Egypt- Critical Update # 3

* Egyptian Women in the Front Lines- Picture Gallery (click here)
*It's been reported that the workers at El-Ta3awon Printing House and Ghazl Meit Ghamr (textile) have kicked out their CEOs and placed these factories under worker control

*150 estimated demonstrator deaths
*Curfew being challenged by thousands

*Mahmoud Wagdy sworn in as interior minister- high security credentials hardliner-Closely linked to military.

*Popular committees are still active and organized in order to prevent crime, infiltration and provocations.

*6 Al Jezeera journalists were arrested and camera’s confiscated by military. They've been released but not their equipment.

*Riot police and plain cloth armed security forces back in the streets of upper class neighborhoods. Police being warned by citizens to stay away from working and lower middle class neighborhoods.

*Call for mass general strike and million people march.

*The EU calls for immediate talks with the opposition.

*Muslim Brotherhood rejects new appointments of prime minister and vice-president.

Tahrir square

Army moves heavy equipment to builds reinforced concrete walls to prevent access into Tahrir square and the center of Cairo.

Brief analysis of recent events:

The Army is being much more actively mobilized with obvious orders to control the demonstrations and key strategic positions in the streets. The fueling of fear about looting and so-called chaos in the streets is a very dangerous sensationalist media stunt. As i feared earlier, it is only serving the regime and helping to pave the road to justify a military crackdown of the demonstrations and not a comprehensive political response, like resignation and the invitation to a real transitional process led by the opposition.

A military crackdown will not be put up with by the people. The bulk of the army must withdraw back to barracks to avoid a possible blood bath. Popular committees are active in all working and middle class neighborhood and local security has been achieved. Worth pointing out is the takeover by workers of two major factories outside of Cairo...Will this manifestation of organized worker power also be considered chaos and as a threat to security? People will do what needs to be done. What the media and the Egyptian oligarchy are describing as a need to return to "stability" and "security", others are describing as a call to derail the struggle wishing to overthrow the rule of the privileged few over the oppressed masses...

The US and Israel keep betting of saving the Mubarak regime and hoping that the demonstrations will be appeased by some sort of commitment by Mubarak to dialogue and fair and democratic elections in the future...Yeah, right. That wont do. There will be no fair elections in Egypt under Mubarak.

Note: I am having some issues with some of Al Jazeera's live fear mongering reporting, but it is still the best source for presenting alternative voices.
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/spotlight/anger-in-egypt/