http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXbmpF1zC3k
When the week started, Egypt had no Internet, no cellphone service and, it seemed, maybe no more dictator soon. What it had was a "new" government filled with hardliners and a military filled with American weaponry. That military opted not to fight the protesters while its U.S. patrons cheered. But despite the best forecasts of CIA-backed datamining firms, dictator Hosni Mubarak held on, vowing not to step down and hinting of a wave of violent repression.
Then that repression came. Regime goons used everything from camels to Molotov cocktails to break the demonstrators' will. Online activists got rounded up and detained. Tahrir's techies documented the atrocities while ducking Mubarak's riot squads. Mubarak restored Internet and cell service – and unattributed pro-regime texts returned to Vodafone customers' phone screens. Mubarak forces even scaled their rivals' Facebook walls.
Figuring out where the next Mideast revolt would take place is complicated, but urban youths with cellphones in their pockets seem to point the way; Bahrain may be a likely candidate. Meanwhile, repressive countries like Iran and China blocked news from Egypt that might have gotten their own dissidents inspired.
We covered more than just Egypt this week, of course. Lt. Col. David Flynn told us why he flattened three Afghan villages (they've become vacant bomb factories). The State Department clarified that it wants a private army of 5500 hired guns in Iraq. Russia started developing a rival to the Air Force's space plane. North Korea is playing around with hovercrafts as an expeditionary assault vehicle.
But the big story is Egypt. Mubarak scaled back his crackdown today. No one knows what he'll do tomorrow. But as long as we have our Internet connections, we'll be covering his next moves.
