Athens On Fire

Under severe pressure by Germany and the other EU nations, the Greek parliament finally agreed to the harsh austerity program the EU demanded in exchange for yet another €130bn bail out:

( Greek PM)Mr Papademos warned earlier the €3.3bn package of cuts was “the only alternative to a catastrophic default ... that would force Greece, sooner or later, to leave the euro.”

“The social cost of this package is limited in comparison with the social and economic disaster that would follow if it is not adopted,” he said.

Lawmakers voted 199-74 in for the cutbacks, but with heavy dissent among the two main coalition members.

In response, the Socialists expelled 22 members and the conservatives expelled 21 lawmakers, reducing their majority in the 300-seat parliament from 236 to 193.

Intense rioting broke out in Athens as the new of the vote circulated, and has reportedly spread to the islands of Corfu and Crete, the northern city of Thessaloniki and towns in central Greece, the worst hit town in that part of the country being Volos, where the town hall and other buildings were burned to the ground.

Among other things, the new cuts call for cutting one in five civil service jobs and slashing Greece's minimum wage by more than 20 per cent.In exchange, as part of the new bail out package Greek bond holders agree to take a 'haircut' of 70 per cent of the value of their holdings.It will be years before anyone buys Greek bonds again.

In Athens,crowds of rioters set bonfires in front of parliament and only squads of dozens of riot police formed lines kept them from making a run on the building. The police fired fired dozens of tear gas volleys at rioters, who attacked the police with firebombs and chunks of marble broken off the fronts of luxury hotels, banks and department stores.

Masked rioters also attacked a police station with firebombs and stones.

Streets all over Athens were strewn with stones, smashed glass and burnt wreckage, while terrified passers-by sought refuge in hotel lounges and cafeterias.Looting was wide spread as shop windows were smashed, with the police occupied in guarding Parliament,City Hall and other public buildings.

Money quote from one rioter via Twitter: "I hate the deal. Maybe if I wreck this city I can get a job in construction building it up again."

Athens On Fire

Under severe pressure by Germany and the other EU nations, the Greek parliament finally agreed to the harsh austerity program the EU demanded in exchange for yet another €130bn bail out:

( Greek PM)Mr Papademos warned earlier the €3.3bn package of cuts was “the only alternative to a catastrophic default ... that would force Greece, sooner or later, to leave the euro.”

“The social cost of this package is limited in comparison with the social and economic disaster that would follow if it is not adopted,” he said.

Lawmakers voted 199-74 in for the cutbacks, but with heavy dissent among the two main coalition members.

In response, the Socialists expelled 22 members and the conservatives expelled 21 lawmakers, reducing their majority in the 300-seat parliament from 236 to 193.

Intense rioting broke out in Athens as the new of the vote circulated, and has reportedly spread to the islands of Corfu and Crete, the northern city of Thessaloniki and towns in central Greece, the worst hit town in that part of the country being Volos, where the town hall and other buildings were burned to the ground.

Among other things, the new cuts call for cutting one in five civil service jobs and slashing Greece's minimum wage by more than 20 per cent.In exchange, as part of the new bail out package Greek bond holders agree to take a 'haircut' of 70 per cent of the value of their holdings.It will be years before anyone buys Greek bonds again.

In Athens,crowds of rioters set bonfires in front of parliament and only squads of dozens of riot police formed lines kept them from making a run on the building. The police fired fired dozens of tear gas volleys at rioters, who attacked the police with firebombs and chunks of marble broken off the fronts of luxury hotels, banks and department stores.

Masked rioters also attacked a police station with firebombs and stones.

Streets all over Athens were strewn with stones, smashed glass and burnt wreckage, while terrified passers-by sought refuge in hotel lounges and cafeterias.Looting was wide spread as shop windows were smashed, with the police occupied in guarding Parliament,City Hall and other public buildings.

Money quote from one rioter via Twitter: "I hate the deal. Maybe if I wreck this city I can get a job in construction building it up again."

Occupy Oakland Creeps Riot, Break Into City Hall, Burn American Flag

You'll remember that far left Oakland mayor Democrat Jean Quan was noticeably tolerant and supportive of the #Occupy Oakland creeps the last time they erupted back in November.Their pestilential encampment was only dismantled by police after it became a major health hazard.

Over the weekend, #Occupy Oakland repaid the city's tolerance by breaking into City Hall and did massive damage to the facility, including seizing American flags and burning them as part of the festivities.They also tore down fencing at the adjacent Henry Kaiser convention center and smashed everything they could get their hands on, including construction equipment left onsite. The #Occupy mob fought with police throughout the entire day, throwing rocks, bottles and other objects at officers. The Police responded by deploying smoke, tear gas and bean bag rounds. They later marched downtown,breaking into a number of buildings including a YMCA and damaging them.Over 300 were arrested.

The riot occurred after #Occupy protesters demanded the use a vacant building as a social center and threatened to to shut down the port, occupy the airport and take over City Hall.

Mayor Quan was typically schizoid about the event, on one hand demanding that the rioters "stop using Oakland as its playground" and on the other hand refusing to condemn the #Occupy movement, blaming on a small "very radical, violent" splinter group within #Occupy for the violence and destruction.

In media stories about this and other incidents, it's notable that no mention has been made of the fact that prominent Democrats like Nancy Pelosi and President Obama have explicitly endorsed the #Occupy protesters and everything they stand for. And that the Democrats and of course Democrat paymaster George Soros have helped finance it.

Occupy Oakland Creeps Riot, Break Into City Hall, Burn American Flag

You'll remember that far left Oakland mayor Democrat Jean Quan was noticeably tolerant and supportive of the #Occupy Oakland creeps the last time they erupted back in November.Their pestilential encampment was only dismantled by police after it became a major health hazard.

Over the weekend, #Occupy Oakland repaid the city's tolerance by breaking into City Hall and did massive damage to the facility, including seizing American flags and burning them as part of the festivities.They also tore down fencing at the adjacent Henry Kaiser convention center and smashed everything they could get their hands on, including construction equipment left onsite. The #Occupy mob fought with police throughout the entire day, throwing rocks, bottles and other objects at officers. The Police responded by deploying smoke, tear gas and bean bag rounds. They later marched downtown,breaking into a number of buildings including a YMCA and damaging them.Over 300 were arrested.

The riot occurred after #Occupy protesters demanded the use a vacant building as a social center and threatened to to shut down the port, occupy the airport and take over City Hall.

Mayor Quan was typically schizoid about the event, on one hand demanding that the rioters "stop using Oakland as its playground" and on the other hand refusing to condemn the #Occupy movement, blaming on a small "very radical, violent" splinter group within #Occupy for the violence and destruction.

In media stories about this and other incidents, it's notable that no mention has been made of the fact that prominent Democrats like Nancy Pelosi and President Obama have explicitly endorsed the #Occupy protesters and everything they stand for. And that the Democrats and of course Democrat paymaster George Soros have helped finance it.

Iranians Sack British Embassy In Tehran

Protesters and 'students' attacked and looted the British Embassy in Tehran, throwing rocks, Molotov cocktails and burning documents looted from the offices. They tore down and burnt the British flag and replaced it with the Iranian flag while parading the streets with th eRoyal Crest and a framed portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.



Another group of protesters broke into a second British Embassy compound at Qolhak in north Tehran. This compound is now used to house diplomatic staff, a library and a school. The protesters likewise damaged the buildings and took six embassy staff hostage who were later freed by police, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

This 'spontaneous' demonstration was in response to the clerical Council of Guardians approving a parliamentary bill submitted to them by the majlis to expel Britain's ambassador an downgrade diplomatic relations to a charge d'affairs in retaliation for the UK's participation in increased sanctions over Iran's rogue nuclear arms program.

The Iranian government claims that the incident was not planned by them, that they regretted the attacks and were committed to ensuring the safety of diplomats. Considering how well organized and timed the taking of the embassies were and that the Iranian police did absolutely nothing to stop it, it's fairly obvious that this was as 'unofficial' as the taking of the American embassy in 1979.

The Iranian police only forced the 'students' out of the embassies after they had been given plenty of time to loot and destroy them and things looked like they might be going a little further than the regime intended.

Al Jazeera's Iranian correspondant Dorsa Jabbari was fairly emphatic that that the police and the government had prior knowledge of the protest, which was organised by the student arm of the Basij militia, President Ahmadinejad's alma mater.

"Any such action of this could scale can never be independent in the Islamic Republic. These gatherings are always approved by higher officials," said Jabbari.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague issued the following statement:

“It amounts to a grave breach of the Vienna Convention which requires the protection of diplomats and diplomatic premises under all circumstances.

We hold the Iranian government responsible for its failure to take adequate measures to protect our embassy as it is required to do.

I spoke to the Iranian Foreign Minister this afternoon to protest in the strongest terms about these events and to demand immediate steps to ensure the safety of our staff in both embassy compounds.

While he said he was sorry for what had happened and that action would be taken in response, this remains a very serious failure by the Iranian government.

The Iranians, of course, are quite aware that after the gutting of the Royal Navy and its other military forces after a long period of Labour rule, Britain has little capacity to do much more than sputter and voice outrage. You have to wonder what a prime minister from Britain's former days like Benjamin Disraeli or Robert Gascoyne-Cecil transported into today's times would have to say about the spectacle of the British Lion being forced to acquiesce to this sorry situation out of sheer weakness and impotence.

Iran has been a rogue nation that ignores the rules most civilized countries abide by since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and thus far they've gotten away with it. The end result of this appeasement will not be pleasant.

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Iranians Sack British Embassy In Tehran

Protesters and 'students' attacked and looted the British Embassy in Tehran, throwing rocks, Molotov cocktails and burning documents looted from the offices. They tore down and burnt the British flag and replaced it with the Iranian flag while parading the streets with th eRoyal Crest and a framed portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.



Another group of protesters broke into a second British Embassy compound at Qolhak in north Tehran. This compound is now used to house diplomatic staff, a library and a school. The protesters likewise damaged the buildings and took six embassy staff hostage who were later freed by police, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

This 'spontaneous' demonstration was in response to the clerical Council of Guardians approving a parliamentary bill submitted to them by the majlis to expel Britain's ambassador an downgrade diplomatic relations to a charge d'affairs in retaliation for the UK's participation in increased sanctions over Iran's rogue nuclear arms program.

The Iranian government claims that the incident was not planned by them, that they regretted the attacks and were committed to ensuring the safety of diplomats. Considering how well organized and timed the taking of the embassies were and that the Iranian police did absolutely nothing to stop it, it's fairly obvious that this was as 'unofficial' as the taking of the American embassy in 1979.

The Iranian police only forced the 'students' out of the embassies after they had been given plenty of time to loot and destroy them and things looked like they might be going a little further than the regime intended.

Al Jazeera's Iranian correspondant Dorsa Jabbari was fairly emphatic that that the police and the government had prior knowledge of the protest, which was organised by the student arm of the Basij militia, President Ahmadinejad's alma mater.

"Any such action of this could scale can never be independent in the Islamic Republic. These gatherings are always approved by higher officials," said Jabbari.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague issued the following statement:

“It amounts to a grave breach of the Vienna Convention which requires the protection of diplomats and diplomatic premises under all circumstances.

We hold the Iranian government responsible for its failure to take adequate measures to protect our embassy as it is required to do.

I spoke to the Iranian Foreign Minister this afternoon to protest in the strongest terms about these events and to demand immediate steps to ensure the safety of our staff in both embassy compounds.

While he said he was sorry for what had happened and that action would be taken in response, this remains a very serious failure by the Iranian government.

The Iranians, of course, are quite aware that after the gutting of the Royal Navy and its other military forces after a long period of Labour rule, Britain has little capacity to do much more than sputter and voice outrage. You have to wonder what a prime minister from Britain's former days like Benjamin Disraeli or Robert Gascoyne-Cecil transported into today's times would have to say about the spectacle of the British Lion being forced to acquiesce to this sorry situation out of sheer weakness and impotence.

Iran has been a rogue nation that ignores the rules most civilized countries abide by since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and thus far they've gotten away with it. The end result of this appeasement will not be pleasant.

please donate...it helps me write more gooder!

Egypt Explodes

Massive riots occurred throughout Egypt this weekend as protesters in major cities challenged army rule of the country.

Hundreds were injured, and the death toll, depending on who's counting, ranges from 12 to 15 people. According to my sources, it was even higher.

The protest was directed against the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and its head Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the de facto transitional rulers of the country.





The army has shown signs of being reluctant to give up power. With the first set of staggered parliamentary elections set to start November 28th, The protestors are accusing the army of trying to retain power from behind the scenes as it oversees the transition, which could see military rule until the presidential elections that have no set date at this time and may not happen until late 2012 or early 2013.

Additionally, the army is involved in a dispute with various political groups and the army-picked cabinet over ground rules for the drafting of Egypt's new constitution. The army wants provisions that could leave the military essentially free of civilian control, free of any oversight over the army's budget and the 'guarantors' of Egypt's new constitution once it gets written. This, as you might recognize is the old Turkish model, and Egypt's Islamists have no intention of going to the trouble of taking power if the army can legally depose them.

The initial clash came when the Egyptian police attempted to clear out the protesters in Tahrir Square in Cairo. As the police moved towards them the protesters in the front lines used a tactic that worked during the clashes that brought down Mubarak, kneeling in an attitude of Islamic prayer. Last time, the army backed off. This time they didn't.

For the first time since the initial revolt, Egypt's state police force, a symbol of the Mubarak regime was deployed in force, and they were openly backed up by the army. The protesters were badly beaten without any regard for age or sex, and protesters later showed reporters spent shotgun cartridges, bullet casings and empty teargas canisters. Some of the tear gas canisters had been purchased by the Mubarak government from America, the UK and Israel had English and Hebrew markings on them, which caused fresh outrage

Here's the back story and it's an interesting one. The Brotherhood and other Islamist groups have been a major force in gradually fomenting discontent against the army's rule since it became obvious that the army was not quite ready to completely cave in to Islamist rule.

According to my sources, the Muslim Brotherhood initially instigated the protests after Friday prayers in anger over the army's refusal to obey what amounted to an ultimatum from them to bar ex-members of former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak's National Democratic Party from running for office in the upcoming parliamentary elections. They used the excuse of the army's rather heavy handed rule as a sparking point.

Then, once the festivities were under way, the Brotherhood officially pulled back from the protests as they ramped up so as not totally antagonize the army while leaving just enough 'independent' Islamists in the crowd to give them credibility with the protesters.

What passes for Egypt's current government played right into this . Mansour el-Essawy, the interior minister whose resignation the protesters demanded sounded just like his predecessor in the Mubarak era, claiming that the police hadn't fired at anyone and that the demonstrators had shot at each other. And the generals stuck to a hard line.

"If security is not applied, we will implement the rule of law," said General Mohsen al-Fangari, a member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Egypt's de-facto government. "Anyone who does wrong will pay for it."

I have to admit this was a master stroke. Initially, the army was seen as the people's hero for not participating in crushing the initial revolt against Mubarak. After this weekend, they're seen as oppressors and the chief obstacle to 'democracy' and it's the Brotherhood that's now seen as the heroes. Watch for the Brotherhood to use this to get even more of the army and police lower ranks and officers on their side.

The Brotherhood was expected to get a 40% majority in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Assuming the elections are fair and honest and the results implemented, their majority will probably be even greater after this weekend's events, and they will be seen as the saviors of Egypt's 'democracy'. And if the elections are rigged or not held, look for Egypt to explode again.

It's a perfect lead in to the establishment of a new Islamic Republic.

UPDATE: My sources were apparently proven correct once again. The reported death toll has risen to 35. Meanwhile, Egypt's interim civilian cabinet has resigned en masse.

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Egypt Explodes

Massive riots occurred throughout Egypt this weekend as protesters in major cities challenged army rule of the country.

Hundreds were injured, and the death toll, depending on who's counting, ranges from 12 to 15 people. According to my sources, it was even higher.

The protest was directed against the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and its head Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the de facto transitional rulers of the country.





The army has shown signs of being reluctant to give up power. With the first set of staggered parliamentary elections set to start November 28th, The protestors are accusing the army of trying to retain power from behind the scenes as it oversees the transition, which could see military rule until the presidential elections that have no set date at this time and may not happen until late 2012 or early 2013.

Additionally, the army is involved in a dispute with various political groups and the army-picked cabinet over ground rules for the drafting of Egypt's new constitution. The army wants provisions that could leave the military essentially free of civilian control, free of any oversight over the army's budget and the 'guarantors' of Egypt's new constitution once it gets written. This, as you might recognize is the old Turkish model, and Egypt's Islamists have no intention of going to the trouble of taking power if the army can legally depose them.

The initial clash came when the Egyptian police attempted to clear out the protesters in Tahrir Square in Cairo. As the police moved towards them the protesters in the front lines used a tactic that worked during the clashes that brought down Mubarak, kneeling in an attitude of Islamic prayer. Last time, the army backed off. This time they didn't.

For the first time since the initial revolt, Egypt's state police force, a symbol of the Mubarak regime was deployed in force, and they were openly backed up by the army. The protesters were badly beaten without any regard for age or sex, and protesters later showed reporters spent shotgun cartridges, bullet casings and empty teargas canisters. Some of the tear gas canisters had been purchased by the Mubarak government from America, the UK and Israel had English and Hebrew markings on them, which caused fresh outrage

Here's the back story and it's an interesting one. The Brotherhood and other Islamist groups have been a major force in gradually fomenting discontent against the army's rule since it became obvious that the army was not quite ready to completely cave in to Islamist rule.

According to my sources, the Muslim Brotherhood initially instigated the protests after Friday prayers in anger over the army's refusal to obey what amounted to an ultimatum from them to bar ex-members of former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak's National Democratic Party from running for office in the upcoming parliamentary elections. They used the excuse of the army's rather heavy handed rule as a sparking point.

Then, once the festivities were under way, the Brotherhood officially pulled back from the protests as they ramped up so as not totally antagonize the army while leaving just enough 'independent' Islamists in the crowd to give them credibility with the protesters.

What passes for Egypt's current government played right into this . Mansour el-Essawy, the interior minister whose resignation the protesters demanded sounded just like his predecessor in the Mubarak era, claiming that the police hadn't fired at anyone and that the demonstrators had shot at each other. And the generals stuck to a hard line.

"If security is not applied, we will implement the rule of law," said General Mohsen al-Fangari, a member of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Egypt's de-facto government. "Anyone who does wrong will pay for it."

I have to admit this was a master stroke. Initially, the army was seen as the people's hero for not participating in crushing the initial revolt against Mubarak. After this weekend, they're seen as oppressors and the chief obstacle to 'democracy' and it's the Brotherhood that's now seen as the heroes. Watch for the Brotherhood to use this to get even more of the army and police lower ranks and officers on their side.

The Brotherhood was expected to get a 40% majority in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Assuming the elections are fair and honest and the results implemented, their majority will probably be even greater after this weekend's events, and they will be seen as the saviors of Egypt's 'democracy'. And if the elections are rigged or not held, look for Egypt to explode again.

It's a perfect lead in to the establishment of a new Islamic Republic.

UPDATE: My sources were apparently proven correct once again. The reported death toll has risen to 35. Meanwhile, Egypt's interim civilian cabinet has resigned en masse.

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25 Coptic Christians Killed In Egypt After Protests Over Church Burnings

At least 25 Coptic Christians were killed and hundreds wounded after the Egyptian Army brutally suppressed a protest in Cairo over ongoing church burnings and violence directed toward Egypt's Coptic minority.

The Army drove armored vehicles at high speed directly into to crowd, and most of the dead were crushed under the wheels.

"Why didn't they do this with the Salafists or the Muslim Brotherhood when they organize protests? This is not my country any more," said Alfred Younan, a Copt speaking near Cairo's Coptic Christian hospital where many of the dead were taken.{...}

Christians complain of discrimination, citing rules that they say make it easier to build a mosque than a church. Tensions have often in the past flared over inter-faith romantic relationships, church building and other issues.

But since Mubarak's overthrow on February 11, incidents have got violent more swiftly. Christians say no one has been tried yet for the burning of a church in Helwan, south of Cairo, in March, after which 13 people were killed, or for violence in the Cairo suburb of Imbaba on May 7 that cost 15 lives.

Protests erupted elsewhere in Egypt including its second biggest city, Alexandria. Copts say promises by the new rulers to address their concerns and protect them have been ignored.

"The new emerging faction of Islamists and Salafists has created havoc since the January revolution ... The problem is the severe reluctance of the cabinet and the authorities to enforce the rule of law and protect the Copts," Youssef Sidhom, editor in chief of a Orthodox Coptic newspaper, al-Watani.

Those 'interfaith romantic relationships' al-Reuters blithely mentions almost always consist of Egyptian Muslims kidnapping Christian girls, torturing them, forcibly converting them to Islam and then marrying them off to one of the perpetrators. These girls are normally not permitted to ever see their families again. Such cases are widespread and are almost never prosecuted or overturned under what passes in Egypt for law.

The Copts are about ten percent of Egypt's 80 million population, and they have always been discriminated against as powerless dhimmis. But while Mubarak was in power, at least some of the worst excesses were controlled. Now, it's open season.

The Muslim Brotherhood and their political allies are using the army's brutality to their advantage, claiming that this just proves that the country needs to go to elections and have the army turn over power to a civilian government as soon as possible.

Once that happens, it will really be open season on the Copts.

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25 Coptic Christians Killed In Egypt After Protests Over Church Burnings

At least 25 Coptic Christians were killed and hundreds wounded after the Egyptian Army brutally suppressed a protest in Cairo over ongoing church burnings and violence directed toward Egypt's Coptic minority.

The Army drove armored vehicles at high speed directly into to crowd, and most of the dead were crushed under the wheels.

"Why didn't they do this with the Salafists or the Muslim Brotherhood when they organize protests? This is not my country any more," said Alfred Younan, a Copt speaking near Cairo's Coptic Christian hospital where many of the dead were taken.{...}

Christians complain of discrimination, citing rules that they say make it easier to build a mosque than a church. Tensions have often in the past flared over inter-faith romantic relationships, church building and other issues.

But since Mubarak's overthrow on February 11, incidents have got violent more swiftly. Christians say no one has been tried yet for the burning of a church in Helwan, south of Cairo, in March, after which 13 people were killed, or for violence in the Cairo suburb of Imbaba on May 7 that cost 15 lives.

Protests erupted elsewhere in Egypt including its second biggest city, Alexandria. Copts say promises by the new rulers to address their concerns and protect them have been ignored.

"The new emerging faction of Islamists and Salafists has created havoc since the January revolution ... The problem is the severe reluctance of the cabinet and the authorities to enforce the rule of law and protect the Copts," Youssef Sidhom, editor in chief of a Orthodox Coptic newspaper, al-Watani.

Those 'interfaith romantic relationships' al-Reuters blithely mentions almost always consist of Egyptian Muslims kidnapping Christian girls, torturing them, forcibly converting them to Islam and then marrying them off to one of the perpetrators. These girls are normally not permitted to ever see their families again. Such cases are widespread and are almost never prosecuted or overturned under what passes in Egypt for law.

The Copts are about ten percent of Egypt's 80 million population, and they have always been discriminated against as powerless dhimmis. But while Mubarak was in power, at least some of the worst excesses were controlled. Now, it's open season.

The Muslim Brotherhood and their political allies are using the army's brutality to their advantage, claiming that this just proves that the country needs to go to elections and have the army turn over power to a civilian government as soon as possible.

Once that happens, it will really be open season on the Copts.

please donate...it helps me write more gooder!