piglipstick: Government At War With It's Own Culture

It was a given that Mubarak and his cohorts would start in with dirty tricks to weaken the opposition and protests that have rocked Cairo for a week. One of the main parts of his agenda seems to be spreading nervousness and fear among the general population, spreading rumors such as foreign journalists violence. Yesterday the military made numerous threatening low flying passes over the crowds in Tahrir Square. There have been reports that a lot of the chaos has been caused by police themselves:
"Plain clothe Policemen are suspected to be behind on-going looting in major cities in Egypt, according to Germany based Egyptian journalist, Hebatallah Ismail."
Undercover garbage like that is the hallmark of despotic regimes along with baseless arrests and murder if they think it will help fight the opposition.
But attacking your own priceless heritage in an effort to smear the people fighting for their freedom? The Baghdad museum was systematically looted by thieves in 2003 during the US invasion but that was for profit. Damage to precious artifacts is being done by government operatives for political motives.
That's a new low.

"Today, the Sydney Morning Herald reports:

The former presidential candidate Ayman Nour, who is the leader of the Tomorrow Party, said he had seen unequivocal proof that many looters were thugs backed by the regime.
''We have been able to identify these men as members of the Interior Ministry. We have seen their ID cards,'' he said.
''They are working to make chaos, to make people afraid of the protesters.''
Mr Nour said it was highly suspicious that the police were suddenly nowhere to be found.
Adding to the chaos was the escape on Saturday of thousands of prisoners from the Wadi Natrun prison north of Cairo. Prison officials said inmates overwhelmed the guards. There were reports some guards abandoned their posts during the protests.

Nour was an Egyptian MP, leader of an Egyptian political party, and former presidential candidate."