À procura de textos e pretextos, e dos seus contextos.

05/02/2011

José Sócrates alvo de protestos em Coimbra

Frente Comum promete continuar a lutar contra medidas do governo

Homo Toxicus

Carole Poliquin et Isaac Isitan - Mondialisation.ca, Le 4 février 2011

Le titre de ce documentaire Québécois est plutôt éloquent. Nous nous dirigeons vers une nouvelle étape de l’évolution toxique de notre corps et ce bien malgré nous. Homo-Toxicus est un terme au allure humoristique, cependant ce qui se cache derrière lui a absolument rien de réjouissant. Notre environnement devient de plus en plus toxique et ce à notre insu. Notre patrimoine génétique devient toxique et nous transférons ce patrimoine toxique à nos enfants sans même le savoir. À leur tout nos enfants continueront cette chaîne sur plusieurs générations. LE problème est que plusieurs maladies et plusieurs problèmes de santé augmentent de génération en génération. Un documentaire très important à voir qui met en lumière comment les industries et Santé-Canada travaillent main dans la main sans se soucier du danger toxicologique qui ronge notre société. LA dernière chose dont ils se soucient c’est la santé de la population. Si d’éminents scientifiques apportent des éléments qui normalement tendraient à prendre des principes de précaution, les industriels paieront des scientifiques pour réfuter ces éléments ou ces preuves et bien évidement Santé-Canada prendera une décision qui ira dans le sens du porte feuille des industriels concerné. C’est le monde à l’envers. Nous payons à même nos impôts des personnes sensées nous protéger pour faire exactement l’opposé. Il est temps de se réveiller et de reprendre le controle. En continuant à ce rythme les futurs générations seront sous l’emprises de plusieur maladies, cancers et troubles de santés graves. Ça a malheureusement déja commencé…

Scénario et réalisation: Carole Poliquin
Producteurs: Carole Poliquin et Isaac Isitan
Homo-Toxicus, documentaire sur la pollution de l’environnement et ses effets sur la santé (2008).
Une expérience planétaire est en cours et nous en sommes les cobayes. Chaque jour, des tonnes de substances toxiques sont libérées dans l’environnement sans que nous en connaissions les effets à long terme pour les êtres vivants. Certaines d’entre elles s’infiltrent à notre insu dans nos corps et dans celui de nos enfants. En même temps que notre patrimoine génétique, nous transmettons aujourd’hui à nos enfants notre patrimoine toxique.
Dans une enquête inédite, menée avec rigueur et humour à partir de ses propres analyses de sang, la réalisatrice explore les liens entre ces substances toxiques et l’augmentation de certains problèmes de santé comme les cancers, les problèmes de fertilité et l’hyperactivité. Les conclusions sont troublantes…

Africa: Invasion of the Land Grabbers

Joice Biazoto - Global Research, February 5, 2011

Suppose that, one day, a foreign investor decided to buy a vast tract of fertile land in the United States. Suppose all that is grown or produced on that land, and all profits made, would be shipped directly overseas. Worse, imagine that those Americans who had been living off that land for decades, maybe centuries, would be forced to move and given little to no compensation.
Such an event would undoubtedly spark public outrage, yet this scenario is not far from reality—only the roles are reversed. American companies have recently been investing heavily in foreign land, and many involved in the worldwide struggle against hunger believe that is a cause for concern. What investors call “agricultural development” is described by critics as “land grabbing,” which they say undermines food security in developing countries.
Land grabbing is nothing new, according to Flavio Valente, secretary general of Food First Information and Action Network (FIAN) International, a nonprofit that advocates for the right to food. “But recently, the practice of land grabbing has been intensifying and affecting the most vulnerable—peasants, farmers and indigenous people,” Valente says.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates more than 75,000 square miles have been acquired by foreign interests in Africa alone. A 2010 field study conducted by FIAN in Ethiopia found that the equivalent of up to 20 percent of the country’s arable land has been bought by or made available to foreign investors.
American companies are among those making land deals in Africa. New York-based Jarch Capital, bought an area the size of Dubai from a warlord in South Sudan last year, and Dominion Farms Ltd., which bought swampland in Kenya in 2003 to turn it into a rice plantation, has reportedly intentionally flooded local farms to force the relocation of farmers.
Despite promises of creating jobs and increasing food production, foreign investment hardly ever benefits local communities because it aims to secure crops and profits for those back home, the FIAN report states.
Food security advocates say that even initiatives touted for presenting solutions to the land-grabbing problem, such as the World Bank’s Principles for Responsible Agricultural Development, fail to address the lack of concrete mechanisms to hold companies and governments accountable. “These principles, which are meant to be voluntary and self-regulated by the private sector, distract from the fact that what is needed is mandatory and strict state regulation of investors in several policy fields, such as financial markets and agriculture,” says Sofia Monsalve Suárez, land program coordinator at FIAN International.
Resolutions to regulate foreign land acquisition exist, but are ineffective and weak, Valente says. He is hopeful that the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), a United Nations body which last year became more attuned to indigenous and peasant interests, will act.
“The CFS is the only organization with a clear mandate to uphold food security, and each country gets one vote,” Valente says. “Facilitating the participation of those most affected [by land-grabbing] was the first step; now we must see if those voices will actually be heard.”

Egypt - The Peoples' Voices

Felicity Arbuthnot - Global Research, February 5, 2011

        "Civil disobedience is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. Our problem is that people are obedient all over the world in the face of poverty and starvation and stupidity, and war, and cruelty" : Howard Zinn (1922-2010.)

Arguably never has a momentous event, its triumphs and blood soaked tragedies, been so instantly transmitted across the globe, panicking governments, bent on quelling it, inspiring millions with similar aspirations to Egypt's populus, into "can do" and unstinting support mode, with, literally, a vengeance.

The first act of Egypt's regime was to put an end to this extraordinary avalanche of people to people's freedom of information - and pull the plug. It failed. The internet generation is a young people's domain. Like wildfire, instructions instantly flew around the net, informing those with contacts in Egypt, the prefixes which would circumvent the cut off. "Anonymous", a "hacktivist" group, promptly brought down systems still working in Egypt - those of government offices.

Al Jazeera also reported: "After internet services were disconnected in Egypt, protesters were prevented from speaking to the world. But thanks to John Scott Railton, a Los Angeles based student, who took upon himself the task of uploading messages on micro blogging site twitter (information is still making its way online.) He started making calls and posting messages on a twitter account he created for the Egyptian protests."

Vodaphone was reportedly pressured by the Egyptian government to send pro-Mubarak texts to all its subscribers in the country. Gathering by the global net traffic about this, it may well cost the company dearly.

The immediacy of information, and the reason for governmental panic (surely mirrored, especially in those great democratic bastions, Washington and Whitehall, already mooting limiting the internet - or worse - and the delusionally self- styled "only democracy in the Middle East", Israel) can be seen by trawling the messages. Power can no longer mask reality. No spin can obscure message deluge, traversing the globe, by the second.

Just few of these, near randomly garnered from friends and contacts in Egypt, late yesterday and early today, are an example of the passion, defiance, courage, hope - some will say naivety - in eloquent brevity. They are written as sent:

* " CAIRO Right now its all calm and the crowd is holding the square chanting WE WILL NOT LEAVE ... tomorrow is The Friday of Departure !!"

* " We are not leaving - we are ready to die here - Please tell the world to pray for us."

* " We do not want help from obama or any one we will take our freedom by our self."

* " heavy gunfire heard in Tahrir Square."

* "Friend's neighbor's family just received corpse of their son, arrested a few days ago."

* Lawyer : "Israel has offered to place 'all its capabilities" at the hands of General Omar Suleiman, the recently appointed Vice President of Egypt, for the 'protection of the regime of Egypt.' Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu suggested intelligence personnel undertaking specialist operations to bring an end to demonstrations."

* "Man with a camera wearing a blue "Press" vest, being beaten on the street. The army stepped in and fire shots in air to disperse the crowd, the man was led away."

* "Two Al Jazeera reporters have just been attacked on their way from airport to central Cairo - more updates soon."

* " Shahira Amin resigned from Nile TV because of their coverage of the protests - she spoke live to Al Jazeera. She was the deputy head of the station."

" Come what may, I am here with the people.... I am not scared." Shahira Amin (Egyptian TV reporter)--Deputy head of NILE TV station resigned in protest of the biased pro-govt reporting. She is now in Tahrir square. She said: "I refuse to be part of the propaganda machine."

* " ... a British freelance journalist in Cairo, says foreigners have had to go into hiding: 'Anyone who is a journalist has been attacked, and if you're a foreigner the same problem is happening. I have now had to move into hiding, keeping away from windows, keeping away from any of the action and reducing my visibility online.' "

* " From Jack (who is cautious reporter): 'Al Arabiya reporting from Cairo that a foreign journalist has been beaten to death. I am not going out there to confirm it.' "

* " this is people's power. This democracy from below. This is the most beautiful thing i have ever seen in my life."

* " there is now replacement for the front teams that finished defending the frontline."

* " the injured treated here by volunteering doctors. We took 6 oct bridge too. Thugs retreating .."

* " at Abdel Moneim Riyadh sq. This is the frontline now. A mini clinic set up by the Barricades."

* " Protesters and army watched as a man stood on the bridge, got paid, got out rifle, shot a protester in the head and walked away."

* " Urgent, urgent, urgent. Democracy activists need medicines, first aid, water, food, direct access to media, please advertise and demand action, not empty words. Thank you." By-pass numbers for circumventing the block were posted back again, instantly.

*" Please spare a thought for the people of Gaza.The border has been closed now for five days."

* " Tomorrow's demonstrations against the Israeli Separation Wall in the occupied West Bank villages of Bil'in, Ni'lin, Nabi Saleh and Al-Ma'sara will be in solidarity with the Egyptian people. Those demonstrations usually take place after Friday prayers."

* " Mubarak armed goons have kidnapped Aljazeera's producer, Mysa khalaf al-tawil (daughter of dear friend Kamal). Mysa just arrived in Cairo two days ago to help in the coverage for the channel. I urge all of you if you can help to obtain her release or to provide information that could help in locating her. Please spread the message and inform me if you learn anything. Add this to the list of crimes for the Mubarak regime. It is personal now."

" By the way the energetic and hard-working Aljazeera's producer, Mysa Khalaf Al-Tawil is an American citizen. Will the US government work hard to obtain her release? If she was kidnapped by Revolutionary Guards in Iran, the US government would have ordered a bombing campaign against Iran by now." (i)

* "Christians protecting Muslims in prayer during protests."

* "Gunfire in Tahrir Square."

* "Many Judges involved in demonstration .."

* Of the charge by arms wielding "opposition" (later found to have police identity cards on them) who streamed through the Square on horses and camels:

"Those horse and camel cavalry will never stop the power of the people. Sound of the people is God (sic) sound."

* "I swear to God there are more than twenty people dead."

* Tweeted: "soldier ostensibly crying, being comforted by a demonstrator who has a stethoscope round his neck." There are several, so far, non-verifiable reports, that this is the young soldier so conflicted between loyalty to the people and his profession that he sat atop his tank and put his gun in his mouth, but was persuaded to instead, jump down.

* " URGENT, EGYPT: URGENT help needed for a 1st aid station by Tahrir Square-pass to anyone you know in Cairo who can help-Mohamed Mahmod at Bab El Louq near Tahrir is in URGENT need of Alcohol, Betadine(antiseptic), Water(mineral), Plastic gloves, garbage gloves, plastic dishes, cotton, any old tshirts, anti-biotics, painkillers, Shaash (gauze). If you have contacts please call or text +2 012-240-6441"

* " Mubarak supporters are storming Cairo hotels looking for journalists."

* " Between 8 and 12 human rights lawyers arrested at Hisham Mubarak Law Centre."

* " Sandmonkey" is possibly Egypt's most famous blogger : "Breaking news: @Sandmonkey arrested by state security. They called his father & claimed he has revolution leaflets #Egypt." (ii)

* " want to see 'the land of the free and the home of the brave'? Go to Egypt. 2 million already at Tahrir Square - knowing that what happened yesterday (of knives and bullets ...) can happen again"

* " Imam talked about Christ and Mohammed, their teachings and relating it to oppression. I came across two nuns."

" Eslam Bakir
born March 1, 1989
degree: BA of Arts in European Culture, 2010
killed January 25, 2011 while demonstrating for his people's freedom
Rest in peace, brave young man."

(25th January was Day One of the extraordinary, spontaneous, resistance.)

* "Message to PJ Crowley: . @PJCrowley US can prevent a massacre by egyptian army which depends solely on US for funds - pull funding now or US will be responsible." (PJ Crowley: Assistant Secretary, US Bureau of Public Affairs.)

* " Rabbi Michael Lerner : 'We hope that Egyptians will hear the news that they have strong support from many in the Jewish world. We are not waffling like Obama - we want the overthrow of Mubarak, the freeing of all political prisoners, the redistribution of wealth in a fair way, trials for those who perpetrated torture and other forms of injustice, and the democratisation of all aspects of Egyptian life." ' (iii)

* Early Friday, the: "Day of Departure": ‎"Tahrir Square has free food and drinks, a bandstand with live music, dedicated medical staff and a sense of community which Mubarak's opponents say makes them proud of their country for the first time in decades."

* " actually one of the mothers just kicked the ass of one of the guys of tried to stop us from joining the protests!!"

* " 'The US won't dictate a foreign country's policy.' Damn, don't let the people of Iraq, Afghanistan & Pakistan hear that #Egypt."

On Thursday, that canny, journalistic, Middle East political barometer, Robert Fisk, referred to Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak not as President, but "President." The writing, seemingly, is at least visible on Cairo's walls, ancient and modern.

The man he dubbed Lord Blair of Kut Al Amara (site of the spectacular British defeat in Iraq in 1916) lurking as "Middle East Peace Envoy", in Jerusalem, has not failed in his seemingly, near medically delusional assessments, now of Egypt's murderous leader. He is, declared Blair: "Immensely courageous and a force for good."

Thursday: "An American correspondent: 'While Egypt burns, our "president" makes us "proud" This morning on air talking about prayer and the nature of Christianity - all while anxiously awaiting the arrival of Jennifer Lopez and hubbie to watch the Super Bowl with him. Words fail.' "

One can only echo Fisk, again, who watching the "pro-Mubarak demonstrators", one with bright red eyes and all seemingly motivated by something more than fresh air: "What are they on?"

i. Updates: Angry Arab News Service : www.angryarab.blogspot.com 

ii. http://www.sandmonkey.org 

iii. http://tikkun.org/index.php?topic=rabbilerner 

See also : Barricades - live at: http://bambuser.com/v/1380337  

Le mouvement de protestation en Egypte : les dictateurs ne dictent pas, ils obéissent aux ordres

Michel Chossudovsky

“Les dictateurs ne dictent pas, ils obéissent aux ordres”. Ceci est vrai en Egypte, en Tunisie et en Algérie. Les dictateurs sont de manière invariable des marionnettes politiques. Ils ne décident pas.

 
Le président Hosni Moubarak fut un serviteur fidèle des intérêts économiques occidentaux, tout comme le fut Ben Ali. Le gouvernement national est l’objectif du mouvement de protestation. L’objectif est de se débarrasser de la marionnette plutôt que du marionnettiste. Le slogan en Egypte est “A bas Moubarak, a bas le régime”. Aucuns posters anti-américains n’ont été notés. Le phagocytage et l’influence destructrice des Etats-Unis en Egypte et a travers le Moyen-Orient est sans précédent. Les puissances étrangères qui opèrent derrière la scène sont protégées du mouvement de protestation.
Aucun changement politique d’importance ne se fera sans que le problème de l’interférence étrangère ne soit adressé de manière conséquente par le mouvement de protestation.

L’ambassade américaine du Caire est une entité politique très importante, qui fait de l’ombre de manière invariable au gouvernement national, or, l’ambassade n’est pas une cible du mouvement de protestation. En Egypte, un programme du FMI dévastateur fut imposé en 1991 au sommet de la crise du Golfe et de la guerre. Il fut négocié en échange de l’annulation de la dette militaire de l’Egypte qui s’élevait à quelques milliards de dollars dus aux Etats-Unis, ainsi également que sa participation à la guerre. La dérégulation résultante des prix alimentaires, privatisations massives et mesures d’austérité draconiennes menèrent à un appauvrissement du peuple égyptien et à la déstabilisation de son économie. Le gouvernement de Moubarak fut primé comme étant un “élève modèle du FMI”.

Le rôle du gouvernement Ben Ali en Tunisie fut également de renforcer la médecine mortelle du FMI, qui sur une période de plus de 20 ans, servit à complètement déstabiliser l’économie et à appauvrir la population tunisienne. Ces 23 dernières années, la politique économique et sociale de la Tunisie a été dictée par le consensus de Washington. A la fois Ben Ali et Moubarak sont restés au pouvoir parce que leurs gouvernements respectifs obéissaient et renforçaient de manière effective les diktats du FMI.

De Pinochet à Videla, de Baby Doc Duvalier à Ben Ali en passant par Moubarak, les dictateurs ont été installés par Washington. Historiquement en Amérique latine, les dictateurs étaient installés suite à une série de coups d’Etats militaires. Aujourd’hui, ils sont installés par “des élections libres et justes”, sous la surveillance de la “communauté internationale”.

Notre message au mouvement de protestation :
Les décisions actuelles sont prises à Washington par le département d’Etat américain, au pentagone, à Langley, le quartier général de la CIA, au QG de la Banque Mondiale et au FMI. La relation du “dictateur” avec les intérêts étrangers se doit d’être adressée. Expulsez les marionnettes politiques, mais n’oubliez pas de cibler également les véritables dictateurs. Le mouvement de protestation se doit de focaliser sur le véritable siège de l’autorité politique, il doit cibler l’ambassade des Etats-Unis, la délégation de l’Union Européenne, les missions nationales du FMI et de la Banque Mondiale.
 
Des changements politiques et sociaux de valeur ne pourront s’effectuer que si l’agenda politico-économique néolibéral est jeté à la poubelle séance tenante.

Régime de remplacement

Si le mouvement de protestation ne s’occupe pas du rôle des puissances étrangères y compris les pressions exercées par les “investisseurs”, les créditeurs extérieurs et les instances financières internationales, l’objectif de la souveraineté nationale ne sera pas atteint. Dans ce cas, ce qui se passera ne sera que le remplacement du régime de manière restreinte, ce qui produira une continuité politique. Les dictateurs sont mis en place et virés ; quand ils sont politiquement discrédités et ne servent plus les intérêts de leurs sponsors américains, ils sont remplacés par un nouveau leader, souvent recruté parmi les rangs de l’opposition.

En Tunisie, l’administration Obama s’est déjà positionnée. Elle entend jouer un “rôle clef” dans le “programme de démocratisation” (en organisant des élections soi-disant justes et libres…). Elle entend également utiliser la situation de crise politique pour affaiblir le rôle de la France et consolider sa position en Afrique du Nord :
“Les Etats-Unis, qui ont été prompts a réagir a l’opportunité de la protestation dans les rues tunisiennes, essaie de pousser son avantage et de demander des réformes démocratiques dans le pays et au delà.”

L’envoyé spécial des USA pour le Moyen-Orient, Jeffrey Feltman, a été le premier étranger à arriver dans le pays après que le président Ben Ali se fut enfui le 14 Janvier et il appela très vite pour des réformes. Il a dit mardi que seules des élections libres et justes renforceraient et donneraient une crédibilité au leadership en lutte du pays nord-africain.

« Je m’attends certainement à ce que nous utilisions l’exemple tunisien dans les négociations avec les autres gouvernements arabes » ajouta l’assistant secrétaire d’Etat Feltman. Il fut détaché dans le pays nord-africain pour offrir l’aide américaine dans la transition turbulente du pouvoir et il rencontra des ministres tunisiens et des figures de la vie sociale. Feltman se rend à Paris mercredi pour discuter de la crise avec les leaders français, renforçant l’impression que les Etats-Unis sont en train de mener le support international pour une nouvelle Tunisie et au détriment de son ex-force coloniale de tutelle : la France. Les nations occidentales ont supporté le régime tunisien déchu en le voyant comme un rempart contre les militants islamistes dans la région nord-africaine.

En 2006, le secrétaire à la défense d’alors Donald Rumsfeld fit un discours à Tunis ou il se félicita de l’évolution du pays.
La secrétaire d’Etat actuelle Hillary Clinton s’immisça avec son discours de Doha au Qatar du 13 Janvier, mettant en garde les leaders arabes de laisser plus de libertés a leurs citoyens ou de risquer une exploitation extrémiste de la situation. “Il n’y a aucun doute que les Etats-Unis essaient de se positionner très rapidement du bon côté “.

Washington parviendra-t-elle à imposer une nouvelle marionnette ?
Cela dépend de la capacité du mouvement de protestation à gérer le rôle insidieux des Etats-Unis dans les affaires intérieures de leur propre pays. Les puissances impérialistes qui ne demandent qu’à prendre en charge la situation ne sont pas mentionnées. Triste ironie du sort, le président Obama a exprimé son soutien au mouvement de protestation. Beaucoup de gens au sein même du mouvement de protestation sont enclins a penser qu’Obama est dévoué a la démocratie et aux droits de l’Homme et est un supporter de l’opposition afin d’éliminer un dictateur, qui fut installé au pouvoir par les Etats-Unis en première instance.

Le cooptage et les leaders d’opposition

Le cooptage des leaders d’opposition majeure et des organisations de société civile dans l’anticipation de l’effondrement d’un gouvernement marionnette autoritaire fait partie intégrante du design de Washington, ceci est appliqué à différentes regions du monde. Le processus de cooptage est effectué et financé par des fondations basées aux Etats-Unis, incluant la NED (National Endowment for Democracy) et Freedom House (FH). Ces deux entités ont des liens directs avec le congrès américain, le conseil en relations étrangères (CFR) et le cartel du gros business US. A la fois la NED et FH sont connus pour avoir des liens avec la CIA.

La NED est activement impliquée en Tunisie, Egypte et Algérie, Freedom House supporte plusieurs organisations de société civile en Egypte. “La NED fut fondée par l’administration Reagan après que fut porté au grand jour l’implication de la CIA dans un rôle de financement secret pour renverser des gouvernements démocratiquement élus, ce qui mena a jeter le discrédit sur les partis, les mouvements, les journaux, livres, magazines et individus qui reçurent des fonds de la CIA.

Comme entité bipartisane qui sollicite la participation des deux partis politiques US ainsi que l’AFL-CIO et la chambre de commerce US, la NED prît en charge le financement des renversements de régimes étrangers, mais de manière ouverte et sous le vocable de “promotion de la démocratie” (Stephen Gowans, January « 2011 « What’s left »). Bien que les Etats-Unis aient supporté Moubarak ces trente dernières années, des fondations américaines avec des liens multiples au département d’Etat (ministère des affaires étrangeres US) et au pentagone, ont supporté activement l’opposition politique incluant le mouvement de la société civile. En accord avec la Freedon House : “La société civile égyptienne est à la fois vibrante et refoulée. Il y a des centaines d’ONG qui se sont dévouées à développer les droits civils et politiques dans le pays, opérant dans un environnement hyper-régulé.”(Freedom House Press Releases).

Ironie du sort, Washington supporte la dictature de Moubarak ainsi que ses atrocités, tout en finançant et supportant ses détracteurs, a travers les activités de la FH et de la NED, entre autres.

L’effort de la FH pour stimuler une nouvelle génération d’activistes a mené à de bons succès et le New Generation program en Egypte a gagné une audience dominante localement et internationalement. Des membres égyptiens de tous les groupes de la société civile ont reçu en 2008 un intérêt et une reconnaissance sans précédent jusqu’alors, incluant un meeting a Washington avec le secrétaire d’état, le conseiller a la sécurité et des membres influents du congres. Les mots de Condoleeza Rice furent élogieux en disant que ces membres représentaient “un gros espoir pour le futur de l’Egypte”. Freedom House, http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=66&amp ;program=84

Le double langage politique : discussion avec le “dictateur” et entretien avec “la dissidence”

Sous les auspices de la FH, les dissidents égyptiens et les opposants a Hosni Moubarak furent reçus en Mai 2008 par Condoleeza Rice au département d’état américain et au Congres. En Mai 2009, Hillary Clinton rencontra une délégation de dissidents égyptiens, qui visitèrent Washington sous les auspices de FH. Ce furent des rencontres de haut niveau. Ces mouvements d’opposition qui joue un rôle dans la protestation contre le régime sont programmés pour servir les intérêts américains. Les Etats-Unis sont présentés comme un modèle de liberté et de justice. Ces invitations ont pour but d’instaurer une culture de motivation et de respect aveugle envers les valeurs démocratiques américaines.

Les marionnettistes supportent le mouvement de protestation contre leur propre marionnette

Les marionnettistes encouragent et supportent la dissidence contre leur propre marionnette ?
Ceci s’appelle “la bascule politique” ou la “fabrication du mécontentement”. Supportons le dictateur ainsi que son opposition afin de contrôler cette opposition. Ces actions, menées par la FH et la NED, pour les administrations Bush et Obama maintenant, assurent que les groupes d’actions civiques fondés par les Etats-Unis, ne vont pas diriger leur énergie contre les marionnettistes derrière le régime de Moubarak, à savoir le gouvernement américain.

Ces mouvements civiques égyptiens financés par les Etats-Unis agissent comme des “chevaux de Troie” et deviennent intégrés aux mouvements de protestation. Leur but est de projeter les intérêts des marionnettistes. Elles s’assurent que le mouvement de la base, de la rue, ne va pas s’intéresser au problème élargi de l’interférence étrangère dans les affaires internes d’un État souverain.

Les blogueurs de Facebook et de Twitter sont supportés et financés par Washington

En relation directe avec le mouvement de protestation en Egypte, des groupes divers d’actions civiques financés par des fondations états-uniennes, ont mené la protestation sur Twitter et Facebook : “Activistes du mouvement égyptien Kifaya (Assez), une coalition d’opposants au gouvernement, et le mouvement de la jeunesse du 6 Avril organisèrent la protestation sur facebook et twitter. Les agences de presse occidentales ont reporté que Twitter semblait être bloqué en Egypte tard mardi “.

Le mouvement Kifaya, qui organisa une des premières actions dirigées contre le régime Moubarak en 2004, est supporté par la fondation américaine International Center for Non-Violent Conflict.
A son tour, FH a été impliquée à promouvoir et à entraîner les blogs de facebook et twitter pour le Moyen-Orient et l’Afrique du nord :
Les membres de FH ont acquis des techniques de mobilisation civique, de leadership, de stratégie et de planification et bénéficient d’un réseau d’opportunités a travers des interactions avec des donateurs basés à Washington, les membres ont reçu de petites subventions pour implémenter des initiatives innovantes telles que la promotion de réformes politiques grâce a facebook et la messagerie SMS.

Du 27 Février au 13 Mars 2010, FH a hébergé 11 blogueurs du Moyen-Orient et d’Afrique du Nord (de différentes organisations d’opposition), pour un stage de deux semaines a Washington sur l’étude de nouveau média avancé. Ce stage a appris aux blogueurs un entrainement de sécurité numérique, développement de vidéo numérique, développement de messages et cartographie numérique. A Washington D.C. ces membres ont aussi participé à un briefing au Sénat et au Congres, rencontré des officiels de l’USAID (NDT : également une vitrine de la CIA), du département d’État, ainsi que des médias internationaux incluant Al Jazeera et le Washington Post.

Tout à chacun peut facilement comprendre l’importance donnée par l’administration américaine à ce programme d’entrainement des blogueurs qui est de plus couplé avec des meetings au sénat, au congrès, au département d’Etat, etc…
Le rôle du mouvement Facebook et Twitter comme expression de la dissidence se doit d’être étudié très attentivement à la lumière des liens de quelques organisations d’action civique avec la Freedom House (FH), la NED et le département d’Etat américain. BBC News World (retransmis au Moyen-Orient) citant des messages internet égyptiens, rapporte que “Les Etats-Unis ont envoyé de l’argent à des groupes pro-démocratie” (BBC News World, 29 Janvier 2011)

La confrérie des frères musulmans

Bien qu’il y ait une interdiction constitutionnelle contre les partis politiques religieux, les membres des “Frères musulmans” élus au parlement égyptien comme étant “indépendants”, ils constituent le bloc parlementaire le plus important.
La confrérie musulmane quoi qu’il en soit ne constitue pas une menace directe aux intérêts politiques et économiques de Washington dans la région. De fait, les agences de renseignement occidentales ont un historique de longue durée dans la collaboration avec la confrérie. Le support logistique de la confrérie par les services secrets britanniques remonte aux années 1940. Dans les années 50, comme le dit l’ex-agent William Baer “La CIA a dirigé son support vers la confrérie a cause de la capacité remarquable de celle-ci à renverser Nasser. (1954-1970 : CIA and the Muslim Brotherhood Ally to Oppose Egyptian President Nasser). Ces liens secrets furent reconduits dans l’ere post-Nasser.

Remarques de conclusion

L’éviction de Moubarak est une possibilité pour la politiqie étrangere US depuis plusieurs années.
Le remplacement des régimes se doit d’assurer la continuité, tout en donnant l’illusion qu’un changement politique conséquent s’est produit. L’agenda de Washington pour l’Egypte a été de “détourner le mouvement de protestation” et de remplacer Moubarak par une autre marionnette obéissante à la tête de l’Etat égyptien. L’objectif de Washington est de préserver les intérêts des puissances étrangères, de conserver l’agenda économique néolibéral qui a servi à appauvrir la population égyptienne.

Du point de vue de Washington, le remplacement de régime n’a plus besoin de l’installation d’un régime autoritaire militaire comme ce fut le cas aux glorieux jours de l’impérialisme américain. Cela peut-être fait en cooptant des partis politiques, incluant des partis de gauche, en finançant des groupes d’action civique, en infiltrant le mouvement de protestation et en manipulant les élections nationales.

En référence au mouvement de protestation en Egypte, Obama a déclaré le 28 Janvier dans une vidéo diffusée sur YouTube : “Le gouvernement ne doit pas se résoudre à la violence”
La question bien plus fondamentale est de savoir quelle est la source de la violence ?

L’Egypte est le plus gros bénéficiaire d’aide militaire après Israël. L’armée égyptienne est considérée comme étant la base du régime de Moubarak. Les politiques américaines imposées a l’Egypte et le monde arabe depuis plus de 20 ans, couplé avec les “réformes du marché libre” et de la militarisation du Moyen-Orient, sont les causes principales de la violence d’État.
L’intention de l’Amérique est d’utiliser le mouvement de protestation pour installer un nouveau régime. Le mouvement populaire devrait rediriger son énergie : établir la relation entre les Etats-Unis et le dictateur. Enlever du pouvoir la marionnette politique des Etats-Unis, mais sans oublier de cibler les vrais dictateurs.
Détruire le processus de changement de régime. Démanteler le système de réformes néolibérales. Fermer les bases militaires US en Egypte et dans le monde arabe. Etablir un véritable gouvernement souverain.

http://www.michelcollon.info/Le-mouvement-de-protestation-en.html?lang=fr

"Germanização" da gestão do euro gera polémica - Sócrates de joelhos perante a Alemanha

Vários países da União Europeia (UE) contestaram ontem as propostas avançadas pela França e Alemanha para o reforço da coordenação das políticas económicas nacionais enquanto moeda de troca para o reforço do fundo de socorro do euro, criticando tanto o conteúdo das mesmas como o método utilizado.

As ideias dos dois países, designadas por "pacto de competitividade e convergência", foram apresentadas durante uma cimeira de líderes da União Europeia (UE) dedicada em grande parte à crise do euro.

A ideia, referem os dois países, destina-se a reforçar a governação da zona euro através da aproximação de uma série de parâmetros das políticas nacionais de modo a recuperar a confiança dos mercados financeiros sobre a solidez da moeda única europeia.

Mas, acima de tudo, o novo pacto é visto como a condição imposta pela Alemanha para vender o reforço e flexibilização do fundo de estabilidade do euro (EFSF) à sua opinião pública hostil.

As ideias definidas sobretudo por Berlim incluem a aproximação da idade da reforma em todos os países, a consagração na ordem jurídica interna de cada Estado de um limite ao endividamento público, o fim da indexação entre os salários e a inflação ou a definição de uma taxa mínima do imposto sobre as empresas (IRC).

Angela Merkel, chanceler alemã, e Nicolas Sarkozy, presidente francês, que falaram à imprensa do seu pacto antes mesmo de o apresentarem aos parceiros durante o almoço de ontem, explicaram que o critério central deste pacto será alinhar todos os países com o mais bem sucedido. O que é encarado como uma forma de impor a disciplina alemã a todos os países europeus.

Várias delegações criticaram o que consideram uma imposição das ideias dos dois países de uma forma que não permite uma verdadeira discussão, sob pena de a zona euro voltar a dar aos mercados financeiros uma ideia de desentendimento interno e de fragilizar o euro.

Pelo menos a Bélgica, Áustria e Luxemburgo criticaram por seu lado alguns aspectos das propostas, sobretudo no que se refere à indexação dos salários com a inflação. "Não vejo verdadeiramente qualquer razão para dizer que a abolição da indexação dos salários permitirá melhorar a competitividade do meu país ou da zona euro", afirmou Jean-Claude Juncker, primeiro ministro do Luxemburgo.

O seu homólogo belga, Yves Leterme, foi ainda mais duro ao afirmar que não está "absolutamente nada de acordo" com a ideia. "Tem de haver maior cooperação económica na Europa, mas os estados membros devem poder ter espaço para aplicarem as suas próprias políticas". "Não aceitaremos que o nosso modelo de concertação social seja desfeito", avisou.

Também Werner Faymann, chefe do governo austríaco, considerou que "não é correcto interferir nas negociações salariais como alguns pediram".

A Irlanda opõe-se por seu lado à harmonização das taxas de IRC.Em contraste, José Sócrates, primeiro ministro português, considerou a decisão de ontem "histórica", por permitir "ir mais longe na coordenação económica e [na] integração política", mas afirmou que não conhece a proposta alemã relativa à limitação do endividamento. Merkel e Sarkozy desdramatizaram as críticas dos parceiros, frisando que ainda não puseram nenhuma proposta concreta na mesa mas apenas o princípio de uma maior convergência das políticas nacionais.

"Não apresentámos uma lista final dos pontos que queremos ver consagrados, mas apenas exemplos", afirmou Merkel, reconhecendo que "não houve um entusiasmo total de todos os países sobre todos os aspectos" mas afirmando-se "muito optimista" de que haverá um acordo sobre o pacto.

"Não se trata de impor as mesmas coisas a toda a gente, mas de ter uma convergência" das políticas nacionais, corroborou Sarkozy. "Talvez possamos chegar a acordo sobre um quadro comum, o que não significa ter uma igualdade absoluta" mas, eventualmente, "um acordo sobre como calcular as coisas".

Os dois países conseguiram em contrapartida convencer os parceiros a acelerar as negociações internas de modo a poderem chegar a uma decisão final tanto sobre o pacto de competitividade como sobre a reforma do EFSF durante uma cimeira extraordinária dos dezassete países da zona euro, algumas semanas antes da cimeira regular trimestral dos Vinte e Sete da UE de 24 de Março. O encontro a dezassete representa uma vitória de Sarkozy, que se bate há muito para conseguir que as questões relativas à gestão do euro sejam decididas apenas entre os seus membros, e que conseguiu assim demover as resistências de Merkel. A institucionalização de cimeiras limitadas aos países do euro representa, igualmente, o início de uma Europa a duas velocidades em torno do núcleo duro da moeda única.

Embora as negociações sobre a reforma do EFSF ainda estejam longe de concluídas, os Vinte e Sete encaminham-se para um consenso sobre o alargamento do seu campo de acção para a compra de dívida pública dos países mais frágeis no mercado secundário, ou o fornecimento de linhas de crédito flexíveis para assegurar o seu financiamento.

http://economia.publico.pt/Noticia/germanizacao-da-gestao-do-euro-gera-polemica_1478748

Tarifa social da electricidade reduz-se a cêntimos

Quando Diamantina Veiga recebeu a carta da Segurança Social e lhe disseram que era para ter desconto na luz pensou que «fossem 20 euros ou até mais» sem nunca calcular que o que estava reservado eram 59 cêntimos.
«O que é isso? Não é nada», foi a reacção de quem com, 78 anos, se deslocou ao balcão da EDP a Bragança para requerer a tarifa social.
Mas perdeu a viagem porque não conseguiu «meter a papelada» e pagou mais de táxi do que o desconto que pode vir a ter e que varia entre 40 e 80 cêntimos/mês no total da factura de electricidade.
A medida foi anunciada pelo Governo como apoio aos mais carenciados e em Janeiro a Segurança Social enviou cartas a beneficiários de prestações sociais para atestarem a condição de beneficiário desta redução na conta da luz.
«Eu tive a carta em casa muito tempo porque nem queria ir lá», contou Diamantina, que só passados 20 dias é que se entusiasmou a fazer os 20 quilómetros que separam Babe de Bragança.
«Juntámo-nos quatro que tinham as mesmas cartas e fomos num táxi», contou, explicando que pagaram cada uma, três euros pelo transporte partilhado.
As outras mulheres acabaram por entregar a papelada, mas Diamantina perdeu a viagem porque o contador está em nome do falecido marido e precisa da certidão de óbito para a transferência de propriedade e para beneficiar da tarifa.
Maria Rita, de 84 anos, recebeu a carta há 15 dias, em Moredo, e «pensava que era para fazer a prova de vida».
Ainda não fez nada com ela, porque também não sabe o que tem de fazer, mas para quem gasta «muito dinheiro em medicamentos dava-lhe jeito um desconto».
Na mesma localidade, a 25 quilómetros da cidade, vive a nora Ângela Monteiro, beneficiária do RSI, que tem opinião diferente: «Se vier cá de propósito não compensa» pois a viagem de ida e volta fica em 02,40 euros.
Ainda vai «pensar se realmente vale a pena o trabalho» porque não sabe «se é uma coisa simples ou se tem de andar aí às voltas».
«Acho que não é um apoio porque se estamos a ser beneficiários do RSI é porque precisamos mesmo e esse desconto não favorece assim tanto como isso».
No concelho de Freixo de Espada à Cinta não há um balcão da EDP, o que obriga as pessoas a deslocarem-se 50 quilómetros até Torre de Moncorvo, com um gasto mínimo em transporte público que ronda os 16 euros de bilhete de autocarro ida e volta.
Quando começaram a receber as cartas, Rui Portela, presidente da Junta de Poiares e carteiro no concelho, foi informando do que se tratava e garante que «umas rasgaram as cartas e outras guardaram-nas».
«Ainda tinham de pagar a um electricista para adaptar o contador, tinham de o ter em nome delas e são pessoas com reformas baixíssimas. Isto é ridículo e nem representa nada na vida das famílias» diz o jovem autarca, contando que alguns «entenderam aquilo como para tapar os olhos ao povo».
O acesso à medida também está disponível pela Internet, mas nem muitos destes beneficiários sabem lidar com ela, nem quem sabe o consegue numa zona onde não chega o sinal das novas tecnologias.

http://sol.sapo.pt/inicio/Sociedade/Interior.aspx?content_id=10973

Egypte : Hosni Moubarak quitte la tête du parti au pouvoir

Le président Hosni Moubarak a quitté la tête du Parti national démocrate (PND), au pouvoir en Egypte, a annoncé la télévision nationale. L'ensemble de la direction du parti a démissionné, notamment Gamal Moubarak, le fils du président. Hosni Moubarak reste cependant président du pays.

Le nouveau secrétaire général du PND est Hossam Badrawi, considéré comme un membre de l'aile libérale du parti. M. Badrawi, connu pour avoir de bons rapports avec l'opposition égyptienne, a également été nommé président du comité politique du PND, un poste jusqu'ici occupé par Gamal Moubarak.
L'ARMÉE DEMANDE À LA FOULE DE QUITTER LA PLACE TAHRIR
Un peu plus tôt dans la journée, un haut responsable de l'armée égyptienne avait tenté en vain de persuader des milliers de manifestants de quitter la place Tahrir, arguant que leur mouvement anti-Moubarak paralyse l'économie de la capitale.
"Vous avez tous le droit de vous exprimer mais s'il vous plaît, sauvez ce qui reste de l'Egypte. Regardez autour de vous", avait lancé à la foule Hassan al Roweni, muni d'un porte-voix et juché sur une tribune. Les manifestants ont répondu par des cris appelant à la démission du président égyptien. L'officier est descendu de la tribune en déclarant: "Je ne parlerai pas au milieu de tels slogans." Un peu plus tôt dans la journée, les militaires avaient dégagé une partie de la place centrale du Caire pour tenter d'y rétablir la circulation automobile.
Certains manifestants ont accusé l'armée d'oeuvrer pour le compte du Parti national démocrate. "Elle veut faire comme si tout était redevenu normal sur Tahrir, pour que le monde croit que les manifestants ont été satisfaits et ont quitté la place", a déclaré l'un d'entre eux.

http://www.lemonde.fr/proche-orient/article/2011/02/05/egypte-la-direction-du-parti-au-pouvoir-demissionne_1475857_3218.html#ens_id=1470465

Egypt protests - Saturday 5 February

Rolling coverage of the latest events in Egypt as protests continue into the 12th day

This page will update automatically every minute: On | Off
Egyptian anti-government protesters
 

 Egyptian anti-government protesters calling for the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak gather in the coastal city of Alexandria. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images 


The release of Cairo bureau chief, Abdelfattah Fayed, and another journalist, Mohammed Fawi, comes a day after the news channel said its offices in the Egyptian capital had been burned and destroyed by "gangs of thugs", Reuters reports.
Al-Jazeera continues to operate in the country and can be seen by Egyptians via satellite feeds. It is also being aired on a giant screen in Tahrir Square.
"They've moved their tanks right up to what was the frontline in the battle between the demonstrators in the square and the pro-Mubarak supporters and have been trying to clear a buffer zone."
Listen!
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The proposal being promoted by a group of Egyptians calling itself the "The Council of Wise Men" involves Suleiman assuming presidential powers for an interim period pending elections.
But some opposition figures argue that would mean the next presidential election would be held under the same unfair conditions as in previous years. They want to first form a new parliament to change the constitution to pave the way for a presidential vote that is democratic.
The cause and the scale of the blast are not yet clear, according to the news agency.
Witnesses said they saw several armed men around the church but it was not clear whether they were involved. Smoke rose from the Mari Gerges church, which was empty of people, they added.
The Egyptian government blamed the Gaza-based Army of Islam for a New Year's Day church bombing in Alexandria that killed 23 people. The group denies the charge.
The quartet of Middle East peace negotiators said today they will give high priority to the impact of Egypt crisis on the negotiations, but would not allow the situation to derail the peace talks.
In a draft statement due to be endorsed by the UN, the European Union, Russia and the US, the quartet said further delays in resuming talks would be "detrimental to prospects for regional peace and security".
AP says it is possible that the regime thinks a resolution to the crisis can be reached without the immediate removal of Mubarak.
The comments by prime pinister Ahmed Shafiq on state TV suggest the government may calculate it can ride out protests and reach a deal with its opponents without Mubarak's ouster.
The Egyptian army's attitude to the protests in Tahrir seems to have hardened somewhat today; this morning military cranes were sent in to remove some of the burnt out vehicles demonstrators had been using as barricades at the front line of their battle with pro-Mubarak supporters. However they were thwarted by dozens of protesters who lay down in front of the vehicles.
In response the army deployed four rows of troops and four tanks to create a 50 metre buffer zone between the frontline and the main body of protesters, although those in Tahrir are still able to travel the edge of no man's land and maintain their barricades at the opening of Abdel Munim Riyad square.
Many fear that the army are attempting to strip the protesters of the defences they have painstakingly constructed over the past week to protect themselves from hostile attacks. "If the army now withdraw at any point we will become sitting targets and suffer a lot of casualties," said Amr Radwan.
By 3pm this afternoon an army general flanked by a dozen soldiers had made their way to a clinic on the front line in what appeared to be an attempt by the military to shut the clinic down. He was quickly surrounded by a gaggle of doctors, journalists and protesters questioning his decision.
Julian Borger
More than 150 passengers are expected to be on the plane, which leaves Cairo this afternoon.
It is the second government-chartered flight out of the country in the last few days and is expected to touch down at Gatwick airport this evening.
The Foreign Office would not confirm the number of people expected to be onboard as details were still being finalised.
A spokeswoman said: "We are still taking expressions of interest from British nationals in Cairo for today's flight and the number of passengers has not been finalised."
Novelist Ahdaf Soueif said eight to 12 people were dragged out of No 1 Souq el-Tawfikiyyah St and bundled into a bus while a military police vehicle waited nearby. The building houses offices of the Hisham Mubarak Legal Aid Centre, the Centre for Social and Economic Rights and the 6th April Youth.
A self-declared group of Egypt's elite called the "group of wise men" has circulated ideas to try to break that deadlock. Among them is a proposal that Mubarak "deputise" his vice-president Omar Suleiman with his powers and, for the time being at least, step down in everything but name.
The "wise men," who are separate from the protesters on the ground, have met twice in recent days with Suleiman and the prime minister, said Amr el-Shobaki, a member of the group. Their proposals also call for the dissolving of the parliament monopolised by the ruling party and the end of emergency laws that give security forces near-unlimited powers.
The protesters are looking into the proposal floated by the "wise men," said [Abdel-Rahman] Youssef, who is part of the youth movement connected to Nobel peace laureate and prominent reform advocate Mohamed ElBaradei.
"It could be a way out of the crisis," Youssef said. "But the problem is in the president … he is not getting it that he has become a burden on everybody, psychologically, civicly and militarily."
Israa Abdel-Fattah, a member of the April 6 group, another of the youth movements driving the demonstrations, said there is support for the wise men's proposal among protesters.
Youssef underlined that the 12-day-old protests will continue in Tahrir Square until Mubarak goes in an acceptable way.
"There is no force that can get the youth out of the square. Every means was used. Flexibility, violence, live ammunition, and even thugs, and the protesters are still steadfast," he said.
Jack Shenker
The front-page story is an account of yesterday's "day of departure" - the largest protest yet against Mubarak's regime. Jack Shenker and Mustafa Khalili write that the huge peaceful gathering marked a contrast to the violence and anarchy of previous days as people flooded into Tahrir Square "to show the world something different".
Barack Obama has dropped heavy hints that Mubarak should go, although he stopped short of unambiguously calling for him to stand down.
Peter Beaumont writes about the harassment he, Jack Shenker and other journalists have dealt with in recent days. This has ranged from being detained by soldiers who ordered them to kneel facing a wall with their hands behind their heads to the suspicion aroused by a pack of Strepsils.
Egyptian novelist Ahdaf Soueif has a diary of the past week's protests, which she says has seen hope emerge amid the violence and deaths.
Mubarak's family fortune could be as much as $70bn (£43.5bn), with much of his wealth in British and Swiss banks or tied up in real estate in London, New York, Los Angeles and the Red Sea coast.
The paper's leader column contends that while the outside world is right to be anxious about the risk of Islamic extremism in Egypt, it should not be too worried by the Muslim Brotherhood as the organisation is now more politically conservative than a fundamentalist group.
Abdel-Rahman Youssef, a youth activist, told the news agency that he and other protest leaders met prime minister Ahmed Shafiq late yesterday. He said the meeting only concerned how to bring about Mubarak's departure.
Under one proposal, Mubarak would become deputy to the current vice-president, Omar Suleiman, and step down "in some way, either in a real departure or a political one," Youssef said.
The news network reported two of Suleiman's bodyguards were killed in the failed assassination. However, a senior security source has denied the report, according to Reuters.
Hisham Mubarak Legal Centre and the Centre for Economic and Social Rights
Ahmad Seif el-Islam abd el-Fattah
Ahmad Taher
El-Sayyed el-Fekki
Fatma Abed
Kamal Samir
Mona el-Masri
Muhamma Hamdi Mahmoud
Muhsin Bashir
Mustafa el-Hasan
Nadia
Nadine Abu-Shadi
Shahdan
Tamer Hagina
Amnesty International
Mona el-Kakhi
Saeed Haddadi
Human Rights Watch
Daniel Willams
Youth Activists
Ahmad Douma
Amre Ezz
Amre Salah
Michael Nabil
Mustafa Shawqi
Naser And el-Hamid
Shadi el-Ghazali Harb
Wael Ghoneim
Yaser Hawwari
The Islamic Dawa party stopped short of calling on Mubarak to step down but it praised Egyptians for demanding their right to choose their leadership.
The statement also urged Egyptians to reject violence or chaos and praised the Egyptian army for balancing security with respecting protesters' rights.
The statement from the Dawa party raises the stark contrast between the push for regime change in Egypt and the 2003 invasion of Iraq which, according to Iraq Body Count, has claimed more than 150,000 lives.
The US-led invasion of Iraq dismantled the state apparatus, including the army, leaving a power vacuum that led to violent disputes among different religious and political factions and the growth of Islamic extremism. The leaders of the grassroots uprising in Egypt clearly wish to avoid such chaos and it is worth noting that their shared aims include involving the army in a transition of power.
Iraqi clerics and protesters have also warned leaders in Baghdad to heed the unrest in Egypt and Tunisia or risk facing it at home.
Hillary Clinton
Despite the risk of short-term instability in countries like Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen, Clinton said change was a "strategic necessity" that will make Arab nations stronger and their people more prosperous and less susceptible to extremist ideologies.
Speaking at the international security conference in Munich, Clinton said leaders who deny their people freedom and opportunity open the door to instability.
The Guardian's Julian Borger has sent through more on Clinton's speech. She told the security conference:
There are forces at work in any society, particularly one that is facing these kind of challenges, that will try to derail or overtake the process to pursue their own agenda, which is why I think it's important to follow the transition process announced by the Egyptian government, actually headed by now vice-president Omar Suleiman (…) and that it be a transparent, inclusive process that sets forth concrete steps that people who are engaged in it and looking at it can believe is moving toward an outcome that lead to the orderly establishment of elections scheduled for September.
It states that ultimately only the army can tell Mubarak to quit, but also notes that the generals face a dilemma in intervening in the crisis:
The army is clearly torn. If it asks Mubarak to spare the country more violence and step down, it would throw the door wide open to the possibility of the first civilian president, ending the hold it has had on power since a 1952 coup overthrew Egypt's monarchy. Every president since has come from the military.
But dislodging protesters by force from Cairo's central Tahrir Square, epicentre of the demonstrations, would portray the military in the same light as the widely hated police, risking a popular backlash that could taint its carefully guarded reputation as protector of the people.
Live blog: David Cameron
Speaking at the security conference in Europe, Cameron said:
"There is no stability in Egypt. We need change, reform and transition to get stability. The longer that is put off, the more likely we are to get an Egypt that we wouldn't welcome."
BQ
These include:
The resignation of the entire ruling party, including the new vice-president Omar Suleiman, whom the Obama administration believes is best placed to oversee a transition of power.
A broad-based transitional government appointed by a 14-strong committee, made up of senior judges, youth leaders and members of the military.
The election of a founding council of 40 public intellectuals and constitutional experts, who will draw up a new constitution under the supervision of the transitional government, then put it to the people in a referendum. Fresh elections would then be held at a local and national level.
The end of the country's emergency law.
The dismantling of the state security apparatus.
The trial of key regime leaders, including Mubarak.
The state MENA news agency said the meeting, which involved the oil minister, the finance minister, the governor of the central bank and other officials, took place this morning in the presidential palace in Heliopolis, a Cairo suburb miles away from the protests in the city centre.
The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, backed the pro-democracy demonstrators, saying the rest of the world would be remiss "if we were not siding with these people".
Speaking at a security conference in Munich, she added: "There will be a change in Egypt … but it needs to be change in such a way that it is peaceful and orderly."
However, Merkel added that early elections would probably be unhelpful.
"Early elections at the beginning of the democratisation process is probably the wrong approach," she said.
At the same conference, the United Nations secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, said the turmoil in Egypt, Tunisia and other Arab countries demonstrated the risk of insecurity caused by a "deficit of democracy".
He said democracy created peace and security but "where it is absent there is chaos and uncertainty. We see this of course … most recently in Tunisia, Egypt and other countries in the Middle East."
The causes of this instability include "human insecurity, poverty, diminished or disappointed expectations, lack of good governance, corruption, ineffective governance of public institutions and deficits of democracy", the UN chief added.
It quoted an official as saying that the "situation is very dangerous and explosions were continuing from one spot to another" along the pipeline, according to Reuters.
"It is a big terrorist operation", a state TV reporter said.
There were no injuries and the blaze was quickly brought under control after the gas flow was shut off, according to the Associated Press.
The governor of the region, Abdel Wahab Mabrouk, said he suspected "sabotage".
Security sources told Reuters that the Egyptian army closed the main source of gas supplying the Jordanian branch of the pipeline, blaming the attack on "foreign elements".
Israel Radio said the Egypt-Israel pipeline was not damaged, but the supply has been stopped as a precaution.
Jack Shenker said it is thought that the explosion is linked to the ongoing dispute between Mubark's government and the Sinai Bedouins, rather than being directly related to the current protests against the regime.
We'll also be bringing you a roundup of UK and international news coverage of the protests. In the meantime, here is a roundup of the latest developments:
Thousands of people spent the night in Tahrir Square following another huge rally against Mubarak.
The US has raised the pressure on Mubarak, with President Barack Obama urging him to begin an "orderly transition" of power. US officials say a meeting between Egypt's leaders and the opposition could be held in the next few days, perhaps even this weekend.
Egypt's finance minister, Samir Radwa, says talks are planned between the vice-president and opposition leaders. The outlawed Muslim Brotherhood is not expected to take part.
Reuters reports that there has been a blast near Egypt's gas pipeline with Israel in north Sinai. Jack Shenker will have more details on this shortly.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/feb/05/egypt-protests
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