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Tensions increase between Egyptian people and military as Al Jazeera raided

C

Craig234

Lifer
Egypt Police Raid Al Jazeera Office as Sense of Crisis Grows
by Mohannad Sabry

(Photo caption: Egyptians gather to watch the Al-Jazeera satellite television station in Cairo in January 2011. The satellite channel Al-Jazeera Egypt said on Sunday the authorities had prevented it from broadcasting, after entering its offices and confiscating transmission equipment. Egypt's ruling military council later announced that the emergency decree would be expanded to allow prosecution for the "spreading or broadcasting of any false news, information or rumors.")

CAIRO — Security police raided the Egyptian offices of the Al Jazeera news channel Sunday and detained a member of its technical staff in the first move of its kind against a foreign news organization since the ruling military council declared a state of emergency in the wake of the storming of the Israeli embassy here.

The move against Al Jazeera was denounced by a variety of Egyptian political organizations and fed a growing sense of crisis that has gripped the capital since hundreds of people rushed into the Israeli embassy on Friday. Israel's ambassador and its diplomatic staff and dependents were evacuated to Israel.

"The government is using the attacks on the Israeli Embassy on Friday night to justify its use of repressive measures," said Amer al Wakil, a leader of the Egyptian Revolutionary Alliance, one of the political coalitions that emerged from the popular movement that led to Mubarak's ouster.

Mahmoud Afifi, a spokesman for the April 6 Movement, which spearheaded the protests against Mubarak, accused the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which has ruled Egypt since Mubarak stepped down Feb. 11, of "constraining public freedoms that the revolution has long demanded."

Government security and media officials said that Al Jazeera, which broadcasts live 24 hours a day in Egypt, had been working without sufficient press permits and that some of the equipment it used had not been authorized.

But Ahmed Zein, head of Al Jazeera Live Egypt, said that the channel had applied for the permits four months ago and had been told by the Information Ministry to continue work until they were granted. He said the ministry had blamed the delay on "the state of chaos the country is living."

Zein said police detained a broadcasting engineer and had confiscated some equipment.

The move against Al Jazeera came on the day the head of the military council, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, was scheduled to testify at Mubarak's trial on charges he ordered security forces to shoot to kill protesters in the days before his resignation.

Ahmed Refaat, the lead judge in the trial, had banned news coverage of his testimony and that of Egyptian Army Chief of Staff General Sami Anan, which was scheduled for Monday.

But Tantawi did not appear in court and Anan's appearance was postponed because, government officials said, of the current political crisis prompted by the Israeli embassy attack.

Egypt's Justice Ministry said Tantawi's and Anan's appearances had been rescheduled for Sept. 24 and 25.

There was no other word about what took place at Sunday's session, from which reporters were barred.

The government's move against Al Jazeera, which is widely viewed in Cairo, was likely to stoke popular dissatisfaction with the military council, however. Since Mubarak stepped down, the council has come under pressure for continuing many of the former president's policies, including friendly relations with Israel and restrictions on freedom of expression.

"The contradiction of government policies put us in a complicated situation," said Safwat el Alem, a professor of political media at Cairo University. "Am I supposed to believe the media minister when he confirms the protection of freedoms, or should I fear him when he announces laws banning the press from tackling vital issues and denying permits for media workers?"

Alem predicted that the military's efforts to control the news media are doomed to failure. "It is impossible to control the technology, Internet and modern communications," he said.

A journalist who's been charged with spreading false rumors for publishing a lengthy article on torture by Egyptian police and soldiers, said she was uncowed by the military's hostility.

"I will publish on the Internet, on the walls of Tahrir Square; I will write my stories on my shirts and stand in public for people to read it," said Rasha Azab. "You will never be able to suppress us, not anymore."
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That last woman sounds like a better American journalist that a lot of US journalists. Don't think she'd fit in at Fox. We'll see how repressive this regime gets...
 
Of course she wouldn't fit in at Fox, for the same reasons she wouldn't fit in with any mainstream "journalistic outlet", they're in the entertainment business not the news business.
 
Ahhh yes....the "new age" old question of controlling minds by controlling the media.

The Egyptians should take lessons from FOX "NEWS", Karl Christian Rove and North Korea on how to control minds and "public" opinion.

Instead of stifling and haphazard strongarm censoring, the Egyptians should just buy Al Jazeera and own it outright as DPRK does to their media, or fight fire with fire and use whatever state-run/other media outlets it has control over and flood the Egyptian airwaves with fear and suspicion-laden propaganda ala FOX/Rove.

Funny how "freedom of the press" can be such a contradiction unto itself where the freedom of that right allows a small but powerful cabal to dictate the very meaning of same.
 
tweaker, how about the media during Vietnam? They were pretty bias and full of bullshit at that time as well. Wonder who they learned from lols. Shit has been going on forever, don't act like news manipulation is a new thing.
 
tweaker2 said:
Ahhh yes....the "new age" old question of controlling minds by controlling the media.

The Egyptians should take lessons from FOX "NEWS", Karl Christian Rove and North Korea on how to control minds and "public" opinion.

Instead of stifling and haphazard strongarm censoring, the Egyptians should just buy Al Jazeera and own it outright as DPRK does to their media, or fight fire with fire and use whatever state-run/other media outlets it has control over and flood the Egyptian airwaves with fear and suspicion-laden propaganda ala FOX/Rove.

Funny how "freedom of the press" can be such a contradiction unto itself where the freedom of that right allows a small but powerful cabal to dictate the very meaning of same.
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Most people in egypt are young - below the age of of 30-35. This fearmongering shit only works on older people - who make up a large percentage of the population around here.
 
Martin said:
Most people in egypt are young - below the age of of 30-35. This fearmongering shit only works on older people - who make up a large percentage of the population around here.
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pretty sure the threat of a draft has been used to scare young voters to sway a certain way
 
Craig234 said:
That last woman sounds like a better American journalist that a lot of US journalists. Don't think she'd fit in at Fox. We'll see how repressive this regime gets...
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Egypt is in turmoil, and the top thing on your mind is how this can be used to insult Fox News?

Besides, just because it is wrong for a government to silence journalists, does not prove that woman's story true.
 
I guess the big question here is, what is actually going to be done in Egypt, instead of just talked about?

Want honest journalism in Egypt that is not suppressed by the government? Okay - how?
 
Craig234 said:
No one said freedom and Democracy are utopia. Look at us, we elected Bush.
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Say, you're taking some positive steps in life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Most haters still refuse to acknowledge Bush was elected, clinging to Al Gore as the elected President.

I am very proud of your progress 😀
 
cubby1223 said:
Want honest journalism in Egypt that is not suppressed by the government? Okay - how?
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By talking about it on an internet massage board for hardware nerds. I believe it's time for anandtech to rise up and unite against any and all oppression, wherever it may arise. This is srs bzns.
 
Concepts like freedom and democracy are pretty much incompatible with Islam. I wouldn't expect much better from any country in the Muslim world.
 
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