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February 11, 2011

Kevin WaldronSTAFF WRITER

SOURCE: OIL PRICE.NET

The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.12 Feb. 4, up 5.4 cents just in one week. Analystsexpect prices to stay above $3 a gallon, and most likely go higher until the confict in Egypt is resolved andMideast tensions ease. Oil prices hovered around $90 a barrel last week. Some predict the Egyptian crisiswill lead to $100-a-barrel prices soon.

Jan. 17 A man

lit himself onfire outside of

Egypts

parliament inprotest of the

government.

Jan. 25 Thousandsmarched a crossed

Egypt to let theirvoices be heard in

protest of Mubaraks

30-year reign in whathas been called a

democracy.

Jan. 27 Security

forces flood centralCairo to try to stop

the protests.Protesters are met

with deadly force.

Jan. 28 Again,

clashes betweenpolice and

Egyptians causedeaths, at least 62

are killed. Mubarakimposed a dusk-to-

dawn curfew.

Internet and cellphone connections

shut o to thecountry.

Jan. 29 32 Egyptiansare killed as

protesters step-up

violence against thegovernment,

Mubaraks Cabinetresigned. Mubarak

hired a new first vice

president and newpremier.

Jan. 30

Mubarak met

with militarycommand to

examinesituation to try

to get under

control.

Jan. 31 TheEgyptian

government

unveiled a newCabinet.

However, mostseats remain

unchanged.

Feb. 1 More than 1 millionprotesters marched on the

capital and Alexandria.Mubarak said in a television

statement he will not run for

re-election, but still refuses tostep down. U.S. President

Barack Obama said in a speech,he praised the Egyptian

military for their patriotism

and for allowing peacefuldemonstrations. He said that

only the Egyptian peopleshould determine their leaders.

Feb. 2 Rage and

violent clashes

continued in centralCairo. Up to 1,500

people were injured,at least three deaths

were reported. Cellphone and Internet

usage was restored.

Feb. 3

Governmentautomatic

weapons werestarting to be

used at the will

of Mubarak. Atleast five people

died.

Feb. 4 Egyptiansprotest again on

Cairos TahrirSquare calling it

the Day ofDeparture in

hopes that

Mubarak willfinally step down.

Feb. 5 United

Nations report atleast 300 people

have been killed

since the violencestarted. Terrorists

attacked Israel-Egyptgas pipeline in

northern Sinai.

Feb. 6 A dialogueround is underway

among other Arabnations to discuss

how serious the

situation is to get itunder control and to

meet the demands ofthe people.

Global crisis has risenin Egypt over the past threeweeks in response to thecurrent president, HosniMubarak. This revolutionaffects Egyptians, Arabs andis now hitting America.

The uprising began on Jan.17, when a man lit himselfon fire outside Egypts parlia-ment in protest of the govern-ment, according to AssociatedPress (AP).

On Jan. 25, thousandsmarched across Egypt to lettheir voices be heard in protestof Mubaraks 30-year reign.

Young people, who are notonly protesting the president,but the unemployment rate,high food prices and repres-sive government, started therebellion. In Egypt, a largenumber ofcollege-edu-cated youth

joined ther e b e l l i o n ,a c c o r d i n gto AljazeeraNews.

D o u g l a sWiig, profes-sor of politi-cal science atGrand View,said this eventwas waiting tohappen. The30-year reignof Mubaraksgovernmenthas beena stable dictator democracyin Egypt. The economy andemployment rate has declinedin the past decade.

The concept of democ-racy in western Asia is dif-ferent than western states likethe U.S. Wiig said. Egyptand the Mubarak administra-

tion are more pro-western, likeIraq and Jordan, than a puredemocratic state.

Egypt is a special con-cern because it is the onlyArabic state to officially havea peace deal with Israel. Thispeace deal was established in1947 after a war and a shift inpower, Wigg said.

Since Jan. 25, marcheshave been held everyday inCairos Tahrir Square. It hasbeen nearly impossible forprotesters to organize ralliesafter cell phone and Internetusage was cut on Jan. 28. It

was then restored by Mubarakon Feb. 2 to try to slow theuprising. According to CBSnews, until Mubarak is outof office, the Egyptian peoplewill continue to protest with

violence.Aljazeera

News report-ed Mubarakrefuses to stepdown. AfterM u b a r a k sc a b i n e tstepped downon Jan. 29, he

hired a newvice presidentand premier.On Jan. 31, hefilled the restof his cabinet.

Accordingto UnitedN a t i o n sreports, over

300 people have been killedin the protests and thousandshave been injured.

CBS news reported last

week Mubarak ordered the useof heavy artillery to get thenon-peaceful protesters undercontrol. On Feb. 1, the anti-government leaders ordereda march of over 1 millioncitizens in Cairo, calling it theday of departure.

Men, women and evenchildren are involved in thefight against the government.

In a press conference onFeb. 3, President Obama said,We understand what peaceand stability is, and we under-stand what uncertainty andinstability bring to the globaleconomy and to the globaleconomic recovery.

Egypt is the top ally to theU.S. and Arab world.

Wiig said, It looks likethe situation will becomeunder control, but you justnever know.

According to Wiig, theObama administration is try-ing to help Mubarak make asmooth transition of power.Even though the U.N. hasstepped in, he said it would beup to the people to make thetransition.

Wiig said it is unknown atthis time who will take controlof the government, but the

two main groups trying are theanti-government groups andthe Arab Brotherhood.

According to a WhiteHouse press release, theObama administration is urg-ing Mubarak to not use violentforce on the people and try tocome up with a plan to changepower and give people morefreedom.

The condition of Egyptis affecting Iowa also. Themain concern for people in

Violent protests in Egypt affecting Iowans

It looks likethe situationwill become

under

control,butyou justnever know.

Douglas Wiigprofessor of political

science

the U.S. is higher fuel prices.According to Oil-Price.net,crude oil has jumped over $14dollars per barrel in the pasttwo weeks. The nation is sit-ting at the highest fuel pricessince 2008.

Egypt is also affecting thestock market throughout theworld. Last week the DowJones dropped over 150 points,

according to NYSE.comI do not see the U.S. mili-tary getting involved in peace-keeping unless things get real-ly bad, Wiig said. But Egyptis vital to the U.S. interests inthe Arab world.

J. Scott Carpenter, a for-mer aid to George W. Bush,told the Associated Press,The longer the situationwinds on, the more danger-ous it becomes for Americanforeign policy.

Timeline of events

GRAPHIC BY BROOKE CURRY