memeorandum: Unrest tests Egyptian military and its crucial relationship with U.S. (Washington Post)

2:45 PM ET, January 30, 2011

Top Items:

Egypt shuts down Al Jazeera bureau — Network's licences cancelled and accreditation of staff in Cairo withdrawn by order of information minister. — The Egyptian authorities are revoking the Al Jazeera Network's licence to broadcast from the country, and will be shutting down its bureau office in Cairo, state television has said.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Crooks and Liars, Political Punch, Taylor Marsh, Reuters, Salon, Outside the Beltway, Firedoglake, Newshoggers.com, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Corrente, Associated Press, The Huffington Post and CNN, more at Mediagazer »

Issandr El Amrani / Arabist.net:

Manipulation — Something very fishy is taking place — the Egyptian people are being manipulated and terrified by the withdrawal of the police yesterday, reports (some of them perhaps untrue) of widespread looting, and yesterday's (during the day) relatively low military presence in the city.

Discussion: Informed Comment, The Daily Dish, Hullabaloo and Guardian

The Independent:

Robert Fisk: Egypt: Death throes of a dictatorship — Our writer joins protesters atop a Cairo tank as the army shows signs of backing the people against Mubarak's regime — The Egyptian tanks, the delirious protesters sitting atop them, the flags, the 40,000 protesters weeping and crying …

Discussion: Reuters, Sky Dancing, Guardian, Telegraph, Maggie's Farm, Cubachi and Wall Street Journal

Jane Mayer / News Desk:

Who Is Omar Suleiman? — One of the “new” names being mentioned as a possible alternative to President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Omar Suleiman, is actually not so new to anyone who has followed the American policy of renditions for terror suspects. After dissolving his cabinet yesterday …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Sky Dancing, Crooks and Liars, New York Times, Emptywheel, zunguzungu, The Atlantic Online and Corrente

STRATFOR:

Red Alert: Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood — The following is a report from a STRATFOR source in Hamas. Hamas, which formed in Gaza as an outgrowth of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood (MB), has an interest in exaggerating its role and coordination with the MB in this crisis.

Discussion: American Power, The Western Experience, No More Mister Nice Blog, Big Peace, UrbanGrounds, Sister Toldjah, National Review, Atlas Shrugs, naked capitalism, Israel Matzav, Elder of Ziyon, Power Line and Al Jazeera Blogs, more at Mediagazer »

Christine Brim / Big Peace:

Muslim Brotherhood Deception: They Say Different Things in English and Arabic — Over the next few days, here are 2 websites to compare - the Muslim Brotherhood's English language and Arabic websites. First, the Muslim Brotherhood website in English - complete with the word “freedom” …

Discussion: Mondoweiss and The Gateway Pundit

Associated Press:

Fighter jets swoop over Cairo in show of force — CAIRO - Fighter jets swooped low over Cairo Sunday in what appeared to be an attempt by the military to show its control of a city beset by looting, armed robbery and anti-government protests. — Minutes before the start of a 4 p.m. curfew …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Global Voices in English and The Other McCain

Anthony Shadid / New York Times:
Jubilant Protesters Hail ElBaradei

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Firedoglake, Washington Post, Online NewsHour, Mish's Global Economic … and Telegraph

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:
Working Group on Egypt Calls for Suspension of U.S. Aid

Discussion: Commentary, Right Turn and National Review

New York Times:
Obama Presses for Change but Not a New Face at the Top

Discussion: Yglesias, Commentary, Guardian, Sky Dancing, Fox News, Mediaite, The Angry Arab News Service/ and ThinkProgress

Bridget Johnson / The Hill:
Egyptian opposition figure criticizes Obama response: ‘Let go of a dictator’

Discussion: Hot Air

Michael Slackman / New York Times:
Choice Likely to Please the Military, Not the Crowds

Discussion: Politics Daily, Guardian and The Daily Dish

Jamal Halaby / Associated Press:
Jordan's opposition: Arabs will topple tyrants

Discussion: The Jawa Report, Examiner, Da Techguy's Blog, sisu, The Gateway Pundit, Cubachi, Jihad Watch and Liberty Pundits Blog

Washington Post:
Unrest tests Egyptian military and its crucial relationship with U.S.

Discussion: The Foundry, Associated Press, The Daily Beast and Prairie Weather

Al Jazeera Blogs:
Live blog 30/1 - Egypt protests

Discussion: EA WorldView, Sky Dancing, The Lede, Taylor Marsh, Right Pundits, Boing Boing, AMERICAblog News and Mediaite

Amos Harel / Haaretz:
Egypt riots are an intelligence chief's nightmare

Discussion: Pajamas Media and The Volokh Conspiracy

Leila Fadel / Washington Post:
More Egyptian protesters demand that White House condemn Mubarak

Discussion: Haaretz and Outside the Beltway

Martin Indyk / msnbc.com:
MTP Exclusive: Time has come for Mubarak to go, says Indyk

Discussion: CNN and Israel Matzav

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace:
A Need For Free and Fair Elections in Egypt: A Statement by the …

Discussion: Sky Dancing, Newshoggers.com and ThinkProgress

theblogprof:

Comedy Gold! Chris Matthews, who derides Palin as stupid, says Panama Canal is in... EGYPT! — Chris Matthews is in de Nile. He has been deriding Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann as being a couple of bubble-headed idiots. A flashback not from years but from mere days ago:

Discussion: Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, UrbanGrounds, Scared Monkeys, Left Coast Rebel, Instapundit and Proof Positive

John / Power Line:
Chris Matthews's Obsession

Discussion: Right Pundits

Noel Sheppard / NewsBusters.org blogs:
Palin and Bachmann Nitpicker Chris Matthews Says Panama Canal Is In Egypt

Discussion: Fausta's Blog, Mediaite, Fox Nation, Don Surber and M.JOSEPH SHEPPARD'S …

Noel Sheppard / NewsBusters.org blogs: Chris Matthews Blames Egypt Riots on George W. Bush and Iraq War

Kim Severson / New York Times:

A Chicken Chain's Corporate Ethos Is Questioned by Gay Rights Advocates — ATLANTA — The Chick-fil-A sandwich — a hand-breaded chicken breast and a couple of pickles squished into a steamy, white buttered bun — is a staple of some Southern diets and a must-have for people …

Discussion: Gawker and Liberty Pundits Blog

Ynetnews:

Israeli reports of ‘friendly atmosphere’ in Cairo — Tour guide Amos Abidov visits Egypt with 30 students, says no plan to come home early. ‘We go to restaurants, take taxis, sit in cafes’ — Ziv Reinstein — “We are in Cairo and have no plans to return to Israel sooner,” …

Discussion: The Atlantic Online

Lee Fang / ThinkProgress:

Wall Street Titan Ken Langone, GOP Presidential Candidate Herman Cain At Koch Brothers Meeting — This weekend, David and Charles Koch, co-owners of the Koch Industries conglomerate of chemical, timber, oil and manufacturing interests, are hosting their twice annual meeting to coordinate strategy …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Guardian and The Other McCain

Pat Garofalo / ThinkProgress:

Boehner Admits Failing To Raise Debt Ceiling Would Be ‘A Disaster,’ But Takes It Hostage Anyway — Earlier this month, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) admitted during an appearance at the National Press Club that failing to raise the nation's debt ceiling when the legal borrowing limit …

Discussion: The Political Carnival

Kate Zernike / New York Times:

Tea Party Gets Early Start on G.O.P. Targets for 2012 — Leaders of more than 70 Tea Party groups in Indiana gathered last weekend to sign a proclamation saying they would all support one candidate — as yet undetermined — in a primary challenge to Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Republican who has represented the state since 1977.

Discussion: The Impolitic and A plain blog about politics