YouTube & Twitter React to Mubarak’s Resignation

by Sarah Kessler
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has finally conceded, after 18 days of protests calling for his resignation. As a military council takes charge of Egypt, people around the world are sharing their reactions over Twitter and other social sites.
YouTube partnered with curation startup Storyful to chronicle the most important uploads from the protest on its CitizenTube channel, which will continue to give on-the-ground snapshots of reactions to both Mubarak’s address yesterday, when it was anticipated that he would step down but he did not, and today’s announcement. Here is one video that was included on the channel today.

Twitter is erupting with comments from all over the world. The Guardian has mapped those tweets coming from the region itself. We’ve gathered some tweets here to give a snapshot of the reaction, including an observation that someone has already updated Mubarak’s Wikipedia article and the New York Times tweeted in Arabic. (The Times was trying to locate sources for a reporter.)

Egyptian President Steps Down Amidst Groundbreaking Digital Revolution

by Emily Banks

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has stepped down, more than two weeks after the protests that began January 25 in the country — and launched a flood of #Jan25 and #Egypt tweets as well as media coverage that broke the mold — to remove the president from power.
From the beginning, the revolution in Egypt was propelled by the use of social media. It at least partly began on Facebook with the creation of Facebook groups that gained hundreds of thousands of members and promoted the early protests in Cairo.
Subsequently, the government blocked Facebook and Twitter and eventually shut down Internet access completely. And with the outside world following the unfolding revolution online, political leaders and others, including Twitter, spoke out against the violence and freedom of expression issues at risk.
But even a government shut down couldn’t keep the news from flowing. Twitter and Facebook users found ways to work around the blackout. Though, eventually access was completely restored.
The events in Egypt served as a flash point for journalists on the ground, too. For perhaps one of the first times in history, history itself has been recorded instantaneously, as reporters took to Twitter to share 140-character updates and personal stories from the protests. The messages provided a stark reality to readers in the outside world, especially as the protests turned violent and police turned on journalists — the very people many of us outside the country were following.
But Al Jazeera had its “CNN Moment,” and although it couldn’t reach viewers in the U.S. by cable television, it found a way to viewers — on YouTube. The network live streamed Mubarak’s public address — in which many believed he would resign — Thursday via YouTube. But Al Jazeera’s comprehensive coverage put it on the radar for U.S. viewers and it created a campaign to bring its English-language network to U.S. televisions.
Images of the turmoil spread around the world via Flickr and Youtube, too. Al Jazeera made its images available by a Creative Commons license and its work reached an even broader audience around the world.
Without a doubt, social media, mobile devices and the web have brought the stories from Egypt closer to home. And conversely, the events in Egypt have shown the strength of these tools for both organizing and informing people. The Egyptian people and reporters alike found ways to share their messages even when the government tried to stop them. Using VPN, proxy sites, third party apps and other tools, they were able to continue sharing news with those of us on the outside. And at the same time, the rest of the world found ways to use tech to curate and disseminate information.

Obama to Mubarak: Listen to Egyptian people

By the CNN Wire Staff 

Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama said Friday that talks between the Egyptian government and its political opponents were under way, but warned that the mere "pretense of reform" would not be enough to resolve that country's deepening crisis.

The transition of power "must begin now" and lead to "free and fair elections," he declared. Negotiations must "include a broad representation of the Egyptian opposition," he told reporters.Asked if embattled President Hosni Mubarak needs to step down now -- as opposed to waiting for a successor to be chosen in Egypt's September elections -- Obama said Mubarak needs to consult with advisers and listen to what's "being voiced by the Egyptian people."

The Egyptian leader is "proud" but also a "patriot," Obama said. Mubarak needs to make a judgment about his legacy and the best "pathway forward." Violence and repression have no role in the "orderly transition process," he added. "The whole world is watching."

Obama noted he has had two conversations with Mubarak since the crisis began.The U.S. government has encouraged talks between Mubarak's government and its opponents over the past few days, in part out of recognition that an orderly transition to democracy could prove difficult if Mubarak suddenly steps down without laying any groundwork first.

"We can't dictate what an orderly transition means, but it's time for both of them to roll up their sleeves," one senior State Department official earlier Friday.Members of the opposition, a disparate group of at least six factions and political groups nominally headed by Mohamed ElBaradei, are still "jockeying," the official said, hedging their bets on how events will play out and some are refusing to negotiate unless and until Mubarak steps down.

The official said the administration believes Mubarak's vice president -- Omar Suleiman -- is sincere in his willingness to talk with the opposition, although talks are still in the initial stages.

U.S. lawmakers chimed in Thursday, with foreign policy veterans Sens. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, and John McCain, R-Arizona, among those calling for Mubarak to step aside.

Thursday night, the U.S. Senate gave unanimous approval to a resolution calling for Mubarak to "immediately begin an orderly and peaceful transition to a democratic political system, including the transfer of power to an inclusive interim caretaker government, in coordination with leaders from Egypt's opposition, civil society, and military, to enact the necessary reforms to hold free, fair, and internationally credible elections this year."

Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, have condemned a string of attacks against journalists, human rights activists, and protesters in Egypt.

The United States continues "to be crystal clear that we oppose violence as a response to this crisis," Obama said Friday. On Thursday, Clinton called such incidents "a violation of international norms" and "unacceptable in any circumstances."

"It is especially in times of crisis that governments must demonstrate their adherence to (core universal) values," she said.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Friday that the administration continues "to receive very disturbing reports" of "systematic targeting" of journalists in Egypt.

The increasingly urgent push for reform comes as the Egyptian government pushed back on what it called "vague" statements from the Obama administration about the pace of transition.

One Egyptian government official told CNN the United States has shown support for its "road map" for transitioning to democracy by the end of Mubarak's term in September, but said Obama's call for an "orderly transition" are at odds with his call for an immediate one.

The official said Mubarak is seen as a "receding figure" in Egyptian politics, but deposing him immediately would lead to a murky political process, which would prevent the free and fair elections the protesters are calling for. According to the Egyptian constitution, the presidency would be transferred to the speaker of the parliament if Mubarak leaves power without enacting certain legislative and constitutional reforms.

"Institutionally, there is support in Egypt for this road map among the military, vice president and prime minister," the official said. "The bureaucracy thinks it has a degree of legitimacy and if the objective continues to be deposing the president now, they clearly don't understand the advantage that this road map will create a constitutional and administrative voice to the transition and is not going to lead to confusion."

U.S. officials describe an opposition that is not altogether unified on whether to begin a dialogue with the government. Some, like former foreign minster and Arab League Secretary General Amre Moussa, said concessions made by Mubarak present an opportunity to build upon. Members of the Muslim Brotherhood had said that no talks should take place until Mubarak steps down.

"There are some people who see what is required to hold the type of elections they want to hold. They are looking at the administrative questions that have to be answered, and realize that will take a bit of time," the senior State Department official said. "They are focusing on elections and transformation of the system, rather than on Mubarak."

The Egyptian official said conversations with Washington suggest the United States understands this process, but public statements from Obama, Clinton, and U.S. government spokesmen have sent mixed messages."We understand the need to be vague and play to the street, but this is hardly the time," the official said.

The United States continues to reach out to every country in the Middle East, not only to solicit their analysis and advice, but also to assure nervous allies that the United States stands with them during this tumultuous time in the region.

"We are in a phase where the Mubarak era is ending in Egypt, either now or in September, and something this significant hasn't happened in the region in some time," the official said. "We are giving them the chance to give us their views and letting them know how significant this is."

Obama seeks quick Egypt handover

BBC

Barack Obama has called for an "orderly transition that begins right now" in Egypt and urged President Hosni Mubarak to "make the right decision".

The US president said Egypt's leader needed to listen to the Egyptian people and make a judgment on the way forward.

"The entire world is watching," Mr Obama said, adding the issues at stake would not be resolved through violence.

He spoke as tens of thousands of people protested in Egypt for an 11th day calling for Mr Mubarak to step down.

BBC North America editor Mark Mardell, in Washington, says President Obama went further than before in suggesting that Mr Mubarak should go.

But he could not quite bring himself to say the words - no doubt for very good diplomatic reasons, our correspondent adds.

"He [Mr Mubarak] needs to listen to what is voiced by the people and make a judgment about a pathway forward that is orderly, that is meaningful and serious," Mr Obama said during a joint news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

"I believe that President Mubarak cares about his country. He is proud, but he is also a patriot," Mr Obama said.

'Day of departure' rally in Egypt

The BBC's Jim Muir in Tahrir Square: "The sense of imminent attack has eased and people are relaxing"

Tens of thousands of Egyptians are taking part in a "day of departure" to try to oust President Hosni Mubarak.
There is an increased army presence in Cairo's Tahrir Square after unrest that has led to hundreds of casualties.
After Friday prayers were held in a relaxed atmosphere, the crowd started chanting for Mr Mubarak to go.
Mr Mubarak has said he is "fed up" with being in power but is resisting mounting pressure to resign as he says it would leave Egypt in chaos.
In his first interview since anti-government protests began, he told ABC News he would like to resign immediately. But he repeated that the country's Islamist opposition - the Muslim Brotherhood - would fill the power vacuum left by his absence.
'Silent majority'


The BBC's Jim Muir in Tahrir Square says tens of thousands have now gathered there, although with the checkpoints the movement into the square is more a trickle than a flood.
The stronger army presence secured the perimeter and the soldiers appear to be on good terms with the protesters.
The demonstrators chanted: "The army and people are united."
Defence Minister General Mohamed Hussein Tantawi and other military leaders joined the armed forces in the square.
The secretary general of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, who has not ruled out standing for president, is also reported to be in Tahrir Square.
Thorough checks for weapons were carried out ahead of Friday prayers, during which one cleric praised the "revolution of the young" and declared: "We want the head of the regime removed."
Our correspondent says the mood is relaxed but it is not quite the carnival atmosphere that existed before Wednesday - when pro-Mubarak gangs attacked anti-government protesters - and people are watchful.
The BBC's Wyre Davies in Egypt's second city, Alexandria, says there are also many more tanks and soldiers out on the streets there than before.
Supporters of Mr Mubarak have been calling Friday a "day of allegiance".
The general secretary of the ruling NDP, Ibrahim Kamel, has accused the West of betraying Egypt.
He vowed President Mubarak would not step down and that soon millions of Egyptians - "the silent majority" - would come out on to the streets to protest because "enough is enough".
Egypt's health ministry says eight people have been killed and more than 800 injured in the clashes in recent days. The United Nations estimates that more than 300 people have died since the unrest broke out on 25 January, with about 4,000 hurt.
US efforts


Egypt's Vice-President Omar Suleiman has appealed for calm and urged the protesters to accept Mr Mubarak's pledge that he would not stand for election again.
But it has now emerged that the White House has been in talks with Mr Suleiman about how Egypt can begin making a "meaningful transition" to a democratic government.
US Vice-President Joe Biden spoke to his Egyptian counterpart on Thursday, say diplomats.
The New York Times suggested that among the proposals was a plan for Mr Mubarak to resign immediately and hand power to a military-backed interim government under Mr Suleiman.
Neither the White House nor the state department have directly denied the report.
But a spokesman for President Barack Obama's National Security Council said it was "time to begin a peaceful, orderly and meaningful transition, with credible, inclusive negotiations".
The BBC's Mark Mardell in Washington says other reports suggest the US plan has already been rebuffed in Egypt, and that the administration has been surprised by the attitude of the military and Mr Suleiman.
The reports say officials believe Mr Suleiman was aware of the apparent campaign in recent days to intimidate the opposition, and are now wondering whether he is the right man to lead an interim government, says our corresponden
On Friday, UK Prime Minister David Cameron criticised the Egyptian government for its handling of the crisis.
"The steps taken so far haven't met the aspirations of the Egyptian people," he said.
In his interview with ABC News, Mr Mubarak denied that his administration was behind the violence of the last two days but said it had troubled him.
Mr Mubarak was speaking in the presidential palace, with his son Gamal at his side.
"I never intended to run [for president] again," Mr Mubarak said. "I never intended Gamal to be president after me."

Protesters in Cairo vow to continue demonstrations

By the CNN Wire Staff


Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Demonstrators have built a barbed-wire barricade and stacked piles of rocks throughout Cairo's Tahrir Square Friday, where they gathered to demand President Hosni Mubarak's resignation.


Military forces surrounded the square, and anti-government protesters manned their own security checkpoints, which included numerous blockades. The stream of demonstrators entering the square was steady at midday.


As midday prayers ended, anti-government protesters chanted, "He leaves, we don't leave" and "The blood of the martyrs will not be forgotten."


Anti-government protesters have pledged to bring droves of demonstrators to the square Friday for what they dubbed a "day of farewell" and "day of departure," referring to their push for Mubarak to resign. Elsewhere in Cairo, pro-government protesters said they were gathering in a mosque for a "day of loyalty."


But the pro-Mubarak groups were notably absent from Tahrir Square, where they clashed with anti-government protesters earlier this week.


In the northern port city of Alexandria, the streets leading to the Al Kaed Ibrahim mosque were packed as the midday sermon began.


"This is a great revolution and the whole regime, the entire system needs to be changed. The revolution must continue until all objectives are met," the mosque's imam told the crowd.


Writing on the walls leading to the mosque, where police and anti-government demonstrators clashed last Friday, said "Game OVER" and "Pharaoh's last day."There was very little military presence in Alexandria, but troops wearing riot gear toted automatic weapons near Cairo's Tahrir Square.


Security forces detained some people leaving the square, pointing guns at them and forcing them to lie on the ground early Friday. A burned-out car and a group of troops blocked the October 6 bridge, which crosses the Nile River and serves as an entrance to the square.


The anti-government protests were scheduled to start after Friday prayers, and some demonstrators suggested the group may march toward the presidential palace.


Mubarak is not gone, but his days are numbered. The leader agreed Tuesday to not seek re-election in September.In the bloody blur of days since his announcement that he would not stand for re-election, regime foes and supporters have clashed repeatedly in Tahrir Square, the center of anti-government demonstrations. Eight people have been killed and nearly 896 injured, according to the health ministry.


The atmosphere Friday morning was peaceful and optimistic, but tense. Some anti-government demonstrators smiled as they sang patriotic songs. Exhausted protesters slept on sidewalks inside the square. A man with an Egyptian flag wrapped around his head sat on a curb, flashing a victory sign.


A handful of pro-government protesters cheered as large vans filled with security forces arrived at Tahrir Square around 6 a.m. Friday (11 p.m. ET). It was unclear whether those inside were members of the military or police.


Mubarak told ABC News Thursday he would like to step down right away, but cannot because he does not want to risk plunging his nation into chaos.Vice President Omar Suleiman blamed the media for some of the unrest that has plagued his country since anti-government demonstrations began January 25.


"I actually blame certain friendly nations who have television channels, they are not friendly at all, who have intensified the youth against the nation and the state," Suleiman told Nile TV. "They have filled in the minds of the youth with wrongdoings, with allegations, and this is unacceptable."


Thursday saw an escalation of attacks on journalists covering the demonstrations. Many of those targeted asked whether the government was clearing them out of the way to cloak its actions.


"Why doesn't the government want us around? What is it that it plans to do in the next few days that it really doesn't want cameras to be able to report on?" New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof told CNN.
Mubarak told ABC News correspondent Christiane Amanpour that he was troubled by the bloody clashes that broke out Wednesday in Tahrir Square.


As the United States and other countries condemned increasing attacks on journalists and diplomats, Mubarak rejected the notion that government instigated the violence in the country, instead blaming the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist umbrella group that is banned in Egypt.


"I don't care what people say about me," Mubarak told ABC. "Right now I care about my country, I care about Egypt.


"I was very unhappy about yesterday. I do not want to see Egyptians fighting each other," he said in the interview, which was conducted at the heavily guarded presidential palace, where the embattled leader has been staying with his family.


Mubarak said he never intended to seek re-election or for his son, Gamal, to seek the post. He made the comment to Amanpour in his son's presence.Mubarak's concession that he would not run for re-election has not been enough for tens of thousands of protesters demanding immediate change.


Top government leaders vowed to hold accountable perpetrators of the bloodshed and told protesters to return home."I want to thank the youth for all you have done," Suleiman said on state-run Nile TV. "You are the lights that have ignited reform in this period. Please give the (government a) chance to play its role. All of your demands have been met."


Suleiman told ABC that Egyptian troops will not force anti-Mubarak protesters to leave Tahrir Square.


Mubarak supporters, some believed to be paid government thugs, converged with anti-government crowds Wednesday in a confrontation that quickly evolved into continuing mayhem in Tahrir Square.Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq apologized repeatedly for the violence. He blamed infiltrators and a "complete disappearance" of police for the human toll in the "catastrophe."


Shafiq said he and Suleiman were meeting with the opposition -- including protesters in Tahrir Square. He said no one would be excluded from the national dialogue, including the Muslim Brotherhood.


The United States is stepping up pressure on the opposition to begin immediate negotiations with the Egyptian government."It's time for both of them to roll up their sleeves," a senior State Department official told CNN. "The government has to take some steps, but the opposition has to be willing to participate in negotiations as well."

Vodafone: Egypt forced us to send text messages

LONDON – Egyptian authorities forced Vodafone to broadcast pro-government text messages during the protests that have rocked the country, the U.K.-based mobile company said Thursday.

Micro-blogging site Twitter has been buzzing with screen grabs from Vodafone's Egyptian customers showing text messages sent over the course of the demonstrations against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year-old regime.

A text message received Sunday by an Associated Press reporter in Egypt appealed to the country's "honest and loyal men to confront the traitors and criminals and protect our people and honor." Another urged Egyptians to attend a pro-Mubarak rally in Cairo on Wednesday. The first was marked as coming from "Vodafone." The other was signed: "Egypt Lovers."

In a statement, Vodafone Group PLC said that the messages had been drafted by Egyptian authorities and that it had no power to change them.

"Vodafone Group has protested to the authorities that the current situation regarding these messages is unacceptable," the statement said. "We have made clear that all messages should be transparent and clearly attributable to the originator."

The company also said its competitors — including Egypt's Mobinil and the United Arab Emirates' Etisalat — were doing the same. Etisalat, known formally as Emirates Telecommunications Corp., declined comment.

Vodafone said the texts had been sent "since the start of the protests," which kicked off more than a week ago. Vodafone did not immediately return an e-mail asking why the company waited nearly 10 days to complain publicly. Its statement was released only after repeated inquiries by the AP.

The company declined to reveal how many such messages it had sent, or whether it was still pumping them out.

Vodafone has already come under fire for its role in the Internet blackout that cut Egypt off from the online world for several days. The company said the order to pull the plug on its Egyptian customers could not be ignored as it was legal under local law.

Vodafone was able to restore its data services on Wednesday — five days after it suspended all services in the country, according to company spokesman Bobby Leach.

The company, however, was still unable to provide mobile phone text message services as of Thursday evening, he said.

Adam Schreck in Kabul contributed to this report.

White House intensifies call for change in Egypt

By the CNN Wire Staff

Washington (CNN) -- The White House stepped up its campaign for a peaceful transition and an end to the violence in Egypt Thursday as President Barack Obama called for greater respect for the "rights and aspirations of the Egyptian people."


We pray "that a better day will dawn over Egypt," Obama said at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington.White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters "it is important that we all begin to see meaningful steps, and that negotiations take place between the (Mubarak) government and a broadly based group of members of the opposition as we work through the transition toward free and fair elections."


Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has announced he will not seek re-election in September. Protesters, however, continue demand that Mubarak step down immediately with a caretaker unity government running the country until the fall elections.


Gibbs also reiterated the administration's condemnation of the violence that erupted in Cairo Wednesday. At least eight people were killed and 836 injured, according to the Egyptian health ministry.State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Thursday that the violence was carried out by "elements close to the government or ruling party."


"I don't think we have a sense of how far up the chain it went," he noted.Newly appointed Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq has apologized for the attacks. Vice President Omar Suleiman has promised the perpetrators of the violence will be held accountable.


Also of concern to the U.S. administration: a spate of attacks against journalists in Egypt. Members of the media attempting to cover the unrest are reporting being targeted, beaten, arrested and harassed by security forces and police.


State Department officials told CNN Thursday they have information that the Egyptian Interior Ministry is involved in a roundup of journalists. The officials said they are hearing reports from the U.S. Embassy in Egypt that the ministry has been involved in the arrest of reporters.


Senior State Department officials are expected to discuss the issue with the Egyptian Embassy in Washington and the Foreign Ministry in Cairo.Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is expected to issue a statement Thursday afternoon about the violence against journalists."There is a concerted campaign to intimidate international journalists in Cairo and interfere with their reporting. We condemn such actions," Crowley said.


The United States continues to walk a fine diplomatic line in the crisis, encouraging President Hosni Mubarak to transition from power while stopping short of publicly asking him to step down.


Officials say the restraint is needed because the White House is mindful that allies in the Middle East are concerned about American loyalty. Government contacts have expressed reservations about how vocal the Obama administration has been in pressing Mubarak, a close American ally of three decades.


Other regional allies are concerned about how quickly the United States might turn on them if protests start in their countries, the State Department officials said.The White House, meanwhile, has made a deliberate decision to let Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, take the lead role in communicating with the Egyptian military about its role in the current unrest, according to two senior U.S. officials.


Mullen has not told Egyptian military leaders to pressure Mubarak to step down, the officials insisted to CNN. "That's not his role," one official said.Mullen is, however, trying to push the Egyptian military to maintain security, not move against peaceful protestors, and keep the violence from escalating.


The U.S. government believes Mubarak will not issue a direct order to the Egyptian army to do anything because he is uncertain his orders would be followed, one official with very direct knowledge of evolving U.S. policy in the crisis told CNN.


A refusal on the part of the army to obey Mubarak would spell the end of the Egyptian leader's rule, the official noted. At that point, Mubarak would have to leave the country.The U.S. belief right now, the official said, is that Suleiman is letting the army feel it is "representing the flag of the nation" in trying to help without making a massive move against the government.


While Mullen is communicating with his Egyptian counterparts, the CIA has set up its own task force to monitor the crisis."The Central Intelligence Agency always surges personnel and resources as needed to meet any crisis head-on. This situation is no different, and we've established a Middle East Task Force," CIA spokesperson Jennifer Youngblood confirmed.


"Our 24/7 operations are focused on ensuring we provide the best possible insights and freshest intelligence to policymakers," she said.The chaotic situation has raised concerns that terrorist entities could try to exploit the situation."People are watching for signs that terrorists or militant groups might try to take advantage of the situation in Cairo and launch attacks," a U.S. official noted. "We expect groups like al Qaeda to take advantage of instability anywhere as a means to promote their cause publicly."


As U.S. diplomatic officials try to navigate the quickly evolving crisis, the State Department is urging Americans who want help in getting out of Egypt to take advantage of U.S. government charter flights while they are available.A senior State Department official, speaking on background because he was not authorized to use his name, told CNN that while "we cannot demand that an American leave ... we certainly (will) push for them to leave."


According to that official, the State Department began cutting back on the number of flights Thursday because some of those flights have been leaving with empty seats.About 3,000 Americans have registered for evacuation so far. An estimated 2,000 have been flown out on U.S. government charters to European locations.


Since Monday, the State Department has been running four flights a day, on average, and has been urging American citizens who want to leave to come to the Cairo airport as soon as possible.Commercial flights from Cairo are operating, and a number of Americans have also left via commercial airlines, private airlines, and other governments' chartered flights, according to the State Department.


U.S. officials are assessing whether flights will continue Friday and into the weekend.

Journalists report second day of detentions, harassment in Cairo

By the CNN Wire Staff

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Journalists attempting to cover unprecedented unrest in Egypt reported being targeted, beaten, arrested and harassed by security forces and police for a second day Thursday.


Al Jazeera released a statement demanding that three of its journalists, detained by Egyptian security forces, be released. A fourth has been reported missing, the network said.The Washington Post reported, citing multiple witnesses, that its Cairo bureau chief, Leila Fadel, and photographer Linda Davidson were among two journalists arrested Thursday morning by the Egyptian Interior Ministry. The Post later said on its blog that Fadel had called to say she and Davidson were released, but the two were separated from Sufian Taha, their translator and a longtime Post employee, and their Egyptian driver, Mansour el-Sayed Mohammed Abo Gouda. The two men were unaccounted for, the Post said.


The New York Times reported Thursday that two of its reporters had been released after being detained overnight in Cairo.Others said their gear had been confiscated. And the BBC tweeted Thursday, "Egyptian security seize BBC equipment at Cairo Hilton in attempt to stop us broadcasting."


"Gear taken at hotel for its own security," one photojournalist posted online. "... See if we get it back."U.S. State Department officials told CNN they have information that Egypt's Interior Ministry was behind the journalist detentions, citing reports from the U.S. Embassy in Egypt. Department officials were expected to discuss the issue with the Egyptian Embassy in Washington and the Foreign Ministry in Cairo.


Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the attacks and harassment of journalists seem to be part of an organized effort, but it was unclear who was directing it. "I don't think these are random attacks," he told reporters."There is a concerted campaign to intimidate international journalists in Cairo and interfere with their reporting," Crowley posted earlier Thursday on Twitter. "We condemn such actions."


A photojournalist for CNN-IBN, Rajesh Bhardwaj, was detained in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the site of bloody clashes between supporters and opponents of President Hosni Mubarak. He was taken away by the Egyptian Army and later released, but only after his identification card and tapes were destroyed, said Suhasini Haidar, CNN-IBN deputy foreign editor.


The Indian Ministry of External Affairs was advising Indian journalists in Egypt to avoid trouble spots.Other journalists reported being beaten and harassed by protesters."Situation on ground in Egypt very tense," CNN's Anderson Cooper tweeted Thursday. "Vehicle I was in attacked. My window smashed. All OK."


The Greek daily newspaper Kathimerini said one of its reporters, Petros Papaconstantinou, was beaten by protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Papaconstantinou was clubbed in the head with a baton and stabbed in the foot, either with a knife or a screwdriver, said Xenia Kounalaki, head of the newspaper's foreign desk. A photographer also sustained minor injuries, Kounalaki said, and both were treated at a Cairo hospital and released.


Other journalists reported close calls. Marie Colvin of the Sunday Times of London said she was approached by a gang of men with knives in Imbaba, a poor neighborhood of Cairo. Another group of men, who also were strangers to her, pushed her into a store and locked it to protect her, she said.


In addition, several human rights groups reported their representatives had been detained.The Hisham Mubarak Law Center, a human rights law firm, was taken over by military police, as was the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights, Oxfam International said in a statement. A total of eight people were detained, including the directors of both centers, the organization said.


Oxfam said several of its staff members were among those detained. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch each said one of their researchers was detained at the law center. They were interrogated before being taken away to an unknown location in Cairo, Human Rights Watch said. All three groups called for the immediate release of their staffers.


Al Jazeera said Thursday that six of its journalists had been detained by Egyptian authorities in the past week, with equipment stolen and destroyed. "It has also faced unprecedented levels (of) interference in its broadcast signal across the Arab world," the network said in a statement.U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attacks.


"The freedom of speech, whether journalists or demonstrators -- they should be fully guaranteed and protected. That is a ground principle of democracy," he said.


Meanwhile, Shahira Amin, a reporter for Egypt's state-run Nile TV, resigned Thursday."I spent the day at Nile TV yesterday," she told CNN. "I was only allowed to air the pro-Mubarak rallies that were going on, as if nothing was happening at Tahrir Square. We weren't allowed to reveal any figures. There was a near total blackout," she said, calling it "hypocritical ... I just don't want to be part of it."


She said she should have resigned "ages ago. ... I was happy to spend the day in Tahrir Square where the people are. ... I am on their side."


"People are too scared to tell the truth," she said. "There is a built-in or inherent feeling that many Egyptian journalists have because of (the threat of) detention and arrest."She added, "I haven't been intimidated all these years. I have been telling the truth. I managed to get away with it until now. This time around, I just couldn't tell the truth, so I just walked out."


Journalists were also targeted on Wednesday, with some beaten, bloodied, harassed and detained by men, most of them apparently aligned in some way with Mubarak.Numerous news outlets -- including the BBC, ABC News and CNN -- reported members of their staffs had been attacked, mostly on the streets of Cairo. In several cases, news personnel were accused of being "foreign spies," seized, whisked away, and often assaulted.


Fox News reported Thursday that a reporter and cameraman, forced to flee their position after a Molotov cocktail ignited a fire, ran into pro-Mubarak protesters and were so severely beaten they spent the night in a hospital before being released Thursday.


"It was pandemonium. There was no control. Suddenly a man would come up to you and punch you in the face," said CNN's Cooper, describing being attacked by pro-Mubarak demonstrators along with two colleagues outside of Tahrir Square.


CNN's Hala Gorani got caught Wednesday morning in a stampede of demonstrators, some of whom were riding on camels and horses."I got slammed against the gates and was threatened by one of the pro-Mubarak protesters who was ... telling me to 'get out, get out!'" Gorani said. "The pro-Mubaraks, whoever they are, whoever sent them, are being threatening toward camera crews, journalists, anybody who looks like they may be onlookers."


A BBC correspondent, Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, and his crew were "arrested by members of the secret police" on Wednesday after interviewing a presidential adviser, the BBC reported. They were later released, the network said.The Dubai-based Al-Arabiya news network was among the worst hit, with its office damaged and several of its staff targeted. Among them was correspondent Ahmed Abdullah, who his editor confirmed Wednesday was found bloodied after being severely beaten by his captors. He was transported to a hospital,


Maurice Sarfatti told the Brussels-based Le Soir newspaper, which he writes for along with publications in Switzerland and France, that he "received a stream of blows to the face" from men claiming he backed leading opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei."I am being guarded by two soldiers with Kalashnikovs (rifles) and bayonets," said Sarfatti, according to a translation from Le Soir. "They say I will be taken before the intelligence services. They say I am a spy."


The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based advocacy organization, claimed that such accounts were all too commonplace around Cairo.In a news release, the group detailed about a dozen incidents, accusing men -- most of them described as pro-Mubarak demonstrators, "plainclothes police," uniformed officers and military -- of perpetrating attacks on reporters seen with cameras and notepads.


The group laid the blame for this violence squarely on Mubarak's administration, accusing it of scheming to suppress and stifle news coverage."The Egyptian strategy is employing a strategy of eliminating witnesses to their actions," said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, the committee's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. "The government has resorted to blanket censorship, intimidation and, today, a series of deliberate attacks on journalists carried out by pro-government mobs."