looting antiquities

[click image]

.

I know Toucans are not from Egypt, but there is a connection between ancient Egypt and ancient America and I want to contemplate that instead of all this creepy stuff I'm also attending.

Former Egyptian museum director Wafaa el-Saddik said the National Museum in Cairo was looted by its own security guards and that the Memphis Museum, south of Cairo, was "completely emptied" by looters.

"I alerted an army general but it was too late," he said.

Looters also emptied an entire warehouse at the Qantara Museum, near the city of Ismailia, that contained 3000 objects from the Roman and Byzantine periods, a tourism police source said.

Egyptian museum official Mohamed Megahed said there had been "immense damage" to the ancient burial grounds of Abusir and Saqqara.

"Only the Imhotep Museum and adjacent central areas were protected by the military. In Abusir, all tombs were opened with gangs digging day and night," he said.

It seems the looting has been quite more extensive than I've seen so far, and I'm bummed about this, and:

This lies in the background of President Mubarak’s appointment of Egypt’s antiquities Tsar, Zahi Hawass, to a cabinet level post. Given Hawass’ own background and connections to the western elites, this is not a surprising move, but it is one that subtly implies that elite’s interest in Egyptian antiquities.

So I, along with the irascible Phil, am not feeling comforted by this elevation of the prime headache for Egyptologists... often seemingly completely at whim.

Anyway, It's 11am in Cairo, and hour before Friday prayers, and Tahrir Square is already full. In addition, there are people blocking ingress to State TV and various government offices and no word of the contingent that lit out for Mubarak's palace last night, but more on the way.

The army brass have been meeting this morning—without Mubarak or Suleiman—and have promised a statement before prayers. So I will try to stay awake for it... but I'm fading fast....

The people seem to hotly desire that the military take over the interim government. They want them to take out the regime. This is a very, very popular opinion, with also quite a few who feel Mubarak has been tamed and they can wait a few more months. Some of those will be wishing that out of gratitude for what they think Mubarak did for them in the past, some out of weariness and fear, and some because their businesses are tanking beyond help if this goes on much longer.

They are expecting 20 million demonstrators across the nation today.

I'm hoping the military will just announce to everyone before any violence kicks up that they have escorted Mubarak out of the palace and will be running things and facilitating the writing of the new "connestetution" is being written... but you know me. Fairy dust hippie and all....

This post, as with yesterday's, will likely be updating all day, so the people on the feed might want to know that.

.
love, 99
.