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February 03, 2011
Propaganda in the information age
Menacing gangs backing President Hosni Mubarak attacked journalists and human rights activists Thursday in an ugly turn in Egypt's crisis as government opponents pushed supporters out of Cairo's main square in second day of battles. Organizers called for protesters trying to topple the regime to fill every square in the huge capital on Friday.The new vice president, widely considered the first successor Mubarak has ever designated, fueled anti-foreign sentiment by going on state television and blaming outsiders for fomenting unrest. The government has accused media outlets of being sympathetic to protesters who want the president to quit now rather than serve out his term, as he has vowed to do.
Mubarak, 82, told ABC television in an interview that he was fed up and wants to resign. But he said he can't for fear the country would sink into chaos. He said he was very unhappy about the two days of clashes in central Tahrir square.
"I do not want to see Egyptians fighting each other," he said.
The uncontrolled violence that had been concentrated in Tahrir spread around the city of 18 million, with a new wave of arson and looting.
A light contingent of soldiers and tanks, mainly protecting government buildings and important institutions, remained passive as it has since replacing police on the streets almost a week ago. Few uniformed police have been seen around the city since last Friday, and protesters allege many of them have stripped off their uniforms and mixed in with the gangs of marauding thugs.
"When there are demonstrations of this size, there will be foreigners who come and take advantage and they have an agenda to raise the energy of the protesters," Vice President Omar Suleiman said in an interview on state television.
Posted by Mike at February 3, 2011 05:48 PM
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