Friday, January 28, 2011
Egypt Shuts Down Internet In Advance Of Mass Protests
BULLETIN: After decades of human rights abuses, millions of Egyptians are rising up and demanding "regime change" of the Hosni Mubarak government.
In spite of the governmnent's blocking internet access, hundreds of thousands of users are aware of proxy servers that allow them to access such applications as Tweeter and Facebook, as well as worldwide websites and e-mail accounts. Much information is pouring out over the internet about conditions inside the nation.
At this hour, President Mubarak has not made an address to the citizens of his nation, though they are steadily calling for his apperance.
Dozens of state security and police stations have been torched throughout the nation of Egypt.
As the sun sets, millions of people are in the streets, running riot, out of the control of police and soldiers.
Cairo - On a day of mass street protests expected to exceed all others during the past week, the Egyptian government blocked all access to the Internet.
Cell phone communications have been jammed, as well, according to correspondents on the scene. It's a standard operating procedure during street protests throughout the region, according to ABC correspondent Christine Amanpour. The governments of Iran, Tunisia and Yemen have taken similar action previously.
"It's social networking that is the chief organizing tool of these types of actions," she said on the ABC morning show.
Such applications as Tweet, Facebook, Google and Yahoo are inoperable at this time in Egypt, according to the Department of State.
American government officials expressed the need for caution, President Barack Obama chief among them.
“The government has to be careful about resorting to violence and the Egyptian people have to be careful about resorting to violence,” Mr. Obama told newsmen. “People have a right to demonstrate.”
Protesters are calling for an overthrow of the 30-year government of Hosni Mubarak, a key player in U.S. efforts to combat terrorism and contain Islamic expansionism in the mideast.
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