Srikes hit Egypt as workers join protesters in Tahrir Square

Strikes have broken out in Egypt with many workers joining the protesters in Tahrir Square, many there for the first time.  Protesters have surrounded the parliament and are saying that they will stop the politicians from entering. Rather than slowing down, the process is gaining steam again.  The AFL-CIO in the US has supported the Egyptian Unions and perhaps they will offer some advice, similar to what they tell their member's here in the US,  "go home and send the president an e mail."

An Arab pop star that got to the podium and defended Mubarak was booed off the stage and the military had to protect him from the anger of the crowd according to Al Jazeera

Omar Suleiman, Egyptian Prime Minister described by Al Jazeera’s Lisa Hajjar as a “friend to the US and reported torturer” and “the CIA’s man in Cairo” warned the hundreds of thousands of demonstrators that filled Cairo’s Tahrir Square yesterday that there will be "no ending of the regime" and that the protests must end as soon as possible.

Suleiman is a favored by the US and its proxy Israel as a successor to Mubarak. He has proven his loyalty to US capitalism’s interests in the area helping to isolate and starve Hamas and the Gazan population and safeguard Gazas western border.

A Wikileaks released US diplomatic cable, titled 'Presidential Succession in Egypt', and dated May 14, 2007 reveals that the US saw Suleiman as a possible successor to Mubarak. Suleiman was also a central figure in the US government’s rendition program that involved kidnapping suspected terrorists and transporting them to another country where they could be tortured. Lisa Hajjir quotes Jane Mayer from her book The Dark Side:

"Each rendition was authorised at the very top levels of both governments [the US and Egypt] ... The long-serving chief of the Egyptian central intelligence agency, Omar Suleiman, negotiated directly with top [CIA] officials. [Former US Ambassador to Egypt Edward] Walker described the Egyptian counterpart, Suleiman, as 'very bright, very realistic', adding that he was cognisant that there was a downside to 'some of the negative things that the Egyptians engaged in, of torture and so on. But he was not squeamish, by the way'. (p. 113).

"Technically, US law required the CIA to seek 'assurances' from Egypt that rendered suspects wouldn't face torture. But under Suleiman's reign at the EGIS, such assurances were considered close to worthless. As Michael Scheuer, a former CIA officer [head of the al-Qaeda desk], who helped set up the practise of rendition, later testified, even if such 'assurances' were written in indelible ink, 'they weren't worth a bucket of warm spit'."

The situation is becoming critical for the Egyptian capitalist class and their  US supporters. As guardians of US interests in the area they are crucial allies but US capitalism is reviled for its support for Mubarak and the Zionist regime in Israel. In fact, there are no Arab workers or sections of the middle class that would not be fully aware of the role the US and the CIA plays in the region.  It is only the US population, the first victims of US capitalism's ideological warfare that are blind to what its government does throughout the world.

A lot of people have been surprised at the growth of the protests the past few days when many commentators figured the movement was dying out.

The refusal of the "CIA's man" in Egypt to back down is adding fuel to the fire and it cannot be ruled out that Egypt could be engulfed in a civil war.  As the struggle continues, more and more the conclusion will be drawn by many workers and youth that the problems they face cannot be resolved on a capitalist basis and the the only solution is the transformation of society, for a democratic socialist worker's government in Egypt and for a federation of socialist states throughout the region.

They are an inspiration to all of us.