Americans in Cairo

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AmericansInCairo.org statement on Palestine-Israel

Americans in Cairo are dedicated to the notion that Israel constitutes no exception to the law that says:
"The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies."
 Geneva Convention of 1949

A few months after the 1967 war, Charles de Gaulle observed that -

[ Israel ] ...    is organising, on the territories which it has taken, an occupation which cannot work without oppression, repression and expulsions - and if there appears resistance to this, it will in turn be called “terrorism".


Moving to Cairo - Background
Community Services Association - Maadi
Wikipedia's "Cairo"

The Egyptian Economy - 27 December 2007 - El Ahram Weekly
The Egyptian Economy - 1 January 2009 - El Ahram Weekly
"Market Report" - 24 December 2009 - El Ahram Weekly

El Ahram Weekly on Egyptian economics, politics, society and culture

Al-Ahram Weekly reports and opinions on USA behaviour in the Middle East

Hopes for peace unwarranted - Khalid Amayreb January 2010
Most Palestinians view the vague "ideas" being floated in Washington on resuming peace talks with Israel as pipe dreams
The peace enemy within - Ramzy Baroud December 2009
President Obama has done nothing to address the grip of the Israeli lobby on US foreign policy, and hence Middle East peace is as unattainable as it ever was
Is it too late for Obama? - Hassan Nafaa December 2009
The Arabs are growing tired of waiting for the promises the new US president made to be fulfilled
Palestinian Christians urge Israel boycott - December 2009
Exactly what not to do - Gilad Atzmon November 2009
NATO wants to learn from Israel, but all it will learn is how to kill and perpetuate war
'Nuke Gaza' is next - Jeff Gates November 2009
When it comes to Israel the buck stops in Washington, having enabled and continued to support its worst excesses
Al-Qaeda reconsidered - Khalil El-Anani October 2009
By luring America into escalating its war effort in Afghanistan, Al-Qaeda has driven the last nail into the coffin of the US-centred unipolar world order
Wanted for murder - Dina Ezzat October 2009
How long will it take to charge Israeli war criminals?
Impunity wins - Amira Howeidy October 2009
With the UN Human Rights Council's decision to defer its vote on war crimes in Gaza politics has once again triumphed over international law
Revolving doors - Khaled Amayreb September 2009
Another round of shuttle diplomacy from US Middle East Envoy George Mitchell fails to convince the Israelis to freeze settlement building... how many doors are left for Mitchell to knock on?
Mocking Obama - Khaled Amayreb September 2009
While the world thought Obama would champion justice, Israel has proven that his words are meaningless.. from occupied Jerusalem
Moving forward together - Khaled Dawoud August 2009
President Mubarak's US meeting with Barack Obama restored warmth in relations between the two long-standing allies, but Egypt stood firm that Israel should take steps towards peace first
What's new? - Khaled Amayreh July 2009
Is Washington retreating in the face of Israel's refusal to halt settlement building, asks Khaled Amayreh from occupied Jerusalem
Forbidden fruit - Khaled Amayreh July 2009
Israel is pushing ahead with settlements, defying Obama to punish Adam?
Evasive moves - Khaled Amayreh June 2009
After Obama's candid address in Cairo, Israel's prime minister is gearing up to swamp hopes of peace in impossible conditions and demands
Obama's extended hand - June 2009
Dina Ezzat explores the prospects of the US president's address to the Muslim world, while Gihan Shahine gauges public sentiment
Helping Obama to help - June 2009
Dina Ezzat examines the chances for Obama to make history in the Middle East
Moment of truth - Barack Obama at the table - Nicola Nasser April 2009
New US thinking? - Azmi Bishara March 2009
Will Obama listen? - El-Sayed Amin Shalabi March 2009
Washington continuing discredited policies - Abdus Sattar Ghazali March 2009
Imposing sanctions on Israel - Ezzedine Choukri Fishere February 2009
America's new(?) foreign policy - Muqtedar Khan February 2009
Obama is not going to change the essence of America's Middle East course
- Azmi Bishara February 2009

For Palestinians, so far, the new US president represents no change whatsoever
- Ramzy Baroud January 2009
"The Arabs are trapped between the anvil of Israeli belligerency and the hammer of US indifference to their concerns" - Ayman El-Amir January 2009
(Hey, if all you've got is a hammer, everything starts looking like a nail).
Isreal's Gaza myths - Jonathon Cook January 2009
PLO sells out Gaza - Curtis Doebbler January 2009
Accountability and the rule of law in America - James Zogby December 2008
Has the American neo-con riot run its course? - Stuart Reigeluth December 2008
Obama and Israel - Hassan Nafaa November 2008
The Republican campaign seems to be benefiting from, and stoking, religious defamation and hate speech - Abdus Sattar Ghazali October 2008

Open letter to President Obama - August 2008


Us Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee

My Israel Question - Antony Loewenstein
Palestine, A Personal History - Karl Sabbagh
Roadmap to Nowhere - Tanya Reinhart

Australia's Shaik and Loewenstein on Annapolis

Haaretz Daily Newspaper - Israel
AIC - The Alternate Information Center - Palestine/Israel
The Electronic Intifada - Chicago


Google Earth map of Independence Square ("Midan Tahrir") area

Nile is on the left - green circle towards the center is "Midan" Tahrir (Independence "Square") - The old Hilton (now "The Nile Hotel") is the white rectangular building northwest of Midan Tahrir - the Egyptian Museum is the building north and a bit east across the street from the Hilton  - American University in Cairo is the block with green spaces south-southeast of Midan Tahrir - northeast of Midan Tahrir, all roads lead to Midan Talat Harb (Talat Harb Square) - bazaars begin on the streets leading away from Midan Talat Harb.

The large building at the center of the three pictures at the top of this page is the slightly curved building with the bright white sidewalks immediately south-southwest of Midan Tahrir and is a major administrative building - one gets one's visas renewed there.



Talat Harb street connects Midan Tahrir and Midan Talat Harb to the northwest and then continues into further shopping streets.

The bridge over the Nile on the road from Midan Tahrir has broad sidewalks which fill with quiet crowds of families and friends who walk the length of it on a cool summer's evening and much of the rest of the year as well.

The Cairo Nile tour boats are boarded on the beach straight out from the Nile Hotel area. Some can be chartered in the evening for a very low cost per person to your group (even six or eight). "Evening" runs to 2am and 4am on hot summer nights as whole families are drawn to the fresh air of the river's bank where they walk the wide sidewalk.























The Google Earth map to the left captures the area between the Nile Hotel (the old Hilton) and "Islamic Cairo". The Google Earth map below it is centered on the Citadel area.

In the upper map, the Nile Hotel is the white rectangular building on the east bank of the Nile between the two bridges in the upper left of the picture - Islamic Cairo is the area with numerous blue dots towards the right edge of the picture, just above the picture's center line - the blue dots represent such attractions as the Citadel and the Muhammed Ali Mosque.

Islamic Cairo is ancient Cairo and an area about which Egyptians feel a great deal of pride. They will be a disappointed if you haven't visited the main sights.

The TourEgypt.net web page for Islamic Cairo is very complete and will make it clear to you how much there is to do and see.

The upper picture provides a good view of the walk from the Midan Tahrir area to Islamic Cairo. A beeline takes you through a lot of twists and turns but there are the routes by way of the arch of main avenues to the east-northeast and then southeast or the southern route - southeast and then east-northeast. Better to take a taxi and save your energy for the vast spread of Islamic Cairo itself. Or try walking back to Midan Tahrir from Islamic Cairo if you still have the time and energy. The walk is worth it - once at least - the industry and humanity on the beeline between the two areas is very absorbing.

Everywhere people will tell you, "Welcome to Egypt." And they mean it.

Plan to drink several liters of water if it is a hot day. Sit down someplace and drink lots of water if you start feeling disoriented and confused. It will probably be dehydration although it may come on so quickly you may wonder if it is "heat stroke". Dehydration will catch up with you quickly on a hot Cairo day.

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