Behind the scenes
Issandr El AmraniA fascinating piece at CounterPunch by Esam al-Amin, even if it contains some errors, but I have to wonder: where did he get all this information?
This lesson was not lost on the minds of a small clique of officials who were meeting in desperation in the afternoon of Monday, Jan. 31, 2011, in Cairo. According to several sources including former intelligence officer Col. Omar Afifi, one of these officials was the new Interior minister, Police Gen. Mahmoud Wagdy, who as the former head of the prison system, is also a torture expert. He asked Hosni Mubarak, the embattled president to give him a week to take care of the demonstrators who have been occupying major squares around the country for about a week.
Not only he had to rapidly reconstitute his security forces, which were dispersed and dejected in the aftermath of the massive demonstrations engulfing the country, but he also had to come up with a quick plan to prevent the total collapse of the regime.
The meeting included many security officials including Brig. Gen. Ismail Al-Shaer, Cairo’s security chief, as well as other security officers. In addition, leaders of the National Democratic Party (NDP)- the ruling party- including its Secretary General and head of the Consultative Assembly (upper house of Parliament), Safwat El-Sherif, as well as Parliament Speaker, Fathi Sorour, were briefed and given their assignments. Similarly, the retained Minister of Information, Anas Al-Feky, was fully apprised of the plan.
By the end of the meeting each was given certain tasks to regain the initiative from the street; to end or neutralize the revolution; and to defuse the most serious crisis the regime has ever faced in an effort to ease the tremendous domestic and international pressures being exerted on their president.
This much I do believe: the "pro-Mubarak protest" are the product of the regime and its NDP backers, without a doubt. Hopefully the details will come out in the months ahead.
Reader Comments (3)
Seems like a recreation. One of the errors is wrt Gamal, yes, since it appears he was present when Amanpour interviewed Mubarak? It also doesn't account for the purported investigation and travel ban/assets freezes directed at some of the ministers in the govt Mubarak replaced last week.
I didn't read the full piece on counterpunch. I read the first 3 or 4 paragraphs. The first question popping on my mind is the same one you got. Where did he get all this information , which normally take many years to come out. I doubted this was authentic. So I didn't read the rest. You really need to have a very high level source who should know what was discussed in all those meetings. I doubt Al Amin has that kind of source.
When the alpha wolf is injured the the other wolves will quickly drive him out and replace him. They will jostle for position and try to cripple their competitors. What sort of people do you think surround Mubarak? Scummy vicious yesmen who will all be worse then Mubarak. They must all go and some of them must be tried for their crimes. They are a criminal regime.
If the US continues to support head torturer Suleiman then I predict the burning of the presedential palace.