Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/02/20112202148108558.html

Reports of clashes between anti-government protesters and Gaddafi supporters in Tripoli as demonstrations escalate. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is confronting the most serious challenge to his rule in 42 years. Security forces have shot dead scores of protesters in Libya's second largest city, where residents said a military unit had joined their cause. While Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi attempts on Sunday to put down protests against his four-decade rule centred on the eastern city of Benghazi, eyewitness reports are coming in of "disturbances" in the capital Tripoli as well.

Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/2011218201653970232.html

Washington blocks resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories as an obstacle to peace. The US has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that would have condemned Israeli settlements as "illegal" and called for an immediate halt to all settlement building. All 14 other Security Council members voted in favour of the resolution, which was backed by the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), on Friday.

Link: http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/02/19/dr-ashraf-ezzat-the-egyptian-torah/

We prefer to define ourselves in terms of where we are going, not where we come from. Man is so much smarter now than he was before that anything from the past is outdated and irrelevant to us. Our ignorance of the past is not due to a lack of information, but of indifference. We do not believe that history matters.

Link: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article27507.htm

The fever sweeping the Middle East is now coursing through Libya, Yemen, Iran and Bahrain, where the U.S. Fifth Fleet is based. In all four nations, state violence is being used to crush the rebels, and regime survival hangs on whether security forces and the army stand behind the government or stand aside. A new Middle East is dawning. What will it look like? Perhaps the nation to study is Turkey, which has already gone through a democratic and dramatic transformation.

Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/18/bahrain-libya-yemen-protests-violence

Reports of dozens killed by Gaddaffi's security forces, while Bahrain troops leave scores wounded. Protesters in Tobruk seen knocking over statue of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's Green Book in footage posted on YouTube Link to this video. Violence in Libya and Bahrain has claimed scores of lives and left many more injured as the two Arab countries were united by popular protests that continue to shake the status quo and sound alarm bells across the region and the world.

Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/20112184122210251.html

Troops open live fire around Pearl roundabout in Manama after nightfall, at least 66 wounded. Shots were fired by soldiers around Pearl roundabout in Manama, the Bahraini capital, a day after police forcibly cleared a protest encampment from the traffic circle. The circumstances of the shooting after nightfall on Friday were not clear. Officials at the main Salmaniya hospital said at least 66 people were injured, some with gunshot wounds to the head and chest.

Link: http://wsws.org/articles/2011/feb2011/pers-f17.shtml

The Egyptian Revolution has sent shock waves throughout the Middle East. In the capitals of every Arab state, despotic rulers and corrupt governments are discussing how to prevent the spread of mass revolt emanating from Cairo. Nowhere are the implications of this popular upsurge of the Egyptian people feared more acutely than in the Israeli ruling class.

Link: http://socialistworker.org/2011/02/17/shock-waves-from-revolution

"VICTORY HAS a hundred fathers, but defeat is an orphan." Those words of Italian diplomat Count Galeazzo Ciano sprang to mind at the nauseating spectacle of Barack Obama, David Cameron, Angela Merkel, Nicolas Sarkozy and the rest claiming if not parenthood, then a least favorite-uncle status to the newborn revolution in Egypt and its older Tunisian twin.

Link: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=54512

The iron fist that has kept a tight grip on Egypt’s labour movements for nearly six decades relaxed this week, unleashing a wave of wildcat strikes that is testing the resolve of the country’s new military rulers.

Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/201121714223324820.html

Armoured vehicles seen on the streets of Manama after police storm protest site in roundabout, killing at least six. The Bahrain capital of Manama was rocked by sporadic clashes, hours after riot police attacked a makeshift encampment of pro-reform protesters in the centre of the city, killing at least six and injuring dozens of others. An Al Jazeera correspondent, who cannot be named for security reasons, said on Thursday that "clashes were no longer limited to one place...they are now spread out in different parts of the city". He said that the hospitals are full of injured people after last night's police raid on the pro-reform demonstrators.

Link: http://www.counterpunch.org/christison02162011.html

About ten days ago I had a particularly interesting discussion about Israel and its relationship to U.S. policy in the Middle East and to the events swirling there now, in Egypt and throughout the Arab world. My interlocutor is one of the most astute commentators, particularly on U.S. policy, in the alternative media, but he made it clear that, to his mind, Israel does not play a role of any notable relevance to what the United States is doing in the region.

Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/02/2011215123229922898.html

It was the deliberate slaying of protesters in Tunisia that turned a regional uprising into a nationwide revolution. (Kasserine, Tunisia) - The earth around Kasserine is deep red, contrasting with the lush green vegetation further north. The terrain in the centre of the country becomes noticeably tougher and sparser, giving way to prickly pear cacti and olive trees. The town of Kasserine lies near the Algerian border, in the shadow of Jebel ech Chambi, Tunisia's highest peak. It was the blood that was spilt here over a weekend in January that transformed what had been a regional uprising into a genuinely nationwide movement. It was the massacring of protesters in the centre of the country pushed the middle classes of Tunis into the streets.

Link: http://www.opinion-maker.org/2011/02/raymond-davis-us-blackmails-pakistan/

Controversial debate continues between Pakistan and the United States in connection with the arrest of American national, Raymond Davis who is an under-cover secret agent of American CIA, and has become a symbol of anti-American resentment in Pakistan because of the dreadful murder of two innocent Pakistanis in Lahore and subsequent suicide by the wife of one of his victims.

Link: http://wewritewhatwelike.com/2011/02/16/muhammad-saladin-nusair-the-pharaohs-legacy-1-brainwashing/

This subject’s always been on my mind, but I felt that I really have to write about it after the 25th of January and how the former president and his gang succeeded in making many of our fellow Egyptian citizens turn against us and our revolution. I started with searching about definitions of Brainwashing (AKA Mind Control) and how it started and when, so bear with me a little during this short journey through definitions and historical background.

Link: http://www.counterpunch.org/prashad02152011.html

The Arab Revolt of 2011 is unabated. Protests continue in such unlikely places as Bahrain. On Valentine’s Day, a protest march in Manama had no love for the al-Khalifah royals. It wanted to deliver its message. “Our demand is a constitution written by the people,” the protestors chanted. Opposition leader Abdul Wahab Hussain told the press, “The number of riot police is huge, but we have shown using violence against us only makes us stronger.” The police fired rubber bullets and dispersed the as yet small crowd. “This is just the beginning,” Hussain said after he had been beaten off the streets.

Link: http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/463.php

Since yesterday (11 February 2011), and actually earlier, middle-class activists have been urging Egyptians to suspend the protests and return to work, in the name of patriotism, singing some of the most ridiculous lullabies about “let's build new Egypt,” “Let's work harder than even before,” etc... In case you didn't know, Egyptians are actually among the hardest working people in the globe already.

Link: http://wsws.org/articles/2011/feb2011/pers-f14.shtml

The forced resignation of Hosni Mubarak, the dictator of Egypt who ruled the country for more than three decades, was a significant victory for workers and youth who have participated in their millions in demonstrations and strikes during the past several weeks. Subsequent events have shown, however, that this revolution is only in its initial stages.

Link: http://socialistworker.org/2011/02/14/another-world-is-possible

THERE ARE few events that are truly historic, in the sense that they become the reference point for what comes years after. After the general strike of May 1968, the French Prime Minister Georges Pompidou said, "Nothing will ever be exactly the same." What we can say with absolute certainty is that whatever happens in the Middle East in the coming weeks, months and years, nothing will be exactly the same--not only in Tunisia and Egypt, not only in the Middle East, but in the world.

Link: http://socialistworker.org/2011/02/14/strikes-wont-be-stopping

Hossam el-Hamalawy discusses the role of Egyptian workers in bringing down the regime of Hosni Mubarak--and what's next for workers' struggle in Egypt. Workers at the Tora Cement factory held a sit-in over wages and working conditions in 2009 (Sarah Carr)Workers at the Tora Cement factory held a sit-in over wages and working conditions in 2009 (Sarah Carr) SINCE FEBRUARY 11, and actually earlier, middle-class activists have been urging Egyptians to suspend the protests and return to work, in the name of patriotism, singing some of the most ridiculous lullabies about "building a new Egypt," "Let's work harder than even before," etc. In case you didn't know, Egyptians are actually among the hardest-working people around the globe already.

Link: http://bellaciao.org/en/spip.php?article20576

The US, Apartheid Israel, torturer Omar Suleiman and traitorous Egyptian Establishment are perverting the Egyptian Revolution and continuing the Egyptian Holocaust and Egyptian Genocide in which 22 million Egyptians have died avoidably from greed-imposed deprivation since 1950.

Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/video/africa/2011/02/201121463028172925.html

Arrival of more than 4,000 people sparks humanitarian crisis and Italian calls for EU aid. Thousands of people escaping upheaval in Tunisia have landed on the Italian island of Lampedusa, sparking a humanitarian crisis. The Italian government declared a humanitarian emergency and appealed for European Union aid at the weekend, with at least 4,000 refugees arriving on the tiny outcrop over the last week. The immigrants are fleeing poverty and continued unrest in the North African country following an uprising last month that ousted Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the president.

Link: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/02/13-4

As pro-democracy demonstrations sweep across the Middle East, ousting dictators in Tunisia and Egypt, many in the West have expressed surprise that such a strong, sophisticated vision of a democratic future is being articulated by ordinary citizens and grassroots movements in the Arab world.

Link: http://wsws.org/articles/2011/feb2011/pers-f12.shtml

There is justified jubilation in the streets of Cairo, Alexandria and other cities, as millions of Egyptian workers and youth celebrate their historic victory. These extraordinary events are a turning point not only for Egypt, but for the entire world. They have shown the immense social power of the working class, unanswerably refuting claims that the collapse of the Soviet Union signified the “end of history”—that is, the end of class struggle as a factor in human affairs. The victorious heroism of the masses of Egypt in the face of torture, arrests and repression are an inspiration for workers and youth around the globe.

Link: http://socialistworker.org/2011/02/11/the-unfolding-revolution

THE RUSSIAN revolutionary Lenin wrote that for a revolution to occur, it's necessary both that the lower classes refuse to endure their situation any longer, but also that the upper classes are unable to rule in the old way. In Egypt, masses of people have shown that they will no longer endure the conditions they have put up with under Mubarak--the police-state repression, the stifling of dissent, the neoliberal economic measures that have consigned half the population to living on $2 a day.

Link: http://socialistworker.org/2011/02/11/egyptians-bring-down-a-dictator

People in Egypt got a taste of their power, and they won't stop with just the one tyrant. Masses of people fill Tahrir Square, cheering the fall of dictator Hosni MubarakMasses of people fill Tahrir Square, cheering the fall of dictator Hosni Mubarak. PROTESTERS IN the streets of Cairo and every city in Egypt erupted in jubilation on Friday as the news spread that the hated dictator Hosni Mubarak had fallen.

Link: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/02/11-7

They weren't the first to make headlines in Tahrir Square, but Egypt's labor movement made an impressive debut this week in cities around the country. Workers from an array of industries launched demonstrations and wildcat strikes, shaking up some of the country's key industries and defying the state-run union system.

Link: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-next-revolution-after-egypt-2011-2?slop=1

As the biggest country in the Arab world, Egypt is seen as a trend leader for the broader Middle East. So the question on everyone's mind is: who's next?

Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/2011211164636605699.html

Millions celebrate as Egyptian president cedes power to the army, ushering in a new era of optimism in the Arab world. Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, has resigned from his post, handing over power to the armed forces and ending a 30-year grip on the largest Arab nation. In a stunning reversal of fortunes, Omar Suleiman, the new vice-president, announced in a televised address on Friday evening that the president was "waiving" his office, and had handed over authority to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. Egypt's remarkable 18 days - Video

Link: http://wsws.org/articles/2011/feb2011/pers-f10.shtml

During the past few days a steady stream of reports has confirmed the increasingly decisive role of the Egyptian working class in the struggle against the Mubarak regime. While the mass assemblies and clashes in Tahrir Square in Cairo have been the focal point of media coverage, the growing wave of working class militancy—in the form of protest demonstrations and strikes—will have a greater impact on the course of events.

Link: http://wsws.org/articles/2011/feb2011/alge-f10.shtml

A national strike by health workers continued yesterday against the military regime of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, as protests by unemployed youth and workers spread throughout the country.

Link: http://socialistworker.org/2011/02/10/demonizing-rebellion

Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor is on the editorial board of the International Socialist Review. She is a frequent contributor on the subject of race and class and has written extensively on the struggle for housing justice. Her articles have also appeared on the Black Commentator, CounterPunch and Gaper's Block Web sites. In the unfolding Egyptian revolution and the revolt sweeping Northern Africa and the rest of the Arab world, the imperial West demonizes the struggle itself as "chaos" and raises the "threat" of Islamist regimes taking power where old autocrats fall as a greater evil than the dictatorships themselves.

Link: http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=54432

With international press coverage focused almost entirely on Cairo’s Tahrir Square, few outsiders have grasped the scale of Egypt’s popular uprising, now in its third week. But massive demonstrations, and pitched battles between pro- democracy protesters and the regime’s security forces, are taking place in every corner of the country.

Link: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article27446.htm

The uprising in Egypt is our theatre of the possible. It is what people across the world have struggled for and their thought controllers have feared. Western commentators invariably misuse the words “we” and “us” to speak on behalf of those with power who see the rest of humanity as useful or expendable. The “we” and “us” are universal now. Tunisia came first, but the spectacle always promised to be Egyptian.

Link: http://www.counterpunch.org/gray02102011.html

President Barack Obama needs to stop being two-faced on Egypt. On one side of his public face he gives the impression of pressing Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak to consider his legacy and “leave power in a way that would give his country the best chance for peace and democracy.” But then he sent presidential envoy Frank Wisner to Cairo, who later publicly urged Mubarak to remain in power, saying, “President Mubarak's continued leadership is critical.”

Link: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/02/10-6

Ruling party officials suggest that President Hosni Mubarak may 'meet protesters demands', as army monitors situation. The Supreme Council of Egyptian Armed Forces has met to discuss the ongoing protests against the government of Hosni Mubarak, the president. In a statement televised on state television, the army said it had convened the meeting response to the current political turmoil, and that it would continue to convene such meetings.

Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/09/egypt-torture-machine-mubarak-security

A blindfolded Robert Tait could only listen as fellow captives were given electric shocks and beaten by Mubarak's security services. The sickening, rapid click-click-clicking of the electric shock device sounded like an angry rattlesnake as it passed within inches of my face. Then came a scream of agony, followed by a pitiful whimpering from the handcuffed, blindfolded victim as the force of the shock propelled him across the floor.

Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/empire/2011/02/20112875931593543.html

Empire looks at the dramatic changes taking place in the Arab world and their strategic implications. The fear factor has been broken, the genie is out of the bottle. Arabs have taken to the streets demanding freedom. As the winds of change blew across the Arab world, the US, the power that has long dominated the region, has been particularly absent. With all its allies crumbling one after another, what will the US do to maintain its influence in the region? And what can be expected of Israel, the country's closest ally in the region?

Link: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/20112764216497806.html

Pro-democracy protesters are continuing their sit-in in Cairo's Tahrir (Liberation) Square, showing no signs of being appeased by talks held a day earlier between the government and opposition groups. Demonstrators seeking the immediate ousting of Hosni Mubarak, the president, were still camped out in the square on Monday, while life was slowly getting back to normal in other parts of the Egyptian capital following a fortnight of turmoil.

Link: http://uruknet.com/?p=m74675&hd=&size=1&l=e

The greatest danger to the Egyptian revolution and the prospects for a free and independent Egypt emanates not from the "baltagiyya" -- the mercenaries and thugs the regime sent to beat, stone, stab, shoot and kill protestors in Cairo, Alexandria and other cities last week -- but from Washington.

Link: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article27419.htm

The nature of any regime it backs in the Arab world is secondary to control. Subjects are ignored until they break their chains “The Arab world is on fire,” al-Jazeera reported on January 27, while throughout the region, Western allies “are quickly losing their influence.”