
As an Israeli, I want the Egyptians to win

Tehran Bureau:
Women, Islam, Egypt, and Iran

TruthDig:
Amy Goodman: When Corporations Choose Despots Over Democracy
Chris Hedges: What Corruption and Force Have Wrought in Egypt

Democracy Now!:
The true face of the Mubarak regime

Africa Is a Country:
5 things the US mass media get wrong on Egypt
The Museum Will Be Open

Ars Technica:
What's in all that tear gas we've been selling Egypt?

Night Light:
We're Better Off Than Egypt -- Right? Let's Take a Look.

Middle East Report Online:
Into Egypt's Unchartered Territory

Sarthanapolos:
A Guide: How Not to Say Stupid Stuff About Egypt (another necessary punch to the gut)

As always, feel free to link to this page to "boost the signal," and also if I missed anything you'd like to see in this list, let me know in the comments (especially if they're from non-mainstream or non-Western sources). Hope these posts haven't been too annoying for y'all. ;-)