DebateGate

Mubarak's Trial Begins in Egypt

Video in English here: http://www.youtube.com/v/o2BL_sEsVZM&hl=en_US (didn't there used to be a way to embed these?)

The long-awaited trial of Hosni Mubarak has started in Cairo, with the former Egyptian president appearing in court with his sons Alaa and Gamal, and hated former Interior Minister, Habib al-Adly.

It had been feared that Mubarak?s trial would be delayed, especially with pressure coming from Gulf states who are worried about the consequences of a former Arab leader being so humiliated. The ruling military council themselves are generally seen to prefer to not put Mubarak on trial, Tantawi and his men fearing the revelations that may come out in the trial.

However, it seems that the will of the people was too great to ignore, and on the 3rd of August 2011 the Arab world saw its first dictator put on trial by his own people.

In true Ramadan style, the Egyptians put on a great show.

Hosni Mubarak entered the court room on a hospital bed, helpfully referred to by the Egyptian state television pundit as a ?trolley?. He picked his nose. The judge, lawyers, public gallery and the media all screamed at each other. Mubarak?s defence lawyer asked for permission to bring over 1000 witnesses, a delaying tactic previously used by such luminaries as Slobadan Milosevic.

Another lawyer said that Hosni Mubarak had in fact died in 2004, and that the man in the courtroom was in fact a clone, demanding that the court sanction DNA tests. He probably missed the finer details of the science of cloning. You could not make it up.

However, despite the farce, this is a great step forward. Yes, there are still many, many problems, and the Egyptian revolution is far from over, but seeing Hosni Mubarak put on trial has been met with great joy by the average Egyptian.

Seeing Mubarak, along with his sons and his crony, in that black cage, acknowledging their presence in the court, was a truly historic moment. Egyptians were glued to their TV sets, and so was the rest of the Arab world ? wondering, maybe, it was their dictator?s turn next.

http://www.kabobfest.com/2011/08/mubarak-trial-starts-egypt.html

The two Arab rulers who will watch the TV broadcasts from Cairo most intently are Muammar Qaddafi of Libya and Bashar Assad of Syria. The sight of Hosni Mubarak in a cage will strengthen their resolve never to let themselves be forced out of power.

Compared to Assad and Qaddafi, Mubarak now (in retrospect) seems to be the nicest dictator ever.

We all know that Qaddafi is insane. But Assad is evil. I'm sure everyone here has heard about the mass slaughter on the night before and first day of Ramadan. Against unarmed civilians. He wouldn't even deserve a trial.

Welcome Henny, I am very happy to see you post!

What would an upside-down American foreign policy feature as an improvement?


Would an isolationist America get love and respect?

Thanks Plane!

Isolationist is taking things a bit far. An America that doesn't blindly support Israel and played a bit more even-handed would be the improvement. The people need relief.

Henny....do you not understand....this is war.
Like General Sherman in the US Civil War said..."war is hell"
There are two sides to every war....
Either side can surrender at any time....
The American Indian..finally gave up..& we now sit on & control the once disputed land
Most people in the world sit on land today that was once controlled by someone else
Israel has possession and control of the disputed land
Your side wants the land and control
Israel does not want to give up the land or control
It's happened a milllion times throughout human history
And will continue to happen
We don't need to visit to see how bad it is....
We already know "war is hell"
If I were Israel I would not give a single inch to anyone
whose stated goal is Israel's destruction....that would be defined as INSANITY.

You are right. It still sucks. And it has gone on for so terribly long.

Quote from: Henny on June 01, 2011, 12:48:31 AM

I also understand now why BSB and others have asked BT to delete them from the group and block them. I keep walking away, practically screaming, and then coming back in a few days later to see the responses that I know will upset me because they are so horribly misguided, skewed and misinformed. 

This is a joke? No?
That's what political discourse is......whats the point if everyone agrees?
You want people deleted (silenced) because you consider them "horribly misguided"?
You "walk away screaming mad" because there is a different opinion?
You get upset because in your opinion someone is "misinformed"?
You pretend we must visit to "really understand".
I don't have to jump off the Empire State Building to "really understand" how bad it would be.
Our opinions are of less value because we are Americans in the US?
But Iranian opinion is somehow more valued?

First, I meant people asking to have themselves deleted - not anyone else! I find that I know why people have asked to have themselves deleted so as to remove the temptation to return for more. And I make that statement out of frustration alone.

And I maintain that the US news is so terribly skewed that most of you do not really see how it really is. The Iranian news is more accurate, although even most Middle Eastern countries do not care to hear their opinions regardless.

If I had a million dollars...

No, not the Barenaked Ladies song. My own song.

If I had a million dollars and a magic wish, I would pick up a group of ya'll and dump you right in Gaza and let you live the reality for a few weeks. To see things how they really are. To live with the "benevolent" occupiers.

After that you could cross over into Israel and see how you feel about everything.

I also understand now why BSB and others have asked BT to delete them from the group and block them. I keep walking away, practically screaming, and then coming back in a few days later to see the responses that I know will upset me because they are so horribly misguided, skewed and misinformed. 

Quote from: Xavier_Onassis on May 31, 2011, 01:22:00 PM

They are not untrue.

Yea, they are.  Soldiers aren't targeting and assasinating children blowing bubbles.  Palestinian children are being taught, IN SCHOOL, that Israel is evil, that it doesn't really belong where it currently sits.

No school required for them to be taught anything. They are learning realities on the ground. Do you think that they might otherwise consider their occupiers benevolent? Stockholm Syndrome, perhaps? And did you not consider what Israeli children are learning in their schools, that is probably unnecessary based on the situation on the ground?

And damnit, that is an interpretive piece. No offense, but art museums must not be your thing.

Sweet cartoons..........if only they were true     

They are true to the people living there. This is their life, not yours. You've never even set foot in the region, so I beg to differ with your perception of "true" based on the U.S. media.

Quote from: Henny on May 31, 2011, 02:58:03 AM

Quote from: BT on May 31, 2011, 12:50:14 AM

Quote

Breakout Kings

WHy wouldn't it include Israel?

Just a matter of labeling - Israel doesn't consider itself a part of the ME region, even if they are geographically IN the region.

That isn't the impression given by Netanyahos recent speech to the Congress.
"Isreal is what is Right with the Middle East!"

I think that they do consider themselves belonging there.

Believe me they don't. Even from a business perspective, they snarl to be called a Middle Eastern country.