I will write either late tonight or tomorrow about today’s developments with Ayman Nor.
Sorry about this…but it was a wild day.
Pictures also coming….

I just received this SMS from Hizb Al Ghad.
One of the state witnesses has reversed his testimony saying that police obtained his earlier confession that was used against Nour under pressure. This proves the fabricated nature of Ayman Nour case and the regime intentions of framing hiim to prevent him from challenging NDP power [...]

In addition to the article referred to by Issandr about the death of an Al Ghad supporter during the trial of Ayman Nour, Al Misry Al Yom has a story today that reports that NDP leaders have begun calling for state television to cover and broadcast the oppostion’s anti-Mubarak demonstrations. Ex-minister of youth Ali Eddin [...]

A journalist from Al Masri Al Youm told me today that one of Ayman Nour’s supporters that had turned up in the suffocating courtroom died today, presumably from the heat and commotion inside the courtroom. It sounds rather far-fetched and as far as I know not confirmed yet, but if true should be soon. [...]

Ahmedinejad’s victory brings to an end 15 years of factional squabbling inside the Iranian regime. The leadership now controls all of the key institutions of state, and the reformers will have to regroup and plot outside the government, trying to build grassroots support. However, Ahmadinejad’s policies may do more damage to the regime over the next five years than the previous 15 years of inaction.

This afternoon, the judge in charge of Ayman Nor’s forgery case postponed the hearing until Thursday morning.
In the courtroom, the prosecution framed his case by asking for key documents such as his birth certificate, his PhD certificate, his Parliamentary membership papers, and his national identity card. Speculation is that they are going to build [...]

The Washington Times via UPI via Stratfor:
Fred Burton, vice president of counter-terrorism with Stratfor, an Austin, Texas-based outfit specializing in intelligence and counter-terrorism analysis, issued a report on June 22 describing the remotely detonated charge that killed George Hawi, the former Lebanese Communist Part chief, as “so sophisticated that few in the world could [...]

Yesterday, a group of about 200 (Kifaya-ish types) gathered in Lazoughly Square to protest against torture in Egypt. The protest coincided with the International Day for Victims of Torture.
The protest’s site was highly symbolic. Held in a square named after Mohamad Ali’s first interior minister, Lazoughly is where State Security and the Ministry of Interior [...]

I have a bizarre love for American small town newspaper articles. Anyone who regularly types “Egypt” in Google News will come across thee latest Little League results for New Egypt, NJ, which I never fail to read if only for their Capraesque take on American life. Today, it’s Elk Grove Times of Illinois that reports [...]

A friend recently sent me the most ridiculous article I have ever read. It appeared, of course, in the National Review, the conservative US magazine that serves as a publication of choice for the conservative movement’s intellectual mercenaries. This one deserves a bit of background to explain to the uninitiated why it is so ridiculous [...]

I promised a while back that I would discuss the ongoing rumors that Egypt’s press barons–the chairmen-cum-editors-in-chief of the state-owned press groups–would soon be replaced. Although that rumor began shortly before the referendum (with some people thinking it was a way to pressure the barons to avoid all negative coverage of that day), it has [...]

Yesterday, The Hamla Sha’biya min Agl al-Tagheer (The Popular Campaign for Change) held a demonstration in the Rud al-Farag section of Shubra (Northern Cairo).
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PICTURES:
Pictures of this protest are available here.
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For reasons beyond my control, I don’t have much time to blog.
So the quick highlights:
My band of friends arrived in Duran Shubra (Metro [...]

On Sunday, there is a protest at Midan Lazoghly - which is where State Security HQ are - to protest torture in Egypt. It coincides with the International Day for Victims of Torture.
The advertisement says the protesters will bid farewell to Egypt’s interior minister, General Habib al-Adly. The Kifaya offshoots (which seem to number [...]

Most of the papers, without getting to who said what, portrayed US Sec of State’s visit with with Egyptian figures following her AUC speech as “meeting with opposition”.
This is an overblown characterization.
First of all, in a conversation with someone in attendance, Rice was said to have done little talking and a lot of [...]

Youth For Change - the younger and newer activists on the protest scene - have a little news. Sponsors of yesterday’s demo against the Rice visit as well as last week’s protest in Sayida, Y-4-C is reporting that those detained from their group by Egyptian authorities last week are being released.
According to an email [...]

This afternoon US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, gave what the US Embassy in Cairo was touting as a “Major Policy Speech.”
Rice - who is on a five nation trip to the Middle East - came from Israel, the Palestinian Territories, and Jordan.
She spent about 10 hours in Egypt. Reportedly, she met with president [...]

Remarks of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
At the American University of Cairo
Monday, June 20, 2005
Thank you, Dr. Mustafa, for that kind introduction. I am honored to be here in the great and ancient city of Cairo.
The United States values our strategic relationship and our strengthening economic ties with Egypt.
And American [...]

Excerpts from Remarks of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
At the American University of Cairo
Monday, June 20, 2005
In this time of great decision, I have come to Cairo not to talk about the past, but to look to the future — a future that Egyptians can lead and define.
* * *
We are supporting the democratic aspirations of all [...]

This week there are several small stories, including by AFP, about all the Pro-Mubarak signs coming down around Cairo. The Sand Monkey wrote a post on 15 June where he ridiculed the whole process by saying, “So Mommy Dearest Condi is coming to visit, and we all have to behave ourselves huh?”.
Perhaps it is [...]