. China
- On January 17, 2005, the Bush administration imposed penalties on eight
Chinese firms for aiding Iran in its ballistic missile programmes.
- On November 17, 2008, China denied the possibility of sending troops to join in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown suggested China engage in the ISAF in Afghanistan.
On Monday December 15, 2014, we were told by the Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Jafari that his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, has made an offer to help Iraq fight Islamic State militants. Beijing has volunteered to assist with airstrikes, though it will not join the US-led coalition against ISIS. China’s offer is a step away from its official policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries, although it does sell weapons to many other nations.
As Iran celebrates the lifting of sanctions and cranks up its oil production, the biggest winner may be China, Iran’s new best friend. Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a visit to Tehran in January, meeting Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and signing a 25-year economic, political and military cooperation pact. The two leaders announced the signing of 17 deals—including agreements on oil drilling, nuclear energy and a vast infrastructure project linking China to the Mediterranean, known as One Belt, One Road. Rouhani predicted the deals would boost bilateral trade tenfold to an annual $600 billion in the next decade. Iran has been close to China for years; it has been Iran’s largest trading partner since 2009. During the last (and most draconian) sanctions period, China helped keep Tehran afloat by buying its oil, using Iranian banks in a way that did not technically violate sanctions. China also invested heavily in Iranian roads, factories and infrastructure at the time. High-profile Chinese projects include the 5-kilometer Niayesh tunnel in Tehran, one of the longest in the world, and the city’s Chinese-designed metro system. The two countries have also found common ground in their opposition to U.S. interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
. Cuba
"History will judge the enormous impact" of Cuba's former leader Fidel Castro on the world, US President Barack Obama has said. The death of Castro, one of the world's longest-serving leaders, was announced by his brother Raul on Friday night November 25, 2016. Castro came to power in 1959, and ushered in a Communist revolution. He defied the US for decades, surviving many assassination plots. Supporters said he returned Cuba to the people. Critics called him a dictator.
A revolutionary at home and abroad. Ashen and grave, President Castro told the nation in an unexpected late night broadcast on state television that Fidel Castro had died and would be cremated later on Saturday. "The commander in chief of the Cuban revolution died at 22:29 hours this evening (03:29 GMT Saturday)," he said. "Towards victory, always!" he added, using a revolutionary slogan. A period of official mourning has been declared on the island until 4 December, when his ashes will be laid to rest in the south-eastern city of Santiago.
Barring the occasional newspaper column, Fidel Castro had essentially been retired from political life for several years. In April 2016, Fidel Castro gave a rare speech on the final day of the country's Communist Party congress. "I'll soon be 90," the former president said, adding that this was "something I'd never imagined". "Soon I'll be like all the others," Fidel Castro said, suggesting his "turn" to pass away was coming. Castro was the longest serving non-royal leader of the 20th Century.
He temporarily handed over power to his brother in 2006 as he was recovering from an acute intestinal ailment. Raul Castro officially became president two years later. News of his death left some in Havana stunned. "I always said it couldn't be," said one woman, a government employee. "Even though they said it now, I say it can't be."
How he defied the US. Throughout the Cold War, Fidel Castro was a thorn in Washington's side. An accomplished tactician on the battlefield, he and his small army of guerrillas overthrew the military leader Fulgencio Batista in 1959 to widespread popular support. Within two years of taking power, he declared the revolution to be Marxist-Leninist in nature and allied the island nation firmly to the Soviet Union.
Despite the constant threat of a US invasion as well as the long-standing economic embargo on the island, Castro managed to maintain a communist revolution in a nation just 90 miles off the coast of Florida. Despised by his critics as much as he was revered by his followers, he maintained his rule through 10 US presidents and survived scores of attempts on his life by the CIA. He established a one-party state, with hundreds of supporters of the Batista government executed. Political opponents have been imprisoned, the independent media suppressed. Thousands of Cubans have fled into exile.
How has the world reacted? Latin American leaders have been quick to pay tribute.
. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto said Castro was a "great friend" of Mexico, while to El Salvador's President Salvador Sanchez Ceren he was an "eternal companion".
. Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro said "revolutionaries of the world must follow his legacy".
. The Soviet Union's last leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, said: "Fidel stood up and strengthened his country during the harshest American blockade, when there was colossal pressure on him."
. Russian President Vladimir Putin described him as a "reliable and sincere friend" of Russia, while Chinese President Xi Jinping said "Comrade Castro will live forever".
. For French President Francois Hollande, Castro embodied Cuba's revolution in both its "hopes" and its later "disappointments".
. Pope Francis, who met Castro, an atheist, when he visited Cuba in 2015, called his death "sad news" and sent "sentiments of grief".
. From US President-elect Donald Trump, who has threatened to reverse his predecessor's work to build ties with Cuba, came a brief tweet exclaiming the news: ‘Fidel Castro is dead!’
. In Miami, where there is a large Cuban community, there have been celebrations in some parts of the city, with people banging pots and cheering.
. A Cuban exile group, the Cuban Democratic Directorate, said Castro left "legacy of intolerance" and had set up a "vicious totalitarian regime".
Although the announcement of Fidel Castro's death caught many Cubans unawares, it can't be said that they weren't partly expecting it. In a sense, they have been preparing for this moment, a post-Fidel Cuba, for several years now as he retired from public life and largely disappeared from view. But now that it has actually arrived, some are asking whether it will make any political different to Cuba's trajectory. It's unlikely to, mainly because Raul Castro has already been implementing economic changes intended to attract foreign direct investment and ease the tight restrictions on ordinary Cubans. Plus, of course, there is the new rapprochement with Washington.
While it's still not clear what a Trump presidency will mean in that regard, those changes are unlikely to be reversed because of Castro's death. Nor will Cuba change its one-party political system in his absence. Politically, his legacy lives on.
. 1926: Born in the south-eastern Oriente Province of Cuba
. 1953: Imprisoned after leading an unsuccessful rising against Batista's regime
. 1955: Released from prison under an amnesty deal
. 1956: With Che Guevara, begins a guerrilla war against the government
. 1959: Defeats Batista, sworn in as prime minister of Cuba
. 1961: Fights off CIA-sponsored Bay of Pigs invasion by Cuban exiles
. 1962: Sparks Cuban missile crisis by agreeing that USSR can deploy nuclear missiles in Cuba
. 1976: Elected president by Cuba's National Assembly
. 1992: Reaches an agreement with US over Cuban refugees
. 2006: Hands over reins to brother Raul due to health issues, stands down as president two years later
. Friday November 25, 2016, died in Havana
. Denmark
- On April 23, 2004, Denmark's defence minister, Svend Aage Jensby, was forced
to resign after breaking state secrecy laws by revealing details of an intelligence
committee meeting about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. It is the first
minister from all the countries of the so-called coalition to be forced to
resign.
- Twenty-four Danish citizens have brought suit on October 11, 2005, against
Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen's decision to go to war in Iraq. While
Denmark's contingent in Iraq is small -about 500 troops- Rasmussen has been
criticized widely for misleading the people and Denmark's Parliament that
Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. The Danish force was an original member
of the U.S.-led coalition that invaded Iraq in 2003. Under Denmark's constitution,
the group says the nation must be threatened directly or be acting under a
U.N. mandate to go to war. The group says neither condition was met.
- Some time ago the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published 10 caricatures
of the Prophet Muhammad. The Muslims of all countries were very unhappy but
their anger increased when they were reproduced on February 1, 2006, in newspapers
in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, etc. It is very strange that the Muslims
feel free to downplay our religions, calling non-Muslim "infidels"
and threatening to kill them (Jihad war). It is time for us to react and do
what is allowed under our laws and disregard the Muslims' opinion.
- On February 2, 2006, there were further demonstrations by Muslims in many
countries following the publication of the caricatures of the prophet Muhammad
first in Denmark and then in quite a few European countries' newspapers. The
Germans are suggesting that all the western world's newspapers publish them
to show the Muslims that they do not rule us. I agree. Most governments are
quite prepared to apologise and I disagree with that. The editor of the French
newspaper France Soir was sacked for publishing the vignettes.
- At least five people have been killed in Afghanistan on February 6, 2006,
as demonstrations against cartoons satirising the Prophet Muhammad swept across
the country. Two people died when protesters turned on the American airbase
at Bagram, even though the US has had no involvement in the cartoons' publication.
In Somalia, a 14-year-old boy was killed and several others were injured after
protesters attacked the police. Rallies have also taken place in India, Thailand,
Indonesia, Iran and Gaza. They followed attacks on Danish embassies in Syria
and Lebanon over the weekend. Monday's deaths were thought to be the first,
but Lebanon has now confirmed that a demonstrator died on Sunday after jumping
from the third floor of the Danish embassy in Beirut to escape a fire.
- Denmark said on February 7, 2006, it holds Iran responsible after its Tehran
embassy was attacked by hundreds of people protesting about cartoons of the
Prophet Muhammad. Several hundred angry Iranians hurled stones and firebombs
and were forced back by police with tear gas. The attacks came as Iran said
it was cutting all trade ties with Denmark. Many Muslims are angry at the
publishing of cartoons of Muhammad in a Danish paper. Islamic tradition explicitly
prohibits images of Allah and the Prophet Muhammad.
- On February 8, 2006, at least four people have been killed and up to 20
injured in a violent protest in Afghanistan over cartoons satirising the Muslim
Prophet Muhammad. Police shot into a crowd of rioters in the town of Qalat
as they tried to march on a nearby US military base. It brings to 12 the number
of people killed in Afghan protests over the cartoons in recent days. Afghanistan's
top religious body is urging an end to the rioting, saying the cartoons do
not justify violence.
- On February 8, 2006, key figures from the UN, the EU and a prominent pan-Islamic
body have jointly called for calm in the wake of outrage over cartoons of
the Prophet Muhammad. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and his counterparts
called the drawings offensive, but expressed alarm at the violent worldwide
reaction to them. In France, a court threw out on technical grounds an application
for an injunction against a satirical publication that planned to print the
12 caricatures in its Wednesday edition. The editor of Charlie-Hebdo welcomed
the ruling. But the Union of Islamic Organisations of France, one of the groups
that applied for the injunction, said, "one cannot insult a religion".
- On February 11, 2006, Danish nationals have been urged to leave Indonesia
over fears they may be targeted in the row over cartoons satirising the Prophet
Muhammad. Intelligence reports suggest an extremist group is actively seeking
out Danes and Danish interests in Indonesia. Denmark has temporarily shut
its missions in Indonesia, Iran and Syria. Embassy staff in the first two
countries were withdrawn after threats were made against them. Diplomatic
staff were pulled out of Damascus because "Syrian authorities reduced
their protection to an unacceptably low level". As yet, no Danes have
suffered injury despite the violence of some of the demonstrations that have
swept across the Muslim world.
- On February 11, 2006, Danish nationals have been urged to leave Indonesia
over fears they may be targeted in the row over cartoons satirising the Prophet
Muhammad. Intelligence reports suggest an extremist group is actively seeking
out Danes and Danish interests in Indonesia. Denmark has temporarily shut
its missions in Indonesia, Iran and Syria.
- Three more people have died in Pakistan on Wednesday February 15, 2006,
in continuing violence over the publication in the West of cartoons satirising
the Prophet Muhammad. In the city of Peshawar, two people died as protesters
targeted anything linked to foreign firms, but local businesses also suffered.
In Lahore, one person died when police clashed with Islamic students. Two
people died in Lahore on Tuesday. Islamic tradition explicitly prohibits any
depiction of Allah and the Prophet.
- Good news for Denmark on February 15, 2006; it has received confirmation
that Iraq wants Danish troops to remain on duty there despite a row over satirical
cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. Denmark's Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen
said earlier he wanted clear support from Iraq's government, after local authorities
in Basra demanded the withdrawal of the multinational forces there, which
include Danes. Relations between the provincial council in Basra and the British-led
troops have been soured both by the row over the cartoons and the weekend
release of video footage of apparent abuse of Iraqis by British soldiers.
- A week of violent protests has left a dozen people dead and scores injured
in Afghanistan as demonstrators expressed their anger over cartoons of the
Prophet Mohammad. The row has shown the gulf between the views held by a majority
of Afghans and the moderate, Western-leaning government headed by President
Hamed Karzai. Karzai's response also stands in sharp contrast to the views
expressed by other parts of the Afghan government. The president has appealed
for calm and forgiveness in interviews both with the foreign press and with
Afghan journalists.
- At least 10 people have been killed and several injured in Libya in clashes
during a protest outside an Italian consulate on February 18, 2006. Police
confronted protesters who had set fire to the building in the port city of
Benghazi. They were said to be angry with Italian minister Roberto Calderoli,
who had worn a T-shirt displaying the drawings. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi
has called for his resignation.
- The Danish government said on May 1, 2006, it is planning to reduce one fifth of its contingent to the international coalition in Iraq by autumn.
- Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Wednesday February 21, 2007, that Denmark would withdraw its troops -460 soldiers- from Iraq by August. All land forces would be withdrawn within six months, but Denmark would still offer surveillance helicopters and continue its efforts to train Iraqi defence forces as well as providing economic assistance to Iraq. 10 advisors would be sent to help the Iraqi government undertake civilian reconstruction efforts.
- On February 12, 2008, Danish police arrested three people suspected of planning to attack a cartoonist who drew caricatures satirising the Prophet Muhammad. Two Tunisians and a Dane of Moroccan origin have been arrested in Aarhus "to prevent a murder linked to terrorism". The pictures printed by Jyllands-Posten sparked violent protests two years ago.
- Danish intelligence agency PET suspects a 42-year-old Iraqi man living in Denmark of being the chief Northern European recruiter for suicide bombers for Iraq, we were told on Sunday May 3, 2009. PET has for more than a year tried to expel Amer Saeed from Denmark under special anti-terror legislation on the grounds that he poses a threat to the Scandinavian country's national security. However, his expulsion has not been carried out on humanitarian grounds and he continues to live in Denmark.
- On January 2, 2010, Danish police have shot and wounded a man at the home of Kurt Westergaard, whose cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad sparked an international row. Mr Westergaard scrambled into a panic room at his home in Aarhus after a man wielding an axe and a knife broke in. The intruder was a 28-year-old Somali, who they did not name, but said was linked to the radical Islamist al-Shabab militia.
. Egypt
- On March 31, 2003, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt said that the war in
Iraq will create 100 Osama bin Laden with all the dangers that this implies.
He is of the opinion that terrorist attacks will increase in number and importance.
- On January 5, 2005, there were some reports -not confirmed- from the International
Atomic Energy Agency that Egypt was somehow involved -at least in the 1980
and 1990's- in secret nuclear experiments that could lead to the construction
of nuclear weapons. Egypt rejected the accusations.
- Police in Egypt have arrested four leading members of the opposition group,
the Muslim Brotherhood, on May 8, 2005. The Muslim Brotherhood is officially
banned in Egypt but sometimes tolerated by the authorities. It is Egypt's
most popular opposition group.
- On July 9, 2005, we were told that Egypt is to reduce its diplomatic presence
in Iraq following the abduction and killing of its ambassador. Ambassador
Ihab al-Sherif was kidnapped six days ago. The group headed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi,
al-Qaida's leader in Iraq, claimed responsibility. "The Egyptian flag
will still be seen on the embassy buildings and the embassy will remain operative."
It is unclear on what basis the Egyptian government became convinced that
he was dead.
- Bombs killed at least 88 people and wounded 200 in the Egyptian resort of
Sharm al-Sheikh on Saturday July 23, 2005. The first explosion, in the Old
Market, was followed by two more in Naama Bay, where a hotel was badly hit.
Most of the dead are Egyptians, but foreigners are among the victims too.
A 34-year-old Italian man on his honeymoon and a Czech citizen have been confirmed
dead, and at least 20 of those injured are thought to be foreign.
- Egyptian security forces have arrested 35 people following Saturday July
23, 2005's bomb attacks in Sharm al-Sheikh, which killed at least 88 people.
In the worst attacks in decades in Egypt, three explosions -including two
apparent car bombings- devastated a hotel, a car park, and a market.
- On July 25, 2005, Egyptian authorities are investigating possible links
between last week's explosions in Sharm al-Sheikh and bomb attacks on the
Red Sea coast last year. An Egyptian Islamist group has claimed the latest
attacks and named five "martyrs" of "the blessed earthquake".
The Egyptian police has linked six missing Pakistanis with the attacks. The
confirmed death toll in last week's attacks stands at 64 but hospital officials
say the figure could be as high as 88.
- On July 27, 2005, Egyptian security sources have named a man who they believe
was one of the bombers of last weekend's attacks in Sharm al-Sheikh. According
to some sources, Moussa Badran was the suicide car bomber who wrecked the
Ghazala Gardens hotel in Naama Bay. Most people believe the bombers had links
with those responsible for last October's bombings of Sinai resorts farther
north at Taba and Ras Shitan that killed 34 people, many of them Israelis.
- Egypt has released about 900 members of the militant group Gamaa Islamiya,
the interior ministry said on April 12, 2006. The releases took place over
the last 10 days and one of the founders of the group, Najeh Ibrahim, was
among those freed. Gamaa Islamiya was once Egypt's largest militant group.
It mounted attacks on tourists and Christians in the 1990s. But the group
declared a ceasefire in 1999 and some of its imprisoned leaders went on to
renounce violence.
- Two suicide bombers attacked security personnel and foreign peacekeepers
in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula on April 26, 2006, but did not cause any injuries
to their targets. The first bomber blew himself up as members of the Multinational
Force and Observers (MFO) were passing in a car. A second attacker on a bicycle
tried to detonate his bomb near a police car, which had gone to the scene.
The attacks come two days after a triple bombing on the Sinai resort town
of Dahab, which killed 23 people. The attacks took place near the MFO headquarters
at el-Gorah, about 35km from the Mediterranean city of Arish.
- One of the top leaders of Egypt's opposition Islamist movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, has been detained on December 14, 2006, as well as about 10 other prominent members and dozens of students in dawn raids. Khairat al-Shatir is one of two deputies to Brotherhood leader Muhammad Akef, and was taken from his home in northeastern Cairo. The group is officially banned, but its supporters make up parliament's largest opposition group and it is tolerated. Mr Shatir is the most senior member of the group detained by the authorities since Secretary-General Mahmoud Ezzat was released last year after three months in jail without trial.
- Human rights group Amnesty International released on April 11, 2007, a highly critical report on Egypt's record on torture and illegal detention. The issue was recently highlighted by the emergence of mobile phone film of policemen raping a man with a stick. The report says Egypt has become an international centre for interrogation and torture on behalf of other states as part of the "war on terror". There was no immediate reaction from the Egyptian government.
- On April 13, 2007, Egypt rejected the report by human rights group Amnesty International that accused it of the systematic torture of prisoners. The foreign ministry said Cairo was offended by the report that is, in their opinion, inaccurate and unfair.
- The first hearing in the military trial of 33 members of Egypt's opposition Muslim Brotherhood has been held at a military base in Cairo on April 27, 2007. The defendants face charges relating to membership of a banned organisation, money-laundering and supporting terrorism. Defence lawyers boycotted the session, protesting that the court did not notify them of the start of the trial. The Muslim Brotherhood is outlawed, but has traditionally been tolerated. This is the first time in seven years that members of the Muslim Brotherhood have been tried before a military court.
- A court in Egypt ruled on June 10, 2007, that the American University of
Cairo cannot ban women from wearing the niqab -the full Islamic face covering-
on campus. The ruling comes after a lengthy legal battle between the university
and a female student, who was told she had to remove the niqab for security
reasons. Supporters of the niqab greeted the ruling as a victory for freedom.
But officials at the university have said it indicates a drift towards Islamic
extremism.
- The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt accused the authorities on June 11, 2007,
of harassing its candidates and committing widescale irregularities during
voting. Egypt is holding the first round of elections for the upper chamber
of parliament, the Shoura Council. Earlier, one man was killed in violence
outside a polling station. Reports say that riot police blocked access to
some polling stations and the Brotherhood says many of its supporters have
been beaten up. It alleges that at some stations ballot boxes were stuffed
full before voting opened, witnesses say. Reporters at a village outside Cairo
say they saw riot police sealing off a polling station and telling people
there was no election there. Independent election monitors said they were
barred from entering polling stations.
- A US-based human rights group accused the Egyptian government on December
11, 2007, of using torture and false confessions in a high-profile anti-terrorism
case. Twenty-two alleged members of an unknown Islamist group, the Victorious
Sect, were accused of planning attacks on tourism sites and gas pipelines.
The case was used to justify renewing emergency laws.
- Eleven European tourists have been kidnapped, along with eight Egyptians
while making an off-road tour of southern Egypt. Five Italians, five Germans
and a Romanian were taken along with eight Egyptian travel guides and drivers.
The abduction, near the Gilf al-Kebir plateau, was carried out on Friday September
19, 2008, by tribesmen or bandits. A ransom had been demanded and negotiations
are under way. This is an act of banditry not of terrorism.
- A group of Western tourists and their Egyptian guides, who were kidnapped
10 days ago by gunmen, have been freed on September 29, 2008. The 11 hostages
-five Italians, five Germans and a Romanian- and some eight guides are said
to be in good health. The group, abducted in a remote border region of Egypt,
have now arrived at a military base in the capital, Cairo. Egyptian officials
said they were freed in a mission near Sudan's border with Chad, and that
half of the kidnappers were killed. No ransom was paid.
- Unrest inspired by the revolt that toppled Tunisia's leader is under way in Egypt on January 25, 2011.
- Mohamed ElBaradei is currently the leader of the revolutionary ambition to oust Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, and is a likely contender for leadership in any regime that would follow that ouster. Mohamed ElBaradei may be seen as having parallel interests in some ways with the United States in regard to the revolution in and the future of Egypt, but he has been very critical of the role of the United States and specifically of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Clinton, he says, calls the government of President Hosni Mubarak stable; ElBaradei calls it pseudo-stability. Stability, ElBaradei says, only comes with a democratically elected government. He says the Egyptian Parliament is a "mockery." The Judiciary is not independent. ElBaradei also says that the current government of Egypt has retained for 30 years what were designed as "emergency laws," following the chilling assassination on Armed Forces Day, 1981, of Anwar Sadat by members of the Muslim Brotherhood. ElBaradei views, he says, social disintegration, economic stagnation, and political repression, and hears nothing from the Americans, or from the Europeans. Mohamed ElBaradei mentions Tunisia, and Iran. He says that the West believes the only options in the Arab world are "authoritarian regimes or Islamic jihadists." This he says is "obviously bogus." "In Egypt, there is a whole rainbow variety of people who are secular, liberal, market-oriented, and they will organize themselves to elect a government that is modern and moderate. They want desperately to catch up with the rest of the world." Speaking at a demonstration in Alexandria on June 25, ElBaradei told the crowd, "I am going back to Cairo, and back onto the streets."
- On February 4, 2011, embattled yet unbending, President Hosni Mubarak is
sending a message that he remains deeply suspicious of reform efforts in Egypt
and resistant to the calls from Washington and his own populace for him to
step aside.
- Six months after he was ousted from his 30-year rule of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak went on trial Wednesday August 3, 2011, to face charges of complicity in killing political protesters and government corruption. The 83-year-old Mubarak, lying on a hospital bed, was wheeled into a metal defendant's cage in the courtroom with his two sons standing beside him in white prison uniforms. He pleaded innocent to the charges. After adjourning the trial, which was aired live on state television, the judge ordered Mubarak held at a military hospital near Cairo and to be overseen by an oncologist. The order by the judge seemed to indicate that Mubarak has cancer after months of unconfirmed reports.
----------------------------------------------------
Egyptian revolution -2011/012
The 2011-2012 Egyptian revolution took place following a popular uprising that began on Tuesday, 25 January 2011. The uprising was mainly a campaign of non-violent civil resistance, which featured a series of demonstrations, marches, acts of civil disobedience, and labour strikes. Millions of protesters from a variety of socio-economic and religious backgrounds demanded the overthrow of the regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Despite being predominantly peaceful in nature, the revolution was not without violent clashes between security forces and protesters, with at least 846 people killed and 6,000 injured. The uprising took place in Cairo, Alexandria, and in other cities in Egypt. On 11 February, following weeks of determined popular protest and pressure, Mubarak resigned from office.
Grievances of Egyptian protesters were focused on legal and political issues including police brutality, state of emergency laws, lack of free elections and freedom of speech, uncontrollable corruption, and economic issues including high unemployment, food price inflation, and low minimum wages. The primary demands from protest organizers were the end of the Hosni Mubarak regime and the end of emergency law; freedom, justice, a responsive non-military government, and a say in the management of Egypt's resources. Strikes by labour unions added to the pressure on government officials.
The government imposed a curfew that protesters defied and that the police and military did not enforce. The presence of Egypt's Central Security Forces police, loyal to Mubarak, was gradually replaced by largely restrained military troops.
International response to the protests was initially mixed, though most called for peaceful actions on both sides and moves toward reform. Many governments issued travel advisories and made attempts to evacuate their citizens from the country.
Mubarak dissolved his government and appointed military figure and former head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate Omar Suleiman as Vice-President in an attempt to quell dissent. Mubarak asked aviation minister and former chief of Egypt's Air Force, Ahmed Shafik, to form a new government. Mohamed ElBaradei became a major figure of the opposition, with all major opposition groups supporting his role as a negotiator for some form of transitional unity government. In response to mounting pressure, Mubarak announced he had not intended to seek re-election in September.
On 11 February Vice President Omar Suleiman announced that Mubarak would be stepping down as president and turning power over to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. On 24 May, Mubarak was ordered to stand trial on charges of premeditated murder of peaceful protestors and, if convicted, could face the death penalty.
The military junta, headed by effective head of state Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, announced on 13 February that the constitution would be suspended, both houses of parliament dissolved, and that the military would rule for six months until elections could be held. The prior cabinet, including Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik, would continue to serve as a caretaker government until a new one is formed. Shafik resigned on 3 March; he was replaced by Essam Sharaf, the former transport minister.
After Mubarak resigned, protests in Egypt continued. On April 8, 2011, tens of thousands of demonstrators filled Tahrir Square, criticizing the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces for not following through on the demands of protesters, during the revolution. The protesters also demanded the immediate resignation of former regime figures, as well as the removal of Egypt's public prosecutor, due to the slow pace of investigations of corrupt former officials. In July 2011, hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in Suez, Alexandria, and Tahrir Square in Cairo. They demanded immediate governmental reforms, and the swifter prosecution of former officials from the ousted regime.
In November 2011, the largest demonstrations in Egypt since the resignation of Hosni Mubarak took place. From 19 to 21 November, clashes erupted between anti-SCAF protesters and security forces, as demonstrators re-occupied the square. Fierce fighting broke out, with the police beating and shooting demonstrators, and using tear gas on them. On 24 November, as clashes began to subside, the SCAF issued an official apology, for the deaths of about 40 protesters. On 16 December, protesters demanding a more immediate transfer of power to a civilian government once again clashed with security forces, in downtown Cairo.
On April 20, 2012, tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Tahrir Square, protesting the disqualification of several major candidates in the upcoming presidential elections, and protesting against the military. On April 28-29, demonstrators gathered outside of the Defence Ministry in Cairo, calling for an end to the military rule. One protester was killed, and 30 more were wounded. 90 more demonstrators were also wounded.
On June 2, 2012, the verdict in the trial of Hosni Mubarak was announced. On June 19, protesters, many of them belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, protested in Cairo's Tahrir Square. They were angry that the SCAF had taken some of the powers that had formerly belonged to the President. Protesters also accused the SCAF of launching a coup. On June 24, the State Election Commission announced that Islamist Mohammed Morsi had won the presidential election. On June 30, Morsi was inaugurated as the 5th President of Egypt.
Naming
The protests and subsequent changes in the government have generally been referred to as the 25 January Revolution, Freedom Revolution or Rage Revolution, and less frequently, the Revolution of the Youth, Lotus Revolution, or White Revolution.
Background
Hosni Mubarak became head of Egypt's semi-presidential republic government following the 1981 assassination of President Anwar El Sadat, and continued to serve until 2011. Mubarak's 30-year reign made him the longest-serving President in Egypt's history, with his National Democratic Party (NDS) government maintaining one-party rule under a continuous state of emergency. Mubarak's government earned the support of the West and a continuation of annual aid from the United States by maintaining policies of suppression towards Islamic militants and peace with Israel. Hosni Mubarak was often compared to an Egyptian pharaoh by the media and by some of his critics due to his authoritarian rule.
Emergency law
An emergency law (Law No. 162 of 1958) was enacted after the 1967 Six-Day War. It was suspended for 18 months in the early 1980s and has otherwise continuously been in effect since President Sadat's 1981 assassination. Under the law, police powers are extended, constitutional rights suspended, censorship is legalised, and the government may imprison individuals indefinitely and without reason. The law sharply limits any non-governmental political activity, including street demonstrations, non-approved political organizations, and unregistered financial donations.
The Mubarak government has cited the threat of terrorism in order to extend
the emergency law. This has led to the imprisonment of activists without trials,
illegal undocumented hidden detention facilities, and rejecting university,
mosque, and newspaper staff members based on their political inclination.
A parliamentary election in December 2010 was preceded by a media crackdown,
arrests, candidate bans (particularly of the Muslim Brotherhood), and allegations
of fraud involving the near-unanimous victory by the ruling party in parliament.
Human rights organizations estimate that in 2010 between 5,000 and 10,000
people were in long-term detention without charge or trial.
Police brutality
Police brutality has been common and widespread in Egypt. In the five years
prior to the revolution, the Mubarak regime denied the existence of torture
or abuse carried out by the police. However, many claims by domestic and international
groups provided evidence accounts of hundreds of cases of police abuse.
The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights documented 30 cases of torture
during the year 2009. In numerous trials defendants alleged that police tortured
them during questioning. There was no indication that the government investigated
these cases.
The deployment of plainclothes forces paid by Mubarak's ruling party, Baltageya,
has been a hallmark of the Mubarak government. The Egyptian Organisation for
Human Rights has documented 567 cases of torture, including 167 deaths, by
police that occurred between 1993 and 2007. The police forces constantly quashed
democratic uprisings with brutal force and corrupt tactics. Mohamed ElBaradei,
former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, led a rally in 2010
in Alexandria against alleged abuses by the police. During the January/February
2011 protests, police brutality was high in response to the protests.
Corruption in government elections
Corruption, coercion to not vote, and manipulation of election results occurred
during many of the elections over 30 years. Until 2005, Mubarak was the only
candidate to run for the presidency, on a yes/no vote. Mubarak won five consecutive
presidential elections with a sweeping majority. Opposition groups and international
election monitoring agencies accused the elections of being rigged. The only
opposing presidential candidate in recent Egyptian history, Ayman Nour, was
imprisoned before the 2005 elections. According to a 2007 UN survey, voter
turnout was extremely low (around 25%) because of the lack of trust in the
corrupt representational system.
Restrictions on free speech and the press
Even though the Egyptian constitution provides for the universal freedom
of speech (Egypt Constitution, Article 47 - 49), the government has frequently
sanctioned home raids, torture, arrests, and fining of bloggers and reporters
that criticize the government in any way. Under the current state of emergency
laws, the government can censor anything if it is considered a threat to "public
safety and national security". The Moltaqa Forum for Development and
Human Rights Dialogue reported that between January and March 2009, 57 journalists
from 13 newspapers faced legal penalties for their governmental critiques.
The Egyptian government owns stock in the three largest daily newspapers.
The government controls the licensing and distribution of all papers in Egypt.
The Egyptian government shut down the Internet to most of Egypt during the
recent protests in order to limit communication between protest groups.
Corruption among government officials
Political corruption in the Mubarak administration's Ministry of Interior rose dramatically due to the increased level of control over the institutional system necessary to prolong the presidency. The rise to power of powerful businessmen in the NDP, in the government, and in the People's Assembly led to massive waves of anger during the years of Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif's government.
The perception among Egyptians was that the only people to benefit from the nation's wealth were businessmen with ties to the National Democratic Party; "wealth fuels political power and political power buys wealth."
During the Egyptian parliamentary election, 2010, opposition groups complained of harassment and fraud perpetrated by the government. Opposition and civil society activists called for changes to a number of legal and constitutional provisions which affect elections.
In 2010, Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)
report assessed Egypt with a CPI score of 3.1, based on perceptions of the
degree of corruption from business people and country analysts (with 10 being
clean and 0 being totally corrupt).
National Police Day protests
Opposition groups planned a day of revolt for 25 January 2011, coinciding
with the National Police Day. The purpose was to protest against abuses by
the police in front of the Ministry of Interior. These demands expanded to
include the resignation of the Minister of Interior, an end to State corruption,
the end of Egyptian emergency law, and term limits for the president.
Many political movements, opposition parties, and public figures supported
the day of revolt. The leftist National Progressive Unionist Party (the Tagammu)
stated it would not participate. The Coptic Church urged Christians not to
participate in the protests.
Protests - Under Hosni Mubarak's rule
25 January 2011: The "Day of Revolt": Protests erupted throughout Egypt, with tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Cairo and thousands more in cities throughout Egypt. The protests targeted President Hosni Mubarak's government, and mostly adhered to non-violence. There were some reports of civilian and police casualties.
26 January 2011: "Shutting down The Internet and Mobile Services": After several Facebook groups were created and tweets (from Twitter) called for mass demonstrations, the Egyptian government shut down internet access for most of the country. This was done to cripple one of the protesters' main organizational tools and to impede the flow of news and people.
28 January 2011: The "Friday of Anger" protests began. Hundreds of thousands demonstrated in Cairo and other Egyptian cities after Friday prayers. Opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei arrived in Cairo. There were reports of looting. Prisons were opened and burned down, allegedly on orders from then-Minister of the Interior Habib El Adly. Prison inmates escaped en masse, in what was believed to be an attempt to terrorise protesters. Police forces were withdrawn from the streets, and the military was deployed. International fears of violence grew, but no major casualties were reported. President Hosni Mubarak made his first address to the nation and pledged to form a new government. Later that night clashes broke out in Tahrir Square between revolutionaries and pro-Mubarak demonstrators, leading to the injury of several and the death of some.
29 January 2011: The military presence in Cairo increased. A curfew was declared,
but was widely ignored as the flow of defiant protesters to Tahrir Square
continued throughout the night. The military reportedly refused to follow
orders to fire live ammunition, and exercised restraint overall. There were
no reports of major casualties.
1 February 2011: Mubarak made another televised address and offered several
concessions. He pledged to not run for another term in the elections planned
for September, and pledged political reforms. He stated he would stay in office
to oversee a peaceful transition. Small but violent clashes began that night
between pro-Mubarak and anti-Mubarak groups.
2 February 2011: "Incident of the Camel". Violence escalated as waves of Mubarak supporters met anti-government protesters, and some Mubarak supporters rode on camels and horses into Tahrir Square, reportedly wielding swords and sticks. President Mubarak reiterated his refusal to step down in interviews with several news agencies. Incidents of violence toward journalists and reporters escalated amid speculation that the violence was being encouraged by Mubarak as a way to bring the protests to an end.
6 February 2011: A multifaith Sunday Mass was held with Egyptian Christians and Egyptian Muslims in Tahrir Square. Negotiations involving Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman and representatives of the opposition commenced amid continuing protests throughout the nation. The Egyptian army assumed greater security responsibilities, maintaining order and guarding The Egyptian Museum of Antiquity. Suleiman offered reforms, while others of Mubarak's regime accused foreign nations, including the US, of interfering in Egypt's affairs.
10 February 2011: Mubarak formally addressed Egypt amid speculation of a military coup, but rather than resigning (as was widely expected), he simply stated he would delegate some of his powers to Vice President Suleiman, while continuing as Egypt's head of state. Reactions to Mubarak's statement were marked by anger, frustration and disappointment, and throughout various cities there was an escalation of the number and intensity of demonstrations.
11 February 2011: The "Friday of Departure": Massive protests continued in many cities as Egyptians refused the concessions announced by Mubarak. Finally, at 6:00 pm local time, Suleiman announced Mubarak's resignation, entrusting the Supreme Council of Egyptian Armed Forces with the leadership of the country. Nationwide celebrations immediately followed.
Protests - Under Supreme Council of the Armed Forces
13 February 2011: The Supreme Council dissolved Egypt's parliament and suspended the Constitution in response to demands by demonstrators. The council declared that it would hold power for six months, or until elections could be held. Major protests subsided but did not end. Many pledged they would continue protests until all the demands had been met.
17 February 2011: The army stated it would not field a candidate in the upcoming presidential elections. Four important figures of the former regime were detained on that day: former interior minister Habib el-Adly, former minister of housing Ahmed Maghrabi former tourism minister Zuheir Garana, and steel tycoon Ahmed Ezz.
2 March 2011: The constitutional referendum was tentatively scheduled for 19 March 2011.
3 March 2011: A day before large protests against him were planned, Ahmed Shafik stepped down as Prime Minister and was replaced by Essam Sharaf.
5 March 2011: Several State Security Intelligence (SSI) buildings were raided across Egypt by protesters, including the headquarters for Alexandria Governorate and the main national headquarters in Nasr City, Cairo. Protesters stated they raided the buildings to secure documents they believed to show various crimes committed by the SSI against the people of Egypt during Mubarak's rule.
6 March 2011: From the Nasr City headquarters, protesters acquired evidence of mass surveillance and vote rigging, and noted rooms full of videotapes, piles of shredded and burned documents, and cells where activists recounted their experiences of detention and torture.
19 March 2011: The constitutional referendum was held and passed by 77.27%.
22 March 2011: Parts of the Interior Ministry building caught fire during police demonstrations outside.
23 March 2011: The Egyptian Cabinet orders a law criminalising protests and
strikes that hampers work at private or public establishments. Under the new
law, anyone organising or calling for such protests will be sentenced to jail
and/or a fine of LE500,000 (~100,000 USD).
1 April 2011: The "Save the Revolution" day: Approximately four
thousand demonstrators filled Tahrir Square for the largest protest in weeks,
demanding that the ruling military council move faster to dismantle lingering
aspects of the old regime. Protestors demanded trial for Hosni Mubarak, Gamal
Mubarak, Ahmad Fathi Sorour, Safwat El-Sherif and Zakaria Azmi as well.
8 April 2011: The "Friday of Cleaning": Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators again filled Tahrir Square, criticizing the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces for not following through on revolutionary demands. They demanded the resignation of remaining regime figures and the removal of Egypt's public prosecutor due to the slow pace of investigations of corrupt former officials.
7 May 2012: 2011 Imbaba church attacks in which Salafi Muslims undertook a series of attacks against Coptic Christian churches in the poor working-class neighbourhood of Imbaba in Cairo.
27 May 2011: The "Second Friday of Anger": Tens of thousands of demonstrators filled Tahrir Square in Egypt's capital Cairo, besides perhaps demonstrators in each of Alexandria, Suez, Ismailia, Gharbeya and other areas. Protestors demanded no military trials for civilians, the Egyptian Constitution to be made before the Parliament elections and for all members of the old regime and those who killed protestors in January and February to be put on fair trial.
1 July 2011: The "Friday of Retribution"; Hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in Suez, Alexandria and Tahrir Square in Cairo, to voice frustration with the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces for what they called the slow pace of change five months after the revolution, some also feared that the military is to rule Egypt indefinitely.
8 July 2011: The "Friday of Determination"; Hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in Suez, Alexandria and Tahrir Square in Cairo. They demanded immediate reforms and swifter prosecution of former officials from the ousted government.
15 July 2011: Hundreds of thousands continue to protest in Tahrir Square.
23 July 2011: Thousands of protesters try to march to the Defence Ministry. They are met with thugs that have sticks, stones, cocktails and other things. The protests are set off by a speech commemorating the 1952 coup led by Mohammed Tantawi.
1 August 2011: Egyptian soldiers clash with protesters, tearing down tents. Over 66 people were arrested. Most Egyptians supported the military's action.
6 August 2011: Hundreds of protesters gathered and prayed in Tahrir Square. After they were done, they were attacked by the military.
9 September 2011: The "2011 Israeli embassy attack"; The" Friday of Correcting the Path"; Tens of thousands of people protested Suez, Alexandria, Cairo, and other cites. Islamist protesters were absent.
9 October 2011: The "Maspero demonstrations"; Late into the evening of 9 October, during a protest that was held in Maspiro, peaceful Egyptian protesters, calling for the dissolution the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, the resignation of its chairman, Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, and the dismissal of the governor of Aswan province, were attacked by military police. At least 25 people were killed and more than 200 wounded.
19 November 2011: Clashes first erupt in Tahrir Square as demonstrators reoccupy the location in central Cairo. Central Security Forces deploy tear gas in an attempt to control the situation.
20 November 2011: Police forces attempt to forcibly clear the square, but protesters soon return in more than twice their original numbers. Fierce fighting breaks out and continues through the night, with the police again using tear gas, beating and shooting demonstrators.
21 November 2011: Demonstrators return to the square, with Coptic Christians
standing guard as Muslims protesting the regime pause for prayers. The Health
Ministry says at least 23 have died and over 1,500 have been wounded since
19 November. Solidarity protests are held in Alexandria, Suez, and at least
five other major Egyptian cities.
28 November 2011 - 11 January 2012: Egyptian parliamentary election
23 January 2012: Democratically elected representatives of the People's Assembly met for the first time since Egypt's revolution, and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces transferred legislative authority to them.
24 January 2012: Military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi said the decades-old
state of emergency will be lifted partially on Wednesday 25 January.
12 April 2012: An administrative court suspended the 100-member constitutional
assembly tasked with drafting a new constitution for Egypt.
23 and 24 May 2012: First round of voting in Egypt's first presidential election
after Hosni Mubarak was deposed by the Egyptian revolution.
31 May 2012: The decades-old state of emergency expired and with it Egypt's
emergency law has been lifted completely.
2 June 2012: Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his former interior minister Habib al-Adli were convicted to life on prison on the basis of their failure to stop the killings during the first six days of the 2011 Egyptian revolution. The former president, his two sons and a business tycoon were acquitted of corruption charges because a statute of limitations had expired. Six senior police officials were also acquitted for their role in the killings of demonstrators due to lack of evidence.
8 June 2012: Political factions in Egypt have tentatively agreed to a deal to form a new constitutional assembly consisting of 100 members which will draft the country's new constitution.
12 June 2012: Members of Egypt's parliament have met to vote for members of a constitutional assembly, but dozens of secular MPs walked out of the session, accusing Islamist parties of trying to dominate the new panel.
13 June 2012: After Egypt's military-led government imposed a de facto martial
law, extending the arrest powers of security forces, Egypt's Justice Ministry
issued a decree granting military officers the authority to arrest civilians
and to try them in military courts. The provision remains in effect until
a new constitution is introduced.
14 June 2012: The Egyptian Supreme Constitutional Court found that a law passed
by parliament in May banning former regime figures from running for office
was unconstitutional, thereby ending a threat to Ahmed Shafik's candidacy
for president during Egypt's 2012 presidential election. Shafik was thus able
stay in the presidential race. The Court also judged that all articles making
up the law that regulated the 2011 parliamentary elections were invalid, thereby
upholding a ruling by a lower court which found that the elections had been
conducted illegally when candidates running on party slates were allowed to
contest the one-third of Parliamentary seats that had been set aside for independents.
The consequence of the Supreme Constitutional Court ruling was that the Egyptian
parliament had to be dissolved immediately. In response to this, the Supreme
Council of the Armed Forces resumed full legislative authority. In addition
the SCAF explained that it will announce a 100-person assembly that will write
the country's new constitution after the parliament failed to agree on a committee
to write a new constitution defining the powers of the president and the parliament.
15 June 2012: The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces formally dissolved Parliament and security forces were stationed around the building on orders to bar anyone, including lawmakers, from entering the chambers without official notice.
16 and 17 June 2012: Second round of voting in Egypt's first presidential election. Egypt's military rulers issued an interim constitution granting themselves the power to control the prime minister, lawmaking, the national budget, and declarations of war, without any supervision or oversight. They also picked a 100-member panel to draft a permanent constitution. Among the powers of the president are the powers to choose his vice presidents and cabinet, to propose the state budget and laws and to issue pardons. The interim constitution also removed the military and the defence minister from presidential authority and oversight. Under the terms of the interim constitution the permanent constitution must be written within three months and shall then within 15 days be subject to a public referendum. Once the permanent constitution has been a approved a new parliament election shall be held within a month to replace the dissolved one.
18 June 2012: Egypt's military rulers declared that they picked a 100-member panel to draft a permanent constitution, if a court case should strike down the parliament-picked assembly. They also promised a grand celebration at the end of June to mark their formal handover to the new president. Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi declared himself the winner of the presidential election.
19-24 June: Egyptians assemble in Tahrir Square to:
- 1.) protest against Egypt's military council which dissolved a new, democratically
elected, Islamist-led parliament and assumed legislative power on the eve
of the presidential run-off and then issued a interim constitutional declaration
as polls closed setting strict limits on the powers of whoever would be elected
president
- 2.) await the outcome of the 2012 Egyptian presidential election.
24 June 2012: Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi is declared winner
of Egypt's first free presidential election since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak
by Egypt's electoral commission and is the first Islamist elected to be head
of an Arab state.
26 June 2012: Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court issued a decision to revoke
Decree No. 4991/2012 of the Minister of Justice that granted military intelligence
and military police judicial powers to arrest civilians, a right previously
reserved for civilian police officers.
27-28 June 2012: After the first Constituent Assembly of Egypt was declared
unconstitutional and dissolved in April by Egypt's Supreme Administrative
Court, Egypt's second constituent assembly met to establish framework for
drafting first post-Mubarak constitution with threat of dissolution by court
order still hanging over it.
29 June 2012: Mohamed Morsi took a symbolic oath of office in a packed Tahrir
Square declaring that the people are the source of power which they grant
and withdraw.
30 June 2012: Mohamed Morsi was sworn in as Egypt's first democratically
elected president before judges at the Supreme Constitutional Court, delivered,
from the podium used by U.S. President Barack Obama to reach out to the Islamic
world in 2009 during the A New Beginning speech, a speech before the lawmakers
of the dissolved Parliament, the ruling generals and foreign ambassadors in
the Grand Hall of Cairo University and attended later at a ceremony hold at
a desert army base outside Cairo, Heikstep army base, in which the Supreme
Council of the Armed Forces formally handed power over to Mursi.
3 July 2012: The New York Times wrote that Supreme Constitutional Court Vice
President Tahani al-Gebali advised the Supreme Council of the Military Forces
not to cede power to civilians until a constitution was written. This was
denied by judge al-Gebali who announced she will sue the newspaper.
8 July 2012: Mohamed Morsi issued a decree calling back into session the dissolved parliament for July 10, 2012. Morsi's decree also called for new parliamentary elections to be held within 60 days of the adoption of a new constitution for the country, which is tentatively expected for late 2012. A constitutional assembly selected by the erstwhile parliament has been formed and has begun the work of drafting the constitution. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces hold an emergency meeting in response to the decree, but adjourn the meeting without making an announcement.
9 July 2012: Egyptian President Mohammed Mursi's order to reconvene parliament was rejected by Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court which said after meeting on July 9, 2012 said that all its rulings and decisions, including its judgement that part of the election for parliament was unconstitutional and which led in return to the assembly's dissolution by the SCAF, are final, not subject to appeal and binding for all state institutions. With its ruling the court asserted that Morsi had no right to reconvene parliament after the court ordered it dissolved in June 2012. Though the constituent assembly tasked with drawing up Egypt's new constitution is currently functioning, after being selected by the dissolved parliament, the SCAF also gave itself the power to choose a new assembly if the current one runs into any problems according to Al Jazeera. In its 2012-07-09 statement the military council said its constitutional declaration which gave it broad powers "came as a result of the political, legal and constitutional circumstances that the country was facing" and added that the declaration "ensures the continuity of state institutions and the [military council] until a news constitution is drafted". The military said it was "confident" that all state institutions will respect constitutional declarations.
10 July 2012: Egypt's parliament convened despite dissolution, but the session was adjourned by Speaker Saad al-Katatni after the members of parliament approved Katatni's proposal that the parliament seek legal advice from the Court of Cassation on how to implement the supreme court's ruling. Thousands gathered in Cairo in protest of a ruling by Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court to freeze the decree issued by President Mohamed Morsi to reinstate the Islamist-led parliament. While the Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that Morsi did not have the right to reconstitute the body, it also threatened the new president with the equivalent of contempt of court if he continued to reject its decisions. Parliament asked Egypt's Court of Cassation to essentially overrule the aspect of the Supreme Constitutional Court's decision holding that the whole Parliament must be immediately dissolved because of flaws in the electoral system used to fill a third of the seats. The Administrative Court (function: Review of executive actions), besides the Supreme Constitutional Court (function: Review of statutes) and Court of Cassation (function: handling of appeals of lower court rulings) one of the three highest Court in Egypt, is also weighing that question and has said it will issue its own ruling on July 17.
11 July 2012: Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi declared he will seek dialogue with political forces and judicial authorities to resolve the row over the dissolved parliament. He also said that he will respect Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court ruling that blocked his decision to call the nation's parliament back into session.
14 July 2012: The parliament's request to examine Egypt's Supreme Constitutional
Court ruling that dissolved the Islamist-led assembly was rebuffed by the
Court of Cassation. Egypt's highest appeals court unanimously ruled on July
14, 2012 it has no jurisdiction over the implementation of the June 14, 2012
constitutional court ruling.
19 July 2012: The Administrative Judiciary Court of the State Council put
on hold all appeals against the formulation of the Constituent Assembly, tasked
with drafting a new constitution, until the court decides on July 30, 2012
on suits calling for a change of the judge presiding over the case. The court
was also looking at a case filed against the supplementary constitutional
decree released by the Supreme Council of Armed Forces days before President
Mohamed Morsy's inauguration, and another against the president's decision
to bring back the People's Assembly, parliament's lower house that SCAF dissolved
after the Supreme Constitutional Court ruled the parliamentary elections law
unconstitutional. The court ruled lack of jurisdiction on both cases and referred
the latter back to the Supreme Constitutional Court.
30 July 2012: The Administrative Judiciary Court of the State Council ruled
on July 30 to postpone the case calling for the dissolution of the Constituent
Assembly to September 24, giving the assembly enough time to complete the
drafting of Egypt's new constitution.
2 August 2012: The first Cabinet under President Mohamed Morsy headed by Prime Minister Hesham Kandil was sworn in.
Cities and regions: mass civil disobedience
- Cairo
Cairo has been at the epicentre of much of the crisis. The largest protests
were held in downtown Tahrir Square, which was considered the "protest
movement's beating heart and most effective symbol." On the first three
days of the protests, there were clashes between the central security police
and protesters and on 28 January, police forces withdrew from all of Cairo.
Citizens formed neighbourhood watch groups to keep the order as widespread
looting was reported. Traffic police were reintroduced to Cairo on the morning
of 31 January. An estimated 2 million people protested at Tahrir square.
- Alexandria
Alexandria, the home of Khaled Saeed, had major protests and clashes with
the police. A demonstration on 3 February was reported to include 750,000
people. There were few confrontations as not many Mubarak supporters were
around, except in occasional motorised convoys escorted by police. The breakdown
of law and order, including the general absence of police on the streets,
continued through to at least the evening of 3 February, including the looting
and burning of one the country's largest shopping centres, Carrefour Alexandria
protests were notable for the presence of Christians and Muslims jointly taking
part in the events following the church bombing on 1 January, which saw street
protests denouncing Mubarak's regime following the attack.
- Mansoura
In the northern city of Mansoura there were protests against the Mubarak regime
every day from 25 January onwards.
On 27 January, Mansoura was dubbed a "War Zone". On 28 January,
13 were reported dead in violent clashes. On 9 February, 18 more protesters
had died.
One protest on 1 February was estimated at one million people, The remote city of Siwa had been relatively calm. Local sheikhs, who were reportedly in control of the community, put the community under lockdown after a nearby town was "torched."
- Suez
The city of Suez has seen violent protests. Eyewitness reports have suggested
that the death toll there may be high, although confirmation has been difficult
due to a ban on media coverage in the area. Some online activists referred
to Suez as Egypt's Sidi Bouzid, the Tunisian city where protests started.
A labour strike was held on 8 February. Large protests took place on 11 February.
On 3 February, 4,000 protesters went to the streets to call for Mubarak's
departure.
- Luxor
There were also protests in Luxor.
- Dairut
Police opened fire on protesters in Dairut on 11 February.
- Shebin el-Kom
Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Shebin el-Kom on 11
February.
- El-Arish
Thousands protested in the city of El-Arish, in the Sinai Peninsula, on 11
February.
- Sohag
Large protests took place in the southern city of Sohag on 11 February.
- Minya
Large protests took place in the southern city of Minya on 11 February.
- Ismailia
Nearly 100,000 people protested in and about the local government headquarters
in Ismaïlia on 11 February.
- Zagazig
Over 100,000 protesters gathered on 27 January in front of the city council
in Zagazig.
- Sinai Peninsula
Bedouins in the Sinai Peninsula fought security forces for several weeks.
As a result of the decrease in military forces on the borders, Bedouin groups
protected the borders and pledged their support to the ongoing revolution.
- Sharm-El-Sheikh
No protests or civil unrest took place in Sharm-El-Sheikh on 31 January. All
was still calm as Hosni Mubarak and his family left on 11 February.
Deaths
Leading up to the protests, six cases of self-immolation were reported. As of 30 January, Al Jazeera reported as many as 150 deaths in the protests. The Sun reported that the dead could include at least 10 policemen, 3 of whom were killed in Rafah by "an enraged mob". By 29 January, 2,000 people were known to be injured.
Funerals for the dead on the "Friday of Anger" were held on 30
January. Hundreds of mourners gathered for the funerals calling for Mubarak's
removal. By 1 February, the protests had left at least 125 people dead, although
Human Rights Watch said that UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay
claimed that as many as 300 people may have died in the unrest. This unconfirmed
tally included 80 Human Rights Watch-verified deaths at two Cairo hospitals,
36 in Alexandria, and 13 in the port city of Suez, among others; over 3,000
people were also reported as injured.
An Egyptian Governmental Fact-Finding mission Known as "Fact-Finding
National commission About 25 January Revolution" announced on 19 April
that at least 846 Egyptians died in the nearly three week long popular uprising.
International reactions
International reactions have varied with most Western states saying peaceful protests should continue but also expressing concern for the stability of the country and the region. The European Union's Foreign Affairs Chief issued a statement saying "I also reiterate my call upon the Egyptian authorities to urgently establish a constructive and peaceful way to respond to the legitimate aspirations of Egyptian citizens for democratic and socioeconomic reforms." The United States, Britain, France, Germany and others issued similar statements calling for reforms and an end to violence against peaceful protesters. Many states in the region expressed concern and supported Mubarak, in particular Saudi Arabia, which issued a statement saying it "strongly condemned" the protests, while others, like Tunisia and Iran, supported the protests. Israel was most cautious for a change, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asking his government ministers to maintain silence, and urging Israel's US and European allies to curb their criticism of President Mubarak; however, an Arab-Israeli parliamentarian supported the protests. There were also numerous solidarity protests for the anti-government protesters around the world.
NGOs also expressed concern about the protests and the ensuing heavy-handed state response. Amnesty International described attempts to discourage protests as "unacceptable". Many countries also issued travel warnings or began evacuating their citizens, including the US, Israel, Great Britain, and Japan. Even multinational corporations began evacuating their expatriate workers. Many university students were also evacuated.
Post-ousting
Many nations, leaders, and organizations hailed the end of the Mubarak regime. There were celebrations in Tunisia, and Lebanon. World leaders including Angela Merkel and David Cameron joined in praising the Revolution. United States President Barack Obama praised the achievement of the Egyptian people. Amid the growing concerns for the country, on 21 February, David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, became the first world leader to visit Egypt since Mubarak was ousted as the president 10 days previously. A news blackout was lifted as the prime minister landed in Cairo for a brief five-hour stopover hastily added at the start of a planned tour of the Middle East. On 15 March United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Egypt, she was the highest ranking US official to visit Egypt after the handover of power from Mubarak to the military. Clinton urged the military leaders to begin the process of a democratic transition and offer support to those who had been protesting, as well as reaffirming ties between the two nations.
Results
On January 29, Mubarak indicated he would be changing the government. He then appointed Omar Suleiman, head of Egyptian Intelligence, as vice president and Ahmed Shafik as prime minister. On February 1, he spoke again saying he would stay in office until the next election in September 2011 and then leave without standing as a candidate. He also promised to make political reforms. He made no offer to step down.
The Muslim Brotherhood joined the revolution on 30 January 2011, calling on all opposition groups to unite against Mubarak, and for the military to intervene. They joined other opposition groups in electing Mohammed el Baradei to lead a National Salvation Government in the interim period.
Many of Al-Azhar Imams joined the protesters on 30 January all over the country. Christian leaders asked their congregations to stay away from protests, though a number of young Christian activists joined the protests led by Wafd Party member Raymond Lakah.
On 31 January, Mubarak swore in his new cabinet in the hope that the unrest would fade. The protesters did not leave and continued to demonstrate in Cairo's Tahrir Square to demand the downfall of Mubarak. The vice-president and the prime minister were already appointed.
On 1 February, Mubarak said he never intended to run for re-election in the upcoming September presidential election, though his candidacy had previously been announced by high-ranking members of his National Democratic Party.
Various opposition groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), reiterated demands for Mubarak's resignation. The MB also said, after protests turned violent, that it was time for the military to intervene. Mohammed ElBaradei, who said he was ready to lead a transitional government, was also the consensus candidate by a unified opposition. ElBaradei formed a "steering committee".
The Egyptian state cracked down on the media, and shut down internet access, a primary means of communication for the opposition. Journalists were also harassed by the regime's supporters, eliciting condemnation from the Committee to Protect Journalists, European countries and the United States.
Reform process
On 17 February, an Egyptian prosecutor ordered the detention of three ex-ministers,
former Interior Minister Habib el-Adli, former Tourism Minister Zuhair Garana
and former Housing Minister Ahmed el-Maghrabi, and a prominent businessman,
steel magnate Ahmed Ezz, pending trial on suspicion of wasting public funds.
The public prosecutor also froze the accounts of Adli and his family members
on accusations that over 4 million Egyptian pounds ($680,000) were transferred
to his personal account by a head of a contractor company, while calling on
the Foreign Minister to contact European countries and ask them to freeze
the accounts of the defendants.
Meanwhile, the United States announced on the same day that it was giving
Egypt $150 million in crucial economic assistance to help it transition towards
democracy following the overthrow of long time president Mubarak.
On 19 February, a moderate Islamic party, named Al-Wasat Al-Jadid, or the New Centre Party, which was outlawed for 15 years was granted official recognition by an Egyptian court. The party was founded in 1996 by activists who split off from the Muslim Brotherhood and sought to create a tolerant Islamic movement with liberal tendencies, but its attempts to register as an official party were rejected four times since then. On the same day, Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq said 222 political prisoners would be released. He said only a few were detained during the popular uprising and put the number of remaining political prisoners at 487, but did not say when they would be released.
On 20 February, Dr. Yehia El Gamal a well known activist and law professor, announced accepting a Vice Prime Minister position within the new government that will be announced on 21-22 February.
On 21 February, the Muslim Brotherhood announced it would form a political party for the upcoming parliamentary election, called the Freedom and Justice Party, which was to be led by Dr. Saad Ketatni.
On 3 March, Prime Minister Shafik submitted his resignation. The Council appointed Essam Sharaf, a former Minister of Transport to replace Shafik and form a new government. Sharaf's appointment is seen as a significant concession to protesters, as he had been actively involved during the action at Tahrir Square. Sharaf appointed former International Court of Justice judge Nabil Elaraby as Foreign Minister and General Mansour El Essawi as Interior Minister.
On 16 April, the Higher Administrative Court dissolved the former ruling
National Democratic Party (NDP) and ordered its funds and property to be handed
over to the government. On 24 May 2011, it was announced that Egypt's ousted
President Hosni Mubarak and his two sons Gamal and Alaa are to be tried over
the deaths of anti-government protesters in the revolution that began on 25
January.
Court trials of state officials accused of corruption
The ousting of Mubarak was followed by a series of arrests of, and/or imposed travel bans on high profile figures on charges of causing the death of 300-500 demonstrators, and the injury of 5,000 more, as well as charges of embezzlement, profiteering, money laundry, and abuse of human rights. Among these figures are Mubarak himself, his wife Suzanne Mubarak, his son Gamal, his son Alaa, the former Interior Minister Habib el-Adly, the former Housing Minister Ahmed El-Maghrabi, the former Tourism Minister Zoheir Garana and the former Secretary of the National Democratic Party for Organisational Affairs Ahmed Ezz. Mubarak's ousting was also followed by widespread allegations of corruption against numerous other government officials and senior politicians On 28 February 2011, Egypt's top prosecutor ordered an asset freeze for Mubarak and his family. This was followed by arrest warrants, travel bans and judicial orders to freeze the assets of other known public figures, including the former Speaker of the Egyptian Parliament, Fathi Sorour, and the former Speaker of the Higher Legislative Body (Shura Council), Safwat El Sherif. Arrest warrants were also issued against some public figures who left the country with the outbreak of the revolution. These warrants were issued on allegations of financial misappropriations, rather than human rights abuses. Among these public figures are Rachid Mohamed Rachid, the former Minister of Trade and Industry and Hussein Salem, a business tycoon. Salem is believed to have left for Dubai
Trials of the accused officials started on 5 March 2011 when the former Interior
Minster of Egypt, Habib el-Adli, appeared before the Giza Criminal Court in
Cairo. The trials of el-Adli and other public figures are expected to run
a lengthy course.
In March 2011, following the revolution, Abbud al-Zumar, one of Egypt's most
famous political prisoners, was freed after 30 years. He was founder and first
emir of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, and implicated in the assassination of
President Anwar Sadat on 6 October 1981.
On 24 May, former Egyptian President Mubarak was ordered to stand trial on
charges of premeditated murder of peaceful protestors during the 2011 Egyptian
revolution and, if convicted, could face the death penalty. The full list
of charges released by the public prosecutor was "intentional murder,
attempted killing of some demonstrators...misuse of influence and deliberately
wasting public funds and unlawfully making private financial gains and profits."
Religion and politics
The protests in Egypt were not centred around religion-based politics, but nationalism and a broad-based social consciousness. Before the uprising, the most organised and prominent opposition movements throughout the Arab world usually came from Islamist organisations. However, secular forces emerged from the revolution. Islamist organisations also emerged with greater freedom to operate. Islamists and secularists both have been faced with new opportunities for dialogue and discourse, on matters such as the role of Islam and Sharia in society and freedom of speech, as well as the impact of secularism on a predominantly Muslim population.
Despite the optimism surrounding the revolution, several commentators have expressed concerns about the risk of increased power and influence for Islamist forces in the country and the region at large.
Since the revolution Islamist parties such as the Muslim Brotherhood have shown unprecedented strength in the new more democratic landscape, taking leading roles in constitutional changes, voter mobilization, and protests. Elections were held in September 2011 with the party of Liberty and Justice (the new-born party of the Muslim brotherhood) gaining 48.5% from correct votes in the elections. Although many claimed that this victory for the brotherhood means the control of religious party over Egypt, yet the youth movements and liberate parties pet on people's consciousness and that the normal tolerant people of Egypt wouldn't allow another Iran in Egypt.
Alexandria church bombing
Early on New Year's Day 2011 a bomb exploded in front of a church in Alexandria,
killing 23 Coptic Christians. Egyptian officials said "foreign elements"
were behind the attack. Copts accused the Egyptian government of negligence,
and following the attacks many Christians protested in the streets, with Muslims
later joining the protests. On February 7, a complaint was filed against Habib
al-Adly, the Interior Minister until Mubarak's dissolution of the government
during the early days of the protests, accusing him of having directed the
attack.
Women's role
Egyptian women were active throughout the revolution. Some took part in the protests themselves, were present in news clips and on Facebook forums, and were part of the leadership during the Egyptian revolution. In Tahrir Square, female protesters, some with their children, worked to support the protests. The diversity of the protesters in Tahrir Square was visible in the women who participated; many wore head scarves and other signs of religious conservatism, while others revelled in the freedom to kiss a friend or smoke a cigarette in public. Egyptian women also organised protests, and reported on the events. Among those who died was Sally Zahran, who was beaten to death during one of the demonstrations.
The wide participation and the significant contributions by Egyptian women
to the protests were attributed to the fact that many, especially younger
women, were better educated than previous generations, representing more than
half of Egyptian university students. This was an empowering factor for women,
who have become more present and active publicly in recent years. The advent
of social media also helped provide tools for women to become protest leaders.
The military's role
The Egyptian Armed Forces initially enjoyed a better reputation with the public than the police does, the former perceived as a professional body protecting the country, the latter accused of systemic corruption and illegitimate violence. However, after the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces became the defacto ruler of Egypt, the popularity of the military has strongly decreased due to the crackdown on protesters. All four Egyptian presidents since the 1950s have come from the military into power. Key Egyptian military personnel include the Defence Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi and General Sami Hafez Enan, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. The Egyptian military totals around 468,500 well-armed active personnel, plus a reserve of 479,000.
As Head of Egypt's Armed Forces, Tantawi has been described as "aged
and change-resistant" and is attached to the old regime. He has used
his position as Defence Minister to oppose reforms, economic and political,
which he saw as weakening central government authority. Other key figures,
Sami Enan chief among them, are younger and have closer connections to both
the US and groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood. An important aspect of the
relationship between the Egyptian and American military establishments is
the 1.3 billion dollars in military aid provided to Egypt annually, which
in turn pays for American-made military equipment, and allows Egyptian officers
to receive training in the US. Guaranteed this aid package, the governing
military council is for the most reform-resistant.
The military has led a violent crackdown on the Egyptian revolution since
the fall of Mubarak. On the 9 March 2011, military police violently dispersed
a sit-in in Tahrir square and detained protesters who were later moved to
the Egyptian Museum and tortured. Seven female protesters were subjected by
force to virginity tests. On the night of the 8 April 2011, military police
attacked a sit-in in Tahrir square where protesters stayed overnight with
military officers who joined the revolution, killing at least 1. On the 9
October, the Egyptian military forces committed massacres in front of Maspero,
Egyptian state television building, where they crushed protesters under the
wheels of armed personnel carriers, and shot live ammunition at the demonstration,
killing at least 24 people. On the 19 November 2011, the military and the
police were in a continuous 6-day battle with protestors in the streets of
downtown Cairo. The bloody week resulted in at least 46 dead and thousands
of injured, many of them lost their eyesight. On the 16 December 2011, military
forces dispersed the sit-in at the Cabinet of Ministers, violently killing
17 protesters. Aside from the live ammunition fired by military forces, military
soldiers were situated on the rooftop of the Cabinet of Ministers building
attacking protestors with Molotov cocktails, rocks, chinaware, granite, and
other various objects.
Foreign relations
Foreign governments in the West including the US have regarded Mubarak as
an important ally and supporter in the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.
After wars with Israel in 1948, '56, '67 and '73, Egypt signed a peace treaty
in 1979, provoking controversy in the Arab world. As provisioned in the 1978
Camp David Accords, which led to the peace treaty, both Israel and Egypt receive
billions of dollars in aid annually from the United States, with Egypt receiving
over US$1.3 billion of military aid each year in addition to economic and
development assistance. The cooperation of the Egyptian regime in enforcing
the blockade of the Gaza Strip was also deeply unpopular among the general
Egyptian public.
-----------------------
- Leading liberal Egyptian politician Mohamed ElBaradei has been named interim prime minister. He was appointed following crisis talks led by President Adly Mahmud Mansour -three days after the army removed Islamist leader Mohammed Morsi amid growing nationwide unrest. Mr ElBaradei -a former head of the UN's nuclear watchdog- is expected to be sworn in later on Saturday July 6, 2013. He and other party leaders attended a meeting called by Mr Mansour. Mr ElBaradei leads an alliance of liberal and left-wing parties, the National Salvation Front. ---
- Al-Jazeera journalist Peter Greste has been freed and deported from Egypt and flown to Cyprus, bringing an end to 400 days behind bars. The Australian ex-BBC correspondent was arrested in December 2013 and tried on charges that included spreading false news and aiding the Muslim Brotherhood. Two other al-Jazeera men, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, remain in detention. Reports said Mr Fahmy would be deported to Canada, but concern remains about Mr Mohamed, who holds no dual nationality. Mr Fahmy, who holds dual Egyptian and Canadian citizenship, may be freed after having his Egyptian nationality revoked. All the defendants denied the charges against them and said their trial was a sham. They were accused of collaborating with the banned Muslim Brotherhood after the overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi by the military in 2013. In their defence, the three men said they were simply reporting the news. ---
- Following the crash of the Russian Airbus 321 on Saturday, killing all 224 people on board, all flights from Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh to the UK have been delayed amid concerns that the Russian jet was brought down by an explosive device. All flights due to leave the holiday resort for Britain this evening are affected, to allow UK experts to assess security. Delays had been brought in as a precautionary measure after more information has come to light. Some aviation experts are travelling to Egypt to make an assessment of the security arrangements at Sharm airport and expect to complete an investigation tonight.
- Tight security is in place as airlines start to bring home Britons stranded in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh. The UK government cancelled flights to and from the resort on Wednesday November 4, 2015, amid fears a Russian passenger plane had been brought down by a terrorist bomb. Only hand luggage will be allowed on flights, with hold baggage being transported later by the government. UK investigators believe a bomb was put in the hold of the Metrojet Airbus A321 before take-off.
- At least 13 Egyptian policemen have been killed in an attack on a checkpoint in the Sinai Peninsula. Daesh terrorists have claimed responsibility for the attack. A car bomb exploded at the checkpoint near El-Arish, the provincial capital of North Sinai. Security forces have reportedly killed five of the terrorists.
- Most of the passengers and crew who were on board a hijacked Egyptian plane that was forced to divert to Larnaca airport in Cyprus have been freed. On Tuesday March 30, 2016, EgyptAir Flight MS181 was taken over after a passenger claimed to be wearing a suicide explosive belt. The lone hijacker wants to talk to his estranged wife in Cyprus, and the Cypriot president has said the hijack is not a terrorist incident. Egypt's civil aviation minister said seven people remained on board the jet. ---
A man hijacked EgyptAir flight MS181 carrying at least 55 passengers from Alexandria to Cairo on Tuesday morning March 29, 2016, forcing it to land in Cyprus.
• Most passengers were released immediately, but at least seven people, including crew members, were kept on the plane.
• The crisis drew to a conclusion several hours later. The remaining hostages began to emerge from the plane, with one making a dramatic jump from a cockpit window.
• The suspected hijacker then emerged with his hands up, and was arrested.
• The man is being interrogated and the "suicide belt" he was said to be wearing was reportedly fake.
Three Egyptian nationals living in Saudi Arabia were injured in a cross-border shelling from the Yemeni territories on Saturday July 23, 2016. A projectile fell in Najran and wounded the three expatriates who were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
At least eight policemen were killed in an attack on a checkpoint in the northern Sinai city of al-Arish on Monday January 9, 2017. The attack was launched with a car bomb, planted in a street cleaning car that the attackers had stolen a few days earlier. After the bomb exploded, attackers fired guns and rocket-propelled grenades at the checkpoint. ---
Egypt Sunday April 9, 2017:
Egypt Friday November 24, 2017:
. European Union and NATO
- On April 29, 2003, France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg had a summit
meeting in Brussels to discuss the establishment of a joint military headquarters
that could operate separately from NATO. Of course, the US and Britain dismissed
it as useless adding that what these countries need is more troops and equipments
and not a new headquarters. Blair was not invited. Spain and Italy were against
it too as well as Javier Solana, the EU's Foreign policy chief.
- On December 20, 2002, it was agreed that the EU and the US would soon begin
to share personal information such as phone records and bank accounts about
suspected terrorists and other criminals.
- On June 27, 2004, we were told that only 85,000 of the 1,2 million soldiers
available on the paper in the 25 EU countries could be deployed on active
missions.
- On July 8, 2004, Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi accepted an invitation
to meet EU foreign ministers on July 12 to discuss how the 25-nation bloc
can contribute to Iraq's reconstruction. However Allawi is unlikely to go
to Brussels because of the worsening security situation in his country. On
July 9, underlining the gravity of the crisis in Iraq, Allawi dropped his
plans to visit European Union headquarters.
- On September 27, 2004, Europe cautiously supported a US proposal for an
international conference on Iraq. France said it would need to address the
issue of a US troop withdrawal and include representatives of the armed opposition.
In Berlin, which like France opposed last year's US-led invasion of Iraq,
the German government said it had long been in favour of an international
forum to prop up the process of democratisation. Britain's Foreign Office
said simply that the idea had originated with the Iraqis themselves, who would
participate in the meeting. Secretary of State Colin Powell said it could
take place in a Middle Eastern capital before the US presidential election
of November 2.
- On October 29, 2004, the 25 members of the EU signed the European Constitution.
The ceremony took place in Rome in the "Palazzo dei Conservatore"
were the original treaty of the "Common Market" was signed in 1957.
- A military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities would be "a mistake",
the European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, warned on February
5, 2005, adding, "That would complicate enormously the situation."
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said last week a strike on Iran was
"not on the agenda at this point". The US accuses Tehran of trying
to develop nuclear weapons. Iran has repeatedly denied the charge, insisting
that its nuclear programme is for civilian use. France, Germany and Britain
are trying to persuade Iran to turn a freeze on its nuclear enrichment activities
into abandonment.
- Several NATO nations, encouraged by the January 30 elections in Iraq, are
offering to train Iraqi security forces in their own countries, Defence Secretary
Donald H. Rumsfeld said Wednesday February 9, 2005. He declined to name any
countries, but it is known that Spain offered to train police, as well as
some soldiers, in landmine-removal techniques. Speaking at NATO headquarters
in Brussels Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said alliance countries had
good discussions on Iraq and that she had discovered a new spirit of unity
in helping to rebuild the country despite earlier tensions over the US-led
war.
- On February 9, 2005, the number of American nuclear warheads still deployed
in Europe was revealed (total, 480):
. Germany, 150
. Britain, 110
. Turkey, 90
. Italy, 90
. Belgium, 20
. Netherlands, 20
- More that 10 years after the end of the Cold War this does not justified
from a military point of view. So it is politics again.
- On February 10, 2005, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said
he's on track to secure expertise or cash to back training from each of the
26 nations of the Nato alliance Currently, 10 members of Nato are providing
support. Stretched by maintaining military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan
and Kosovo, the US needs NATO help to shoulder the costs of peacekeeping operations
around the globe.
- President George W. Bush told a European audience in Brussels Monday February
21, 2005, that it's time for the US and Europe to patch up their differences
over the Iraq war and work together to help rebuild the country. Despite European
opposition to the war, Bush asked for more support to the Iraqi government.
- On February 22, 2005, President George W. Bush praised Nato's commitment
to help train Iraq's military personnel. France and Germany however will limit
their contribution to training outside Iraq, or funding the operation. Jaap
de Hoop Scheffer, Nato's secretary general had earlier announced that all
26 allies were "working together to respond to the Iraqi government's
request for support by training security forces."
- The United States and the European Union are ready to organize a joint conference
to rally international support to rebuild Iraq, Luxembourg Prime Minister
Jean-Claude Juncker said Tuesday February 22, 2005. "Should the Iraqi
government invite us, the European Union and the United States are prepared
to co-host an international conference ... to coordinate international support
for Iraq."
- On February 22, 2005, US-European differences over China and Iran surfaced
with Mr Bush voicing concern at European Union plans to end an arms embargo
on Beijing. France asked Washington to offer Tehran incentives to curb its
nuclear programme. Mr Bush said the idea that he was preparing to strike Iran
over its nuclear ambitions was "ridiculous" and endorsed EU efforts
to engage Tehran diplomatically, but he quickly added that all options remained
open. Another sour note came as France and Germany renewed calls for a reform
of transatlantic relations that would give greater weight to the EU as the
key US partner.
- US President George W Bush said on March 4, 2005, that he is willing to
help European countries in their negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme.
The European plan could offer Iran economic and trade incentives if it abandons
its nuclear programme.
- Thousands of protesters against the war on Iraq marched in Europe and the
United States on Saturday March 19, 2005, but President Bush repeated that
the invasion shielded the world from "grave danger." "George
Bush ... Uncle Sam ... Iraq will be your Vietnam," chanted 45,000 protesters
winding through central London as they put down a black cardboard coffin with
the slogan "100,000 dead" scrawled on the lid outside the US Embassy.
Some 10,000 people marched through the center of Rome, waving anti-war banners
and protesting against the Italian troop presence in Iraq. Protesters also
marched in Madrid and Barcelona. About 10,000 protesters attended a rally
in Istanbul, Turkey, and smaller demonstrations were held in Ankara and Izmir.
Thousands gathered in New York's Central Park and police said they arrested
36 protesters including 27 in Times Square. In midtown Manhattan, 350 people
marched silently along 42nd Street, flashing peace signs and carrying 50 cardboard
coffins. In downtown Chicago, hundreds of protesters held a mostly peaceful
rally. In San Francisco, a few thousand anti-war protesters marched to city
hall carrying signs that said "Beat Back the Bush Attack" and chanting
"We need jobs, health care and education, not more war and occupation."
- On May 20, 2005, we were told that the European Union and the United States
are to sponsor a 25-nation conference on rebuilding Iraq, to be held in Brussels
on 22 June.
- A delegation from the European Union made a surprise visit to Iraq on Thursday,
the first since the American-led invasion two years ago, and held talks with
the Iraq's government.
- The delegation members, led by Jean Asselborn, the foreign minister of Luxembourg,
which now holds the union's presidency, and Jack Straw, Britain's foreign
minister, sought to emphasize that Europe's attitude had changed. "Europe
was divided over the Iraq war, but now it is time "to put the past behind
us and work forward in a united way," Straw said at a news conference
in the office of Iraq's prime minister.
- The delegation, which also included Javier Solana, the European Union's
foreign policy chief, and Benita Ferrero-Waldner, its external relations commissioner,
spent most of the visit discussing the conference on Iraq scheduled for June
22 in Brussels. More than 80 countries are expected to attend to discuss aid
to Iraq as well as security issues and investment projects, officials said.
- Ferrero-Waldner said the European Union was the largest single donor to
Iraq, after the United States, with about €500 million, or about $610
million, in aid pledged and about €300 million already spent "for
the basics of daily life, like health, jobs and education."
- Solana announced a new aid project focused on training judges in Iraq.
- Asked whether the Iraqi government had been talking with insurgents, Jaafari
said simply "we need to reach out to Iraqis who want to talk to us."
- On May 30, 2006, the European Court of Justice has blocked a EU-US agreement
that requires airlines to transfer passenger data to the US authorities. The
court said the decision to hand over the data was not founded on an "appropriate
legal basis". European airlines have given US authorities passengers'
names, addresses and credit card details. The US said the data would help
fight terrorism, but the European Parliament said the data could be misused.
The agreement demands that within 15 minutes of take-off for the United States,
a European airline must send the US authorities 34 items of personal information
about the passengers on board. Washington had warned that it would impose
heavy fines and deny landing rights for any airline failing to comply with
the agreement. The US authorities also said passengers would be subject to
long security checks on arrival, if the data were not sent in advance.
- Fourteen European states colluded with the CIA in secret US flights for terror suspects, a report by Swiss Senator Dick Marty from Europe's human rights watchdog, the Council of Europe, concluded on June 7, 2006. It says there is evidence to back suspicions secret prisons are or were located in Poland and Romania - allegations both countries deny. Under the CIA policy of rendition, prisoners are moved to third countries for interrogation. There have been allegations some were tortured. The US admits to picking up terrorism suspects but denies sending them to nations to face torture. ---
- European Union foreign policy Chief Catherine Ashton said on Monday October 20, 2014, she will continue leading nuclear negotiations with Iran until a deal is reached but is determined to meet a November deadline for an accord. Her five-year term as EU foreign policy chief ends on Oct, 31, and she had said she would stay on as nuclear negotiator until November 24, the deadline for reaching a long-term settlement with Iran over its nuclear programme. Asked if she would continue beyond that date if necessary, she told reporters at an EU foreign ministers' meeting in Luxembourg: "I have been asked to carry on until it's done."
- On Friday March 18, 2016, the EU and Turkey have reached a deal on the migrant crisis, which will see migrants returned to Turkey in exchange for aid and political concessions. Under the plan, from midnight Sunday migrants arriving in Greece will be sent back to Turkey if their asylum claim is rejected. In return, EU countries will resettle Syrian migrants living in Turkey. EU leaders have welcomed the agreement but German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned of legal challenges to come.