Why are Mubarak's Thugs Attacking Western Journalists?
The last thing I want to do is fuel more Middle East conspiracy theories, and I am not offering one here. I'm just trying to understand how Mubarak is thinking.
I've now heard a lot of reports from journalists, some of them my friends, that Mubarak's forces seem to be specifically targeting Western journalists. The people saying this are experienced journalists who know the country and the language well. I very much doubt they're confused.
I'm puzzled by this, because it seems to me that if true, it is the stupidest thing Mubarak's forces could do. You can brutalize thousands of Egyptians without making headline news in the United States, but if you attack Anderson Cooper, guess what's going to be top of the hour? Guess what's going to put massive pressure on a vacillating American government to divorce itself as fast as possible from any hint of association with you?
Is he hoping to so intimidate journalists as to shut off the coverage from Egypt completely?
Does he think taking journalists from the New York Times into "protective custody"--not sure if that's true, but it's being reported--is going to push this story off the news?
- Comment (15)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (2)
Comments :
Dec '10
Re: Why are Mubarak's Thugs Attacking Western Journalists?
I doubt rationality is a factor. Perhaps something more along the lines of "Hell hath no fury like a vengeful strongman".
Alternatively, what would be the downside to the assailants, if they were actually anti-Mubarak operatives dressed in wolves' clothing? I wonder if we will ever know whom all the players are in this confusion.
Jan '11
Re: Why are Mubarak's Thugs Attacking Western Journalists?
An Icelandic radio journalist was attacked by a mob two days ago in Egypt. He said that they looked like Mubarak supporters, although he couldn't be sure. He was punched and some of his equipment was damaged or destroyed but he wasn't seriously hurt and is continuing to report from Cairo.
Oct '10
Re: Why are Mubarak's Thugs Attacking Western Journalists?
WTF is mubarak doing?
Edited on Feb 3, 2011 at 4:45amJun '10
Re: Why are Mubarak's Thugs Attacking Western Journalists?
I'd never thought I'd say this but Al Jazeera's non-stop coverage has been pretty fair and balanced and very probing. One of their veteran reporters commented that there was word that the regime was going to send in goon squads and plain clothes police to foment violence and one captured policeman apparently confessed that he had been promised the equivalent of $1000 if he and his fellow thugs could clear Tahrir Square. This seems to have been the regimes plan and they were so confident that they could do it that state run media prematurely reported that the entire square had been cleared when in fact it had not. Throughout the night and into today Mubarak's regime said it had nothing to do with the violence or the gun fire and molotov cocktails thrown at the protesters but today the Prime Minister apologized for the violence. So, if they had nothing to do with it why is he apologizing?
Jun '10
Re: Why are Mubarak's Thugs Attacking Western Journalists?
Al Jazeera's english live streaming site must be getting a lot of traffic now because I've tried repeatedly to access it again to no avail.
Jul '10
Re: Why are Mubarak's Thugs Attacking Western Journalists?
Obama's ridiculous support for the Muslim Brotherhood, widely discussed in the latest news cycle, is a game changer. Mubarak may feel that he is better off alienating the West and working with Putin or Hu. He'll have a logistical nightmare finding spare parts for his US equipment, but in his eyes America is already trying to stab him in the back.
Or systematically abusing the press is somebody else trying to isolate Mubarak. Secret police are a double edged sword that way, they don't carry badges and they might not actually be police at all.
Egypt has survived before as an opponent of the United States, and abrogating the peace treaty with Israeli is looking like a bizarrely populist move for whoever needs to make one. Mubarak should chat with his veterans about 1973 if he is thinking of going down that road. After all of the stupidity that has come out about the Rice and Obama follies, and the obvious US press push to whitewash the murderous Muslim Brotherhood, Mubarak is probably already feeling knives in his back.
Sep '10
Re: Why are Mubarak's Thugs Attacking Western Journalists?
Obama's ridiculous support for the Muslim Brotherhood, widely discussed in the latest news cycle, is a game changer. Mubarak may feel that he is better off alienating the West and working with Putin or Hu.
Combined with the fact that he knows Dick Cheney isn't going to be phoning up to say "lay off western citizens or you'll experience your big chance to get away from it all courtesy of Lockheed Martin"
Dec '10
Re: Why are Mubarak's Thugs Attacking Western Journalists?
Mubarak knows that the Chinese got away with the Tienanmen massacre because they had expelled the Western media before sending in the tanks.
Dec '10
Re: Why are Mubarak's Thugs Attacking Western Journalists?
Sounds plausible. Since Obama threw him under the bus (where he has much company) and he now has no allies he has nothing to lose. That's not to say that targeting journalists isn't a dumb move, but desperate people with nothing to lose and power do desperate things.
Sep '10
Re: Why are Mubarak's Thugs Attacking Western Journalists?
How much of this is by orders from above, and how much is just hatred of Westerners? After Israel, we do seem to be the favorite target of hate by just about everyone there. If one of the government thugs were asked why he's targeting Western journalists, he might reply, "Why do I need a reason?"
Jul '10
Re: Why are Mubarak's Thugs Attacking Western Journalists?
On the local AM radio the buzz is that yesterday Obama said that Mubarak has to leave now, and the chant in the streets and squares became "Obama says leave now, Obama says leave now." I cannot imagine what favor he ever expects again from the West after that, so he may easily feel he has no reason to protect Western press.
The press got him elected and now he's getting the press pummeled in Egypt. Way to go Mr. President!
Jul '10
Re: Why are Mubarak's Thugs Attacking Western Journalists?
I agree. A Cairo mob doesn't need orders from above to attack Westerners.
Sep '10
Re: Why are Mubarak's Thugs Attacking Western Journalists?
Who are these Mubarak "supporters," who are universally referred to as thugs? There seem to be so many of them. We are told the Egyptian military is not using force against either the government or the people--does that mean the goon squad is composed of violent, armed men who are not members of the military? Where did Mubarak get them?
I share Claire's puzzlement over Mubarak's apparent belief that he can shield the violence from world scrutiny by beating Western journalists and then releasing them to tell tales.
Jul '10
Re: Why are Mubarak's Thugs Attacking Western Journalists?
You need to realize that we're only hearing one side of the story. All the Tweeters and bloggers are anti-Mubarak activists, so of course you're going to hear the other side referred to in derogatory terms.
It's not much different than hearing Tea Partiers referred to as racists.
And let's not blow things out of proportion: how many journalists have actually been assaulted or detained? Two? Three? Of course that's gonna get big play in the media - there's nothing journalists love as much as making themselves the center of a story.
Jul '10
Re: Why are Mubarak's Thugs Attacking Western Journalists?
At this point new crews appear to have been attacked by pro and anti-Mubarak forces.
Here is the story on the Fox News team, and a followup story, and White House response to violence against the press.
Here is the story on one of the affected ABC News teams.