President Obama: Withhold all military aid to Egypt until the brutality stops!
Women protest military brutality and dictatorship; Photo: Reuters
Change of plans: I was about to post a Solstice Greeting on the blog. However, when I saw the videos of armed soldiers brutally beating peaceful protesters the streets of Cairo, I had to do something. First I called the White House comment line and told the volunteer to that I was calling to urge the President to (a) immediately condemn the violence against unarmed civilians including women (b) to withhold all military aide and support to the military government of Egypt. I would urge all readers to do the same. Presidential contact: Phone : 202-456-1111 or use the email option at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Image speaks for itself; see the video at link in text. Photo: anorak.co.uk
Today in Cairo, tens of thousands of women and supportive men are marching to protest the beating, public stripping and molestation of women by armed soldiers. Some carried posters and pictures of women they said were beaten, stripped and assaulted in recent days, including one woman who was captured on video as military police stripped off some of her clothing to expose her bra and then appeared to stomp on her body.
As the videos at this website clearly show, the soldiers use their batons with full force, even when civilians are laying helpless on the ground.
It’s our tax dollars: Why would our government spend American tax dollars to fund so brutal a regime? Apparently, nothing — nothing — has changed since Mubarak was disposed this past spring.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed shock during a speech in Washington on Monday at the treatment of female protesters. ”Women protesters have been rounded up and subjected to horrific abuse. This systematic degradation of Egyptian women dishonors the revolution, disgraces the state and its uniform and is not worthy of a great people.” Agreed, but money speaks louder than words.
Thanks to Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy for his editorial calling for an end to the blank checks.
General Emara, a lot of microphones, a lot of lies.
Military government lies: In spite of international outrage, Military Council leader, General Adel Emara said the military never used violence against peaceful protesters. “The armed forces and the police pledged not to use violence against protesters actively or even verbally,” he said. Instead, he said, the protesters had deliberately provoked soldiers into clashes as part of a plot “to destroy the state.” (Sounding exactly like Bashar al-Assad of Syria).
Time to stop the aid and impose sanctions!
Egyptian army soldiers use brutal force to arrest this female protester and drag her by her hair during clashes with military police near Cairo's Tahrir Square.
It’s totally unacceptable for any couintry to treat it’s civilians in such a brutal manner. There are several other countries that our President and Congress need to put severe sauctions upon immediately. This includes Pakistan, Iran, Libya etc. But our President is too busy campaigning to worry about this or things more important to the american people and our economy.