The Mark
Mubarak’s departure from power is hardly inconsequential, but is it more symbolic than substantial?
Month: February 2011
WikiLeaks: Implications for Diplomacy, the Media and the Public Interest
Munk School panel discussion with Daryl Copeland, Brian Stewart, Rafal Rohozinski and Robert Latham
Egypt After Mubarak: Talking About A Revolution?
The departure of President Hosni Mubarak from Cairo on 11 February, bound apparently for his villa at Sharm al-Sheikh on the Red Sea, unleashed a torrent of breathless media commentary about the “Egyptian Revolution”. It may be that change of a revolutionary magnitude is in store for Egypt, but to date the events in that country resemble something more akin to a popular uprising followed by a palace coup. The ruling regime and state apparatus remain largely intact.
The absence of a clearly defined leadership cadre on the part of the rebels makes the assessment of about what has been achieved rather difficult. It is, however, possible to evaluate the current state of play against an inventory of demands issued by the “January 25″ movement and translated in a recent ZNet article authored by Juan Cole. A preliminary check list, based upon key demands and responses, follows:
Cairo Burning: Implications for the Defence vs. Diplomacy Debate
The following commentary, based in part on my “Ferment in North Africa” entry, was posted by the University of Southern California’s Public Diplomacy Blog 02 February:
This is one of those rare, defining moments in world history. In Egypt – as well as Tunisia, Sudan, Yemen and elsewhere – change is unfolding at almost blinding speed. The reactions of the USA, EU, and UN so far have succeeded mainly in positioning the international community well behind the curve, scrambling to catch up. Developments on the ground continue to outpace responses by a wide margin.
Between concerns over secure access to oil, radical Islamic politics, and the prospects for Middle East peace, Western interests are heavily engaged in the region. What, then, are the the broad strategic considerations which policy planners and decision-makers could usefully take into account?
Stabilizing the Global Village with Guerrilla Diplomacy
The Mark
The current political crises in Egypt, Tunisia, and Sudan require grassroots solutions that balance negotiation, problem solving, and global political knowledge.
Ferment in North Africa: A Guerrilla Diplomacy Take
Stand-off in Tunis.
Riots in Khartoum
Cairo burning.
In the erstwhile global village, which today looks more like an island patchwork of heavily guarded, gated communities surrounded by an angry sea of seething shantytowns, the relentless forces of globalization continue to transform world politics. Cairo is the current, and increasingly turbulent epicentre, but many countries in the region are susceptible to similar rebellions.
In Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan and elsewhere, change is unfolding very rapidly. The reactions of the USA, EU, UN, and certainly Canada have positioned the international community well behind the curve. Developments on the ground have outpaced responses by a wide margin, and an anti-Western backlash, which could carry major economic and political implications, cannot be ruled out.
What, then, are the the broad strategic considerations which decision-makers could usefully take into account?