Daybreak: Sinai Burning
Plus Jordanians warn their king, and more in the news
February 08, 2011
Burning gas pipeline in northern Sinai.(-/AFP/Getty Images)
• Egyptian unrest has been particularly pronounced in recent days in Sinai, including at the Gaza border. The area was supposed to be largely free of Egyptian troops after the Israeli peace. [NYT]
• A secret 2009 U.S. diplomatic cable, released by WikiLeaks, reported that President Hosni Mubarak was resistant to U.S. calls for him to reform in order “to avoid conflict.” Oops. [WP]
• Another WikiLeaks-leaked U.S. cable reported that Vice President Omar Suleiman is Israel’s preferred successor to Mubarak. Well, duh. [Haaretz]
• Suleiman announced two new reform committees, even as Tahrir Square continued to be packed by tens of thousands. [WP]
• Jordanian tribesmen—usually stalwarts of the monarchy—signed a statement calling for new political rights lest their country go the way of Tunisia and Egypt. [NYT]
• The Palestinian Authority announced local council elections in Gaza and the West Bank will be on July 9. Hamas has already said it would boycott them. [Haaretz]
Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.
