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[Jackrabbit]

Update on Sudan:
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/01/2011131173810198363.html
99.57% voted in favor of splitting, north seems to accept the decision.

Is it legitimate?  You can't get 99.57% of people to agree on the simplest and most trivial of things.

Well, how many do you think are actually voting?

[Zrk2]

The problem with a democratic Islamic nation isn't the rest of the world; it's the hardliners and Al Qaeda. They'll target any Muslim nation that isn't toeing the line according to their interpretation of Islam. And since the US would throw aide at any democratic Muslim nation....they'd be guilty of the two majors sins according to Al Qaeda. And then we'd be forced to deploy troops to protect a nascent democracy.... it'd be Jihad in Egypt because we're there in force. And then Israel would flip shit because Egypt is just across the pond, and the Mid-East peace process grinds to a complete and total halt.

It's better then the backward sliding status quo.

[Aqizzar]

By the way, news on Egypt: Army high command says its standing they will not use violence unless actually attacked.  Since the people in the street don't seem to keen on attacking them (choosing instead to give soldiers impromptu crowd-surfs), the military has basically sworn off any power to forcibly coerce the population off the streets.  And since the key to the protesters' strategy is to just shut down the country until they get what they want, there's really no force that can make them go to back to work now.  Short of the country completely devolving anyway.

[Bouchart]

It's starting to look like that Mubarak is hoping that the protesters just burn themselves out and get bored.

[Jackrabbit]

They're scared that'll look like an attack, possibly?

[Max White]

Seems that somebody in the military knows how to start a cival war, and it doing their best to avoid it.

[Eagleon]

It's starting to look like that Mubarak is hoping that the protesters just burn themselves out and get bored.

It's not unheard of. The same tactics are used to break worker's strikes - fundamentally, everyone needs money for food, shelter, and clothing, and if there's a standoff for long enough they're faced with the decision to go back to work or starve. If no one is supporting the people during the riots (how many of them are baking bread, operating water purification facilities, organizing import, etc. right now?), and the government reacts with passive aggression instead of tanks, it might be his best strategy at the moment short of cut-and-run.

That's assuming the army is holding and preventing access key facilities, vs. chilling and not giving a shit (which is always pretty surprising to see)

[Bouchart]

Is the military guarding the Suez Canal?  I'd assume so.  If not I'm sure the U.S. would take charge of it.  Hell, the Chinese would.

[Max White]

The military helped protect any land marks that were being hit by looters wern't they? Given the right consultation, they may even agree to run the dam water works.

EDIT: Ninj'd twice in a row...

[Bouchart]

Yeah Bouchart there's a little difference between Egyptians taking things over and foreign powers coming in. The Suez is still open for business, AFAIK.

Yes the Suez is still open, but that could change in an instant.  I think I've heard stories that a few tankers are taking alternate routes, just in case, but I don't have a source available right now.

[Tilla]

Google are on the scene with a solution to some Internet outages at least - they've set up a twitter relay via phone line. Text messages can be sent to select numbers to get data through the internet outage.

[Africa]

It's starting to look like that Mubarak is hoping that the protesters just burn themselves out and get bored.

That's smart from his perspective for two reasons. One, it could work, whereas the alternative of cracking down would certainly inspire things to go way more nuts. Two, even if he ends up getting kicked out, he won't be lynched or be on a bunch of people's hit list as he would if he ordered peaceful protestors to be violently repressed.

It's always weird how many dictators don't seem to realize that they're better off letting protests peter out instead of killing people in the streets and firing up even more bad blood against them.

[Aqizzar]

The "March of a Million" is underway in Cairo.  Aerial footage suggests they're about a third of the way there.  The Army has not only refused to use firepower to dissuade them, but apparently the high command has decided and outright stated that the protesters' "demands are legitimate".  Meanwhile, the cell-phones and Internet have been deactivated again, for what that matters.

[olemars]

It's always weird how many dictators don't seem to realize that they're better off letting protests peter out instead of killing people in the streets and firing up even more bad blood against them.

Not good for the cult of personality if the streets are always clogged with burning effigies and people calling for your downfall.

[ChairmanPoo]

If I were Mubarak I'd get out fast. Last time a regime went down in such a show of 0% approval rating the ousted guy ended up getting shot in a kangaroo trial by his own military. So, Mubarak, if you're reading this: the night of the flight,  you may feel a slight sting. That's pride screwing with you. Screw pride! Pride only hurts, it never helps.