cryptogon.com

Major demonstrations are planned for Cairo, Alexandria and other cities, the latest in a series of rallies that began a week ago. Protesters have defied orders for a curfew, and the country’s powerful military announced Monday that it would not open fire on peaceful demonstrators.

…

Egypt’s military announced Monday evening that it recognized “the legitimate demands of the honest citizens” and would not open fire on peaceful protesters.

“The presence of the armed forces in the Egyptian streets is for your benefit to protect your safety and peace,” an unnamed spokesman announced on state television Monday night. “Your armed forces will not use violence against this great people, who have always played a significant role in every moment of Egypt’s great history.”

And human rights activist and blogger Ramy Raoof told CNN’s “Parker Spitzer” that troops are mingling with demonstrators in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.

On 27 January, Egypt fell off the internet as virtually all international connections were cut following an order from the government.

But older technologies proved their worth as net activists and protesters used them to get round the block.

Protesters are also circulating information about how to avoid communication controls inside Egypt.
Call charge

Dial-up modems are one of the most popular routes for Egyptians to get back online. Long lists of international numbers that connect to dial-up modems are circulating in Egypt thanks to net activists We Re-Build, Telecomix and others.

Dial-up numbers featured heavily in Twitter messages tagged with hashes related to the protests such as #egypt and #jan25.

ISPs in France, the US, Sweden, Spain and many other nations have set up pools of modems that will accept international calls to get information to and from protesters. Many have waived fees to make it easier for people to connect.

Few domestic lines in Egypt can call internationally to get at the modems, however. The Manalaa blog gave advice about how to use dial-up using a mobile, bluetooth and a laptop. It noted that the cost of international calls could be “pricey” but said it was good enough for “urgent communication”. The advice was posted to many blogs, copied and sent out by many others.

We Re-Build, which campaigns for unmonitored internet access around Europe, said it was also listening on some ham radio frequencies and would relay any messages it received either by voice or morse code.

The unauthorised examinations include genital, rectal and breast exams, and raise serious questions about the ethics of up-and-coming doctors, Madison reports.

The research, soon to be published in international medical journal, Medical Education, describes – among others – a student with “no qualms” about performing an anal examination on a female patient because she didn’t think the woman’s consent was relevant.

Egypt’s military moved more aggressively Sunday to take control over parts of the capital, but the sixth day of unrest ended with increasing questions about how much longer President Hosni Mubarak could withstand calls for his resignation, including an electrifying demand from opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei that he step down to “save the country.”

Just hours after fighter jets buzzed overhead and a column of tanks tried to enter Cairo’s central Tahrir Square, thousands of protesters defied a government-imposed curfew to gather in a peaceful nighttime demonstration that culminated in the dramatic appearance by ElBaradei.

The opposition leader, who earlier in the day won a political endorsement from Egypt’s banned Muslim Brotherhood, promised protesters through a megaphone that “change is coming in the next few days.”

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Sunday’s show of force by the military was seen as a sign that it could be preparing to crack down on protests to restore calm to Cairo and other cities. The chaos in the streets has shocked entrenched strongmen throughout the region, galvanized the Arab world and left about 100 people dead, according to Egyptian media.

In one brief but tense standoff, hundreds of protesters blocked army tanks from the downtown square, some sitting in front of their path and waving them off angrily. Protesters feared the military was preparing to cordon off an area that has become the heart of mass demonstration. The situation was defused when the tanks changed course and left.

Thousands of protesters continued to occupy the city center until late Sunday, chanting anti-government slogans while army helicopters periodically flew overhead.

In a move applauded by many government critics, the military seized control of the headquarters of the much-reviled Interior Ministry, whose police officers had been recalled from duty since violently clashing with protesters last week.

There was no official figure, and the real figure may be very different, given the confusion on the streets.

On Saturday in Beni Suef, south of Cairo, police shot dead 17 people trying to attack two police stations and eight people were killed during protests. Eight others were killed in clashes when prisoners tried to escape from Abu Zaabal prison in Cairo.

Postby pschenecker » Sat Aug 01, 2009 10:03 pm
This is Parker Schenecker, formerly 1LT Schenecker (Battalion S1 from 1987-88). Now, after a lot of years, and numerous oversights by the Army promotion boards, I’m COL Schenecker, the Deputy NSA rep to CENTCOM in Tampa FL. Have kept in touch with many folks from Munich (1986-90 for me, 1987-1992 for my wife, the former Russian 97E Julie Powers) over the years.

Just a recap for me. Came to Munich for duty as the Aide to the AAFES commander, BG EB Leedy…after that, I rolled over to the 18th as the S1, then went over to 66th as the HHC commander for a year; Greg Zellmer (now COL and taking command of 66th next summer) was my XO. Stint @ Huachuca as instructor and BN XO then back to Germany (Vilseck and Wurzburg). Other assignments, CONUS and Hawaii, then back to Germany in Ansbach as the Garrison commander. After 10 years in Germany, we certainly miss it! We get back as often as we can.

OK, during our time in Munich, I’ll recap come of the folks who were with us (86-90). BN Commanders (after McKay was sacked) were MAJ Mike Moak (deceased), LTC Arty Franzello (deceased), followed by COL (Ret)Tom Gandy (now @ Army G2). BN XOs were Mike Moak, followed by MAJ Bob Barrigan, followed by Barb Fast (now MG Barb Fast). BN S2 was LTC(Ret) Mark Knick. BN S3 was John Zellmer; assistant was Randy Luten. BN S4 was Gregg Potter (now BG Potter; EUCOM J2). IMO (S6) was Sam Boggs, followed by COL Rick Zoller. HHC Commander was Jeff Cleghorn. Other officers during that stint were COL Bryan DeCoster, Rob Fagan, Mike Hunter, LTC Bridget Rourke, Tony Pauroso (5th MI Cdr), Bob Beaver (5th MI Cdr), LTC (Ret) Rob Walter, Paul Muehlman, among others. Zak Szebunczek (sp?) was the Civilian Advisor.

We were all there during the “mutiny”; I’ll post a note in that forum with the details. I was the Adjutant during all that fiasco, so I had the details of the whole sordid affair…I can fill in the details on why the 18th became known as the “Love Battalion.”

Looking forward to catching up with folks from one of the best units in the Army…and certainly the best location for an assignment one could even imagine.

She shot her 13-year-old son Thursday evening after driving him home from soccer practice. Then she walked upstairs and shot her 16-year-old daughter in the back of the head as she did homework, an arrest affidavit states.

With their blood on her clothing, the 50-year-old mother remained at the Tampa Palms house all night. Police didn’t arrive until the next morning, after Schenecker’s mother called them from Texas, worried because she couldn’t reach her daughter, whom she believed was depressed.

Schenecker admitted killing her children, Calyx Schenecker, 16, and Powers Beau Schenecker, 13, police said. She showed no remorse.

Though Schenecker cooperated Friday, police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said no explanation could help people truly understand why it happened.

“She did tell us that they talked back and they were mouthy,” she said.

The children’s father, Army Col. Parker Schenecker, 48, was informed Friday that his wife killed their children, McElroy said. He is stationed at Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base and was in the Middle East.

Neighbors said they have seen police cars at the home at 16305 Royal Park Court before, though not often.

The Department of Children and Families said it investigated the family about two months ago after getting a complaint. The tip was determined to be unfounded and the case closed. Spokesman Terry Field said he couldn’t elaborate.

Several out-of-state family members declined to comment Friday, but neighbors and school officials described the children as bright, polite and athletic.

“Calyx was a very sweet girl, always soft-spoken, always quiet — a real sweetheart,” neighbor Seema Jain said. “I just can’t comprehend why this has happened to them.”

• • •

Parker Schenecker met Julie Powers in Munich, Germany, where they were both stationed in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

She worked as a Russian linguist for the Army, collecting intelligence for European agencies by interviewing refugees coming from the Eastern Bloc, said Tim Fredrikson, who served with her.

He was a rising intelligence officer who had graduated cum laude with a French degree from Washington and Lee University in Virginia, where the school yearbook is named the “Calyx.”

In Munich, Julie organized and coached a volleyball team of officers, said K.C. Dreller, another intelligence officer who worked with her.

“She was super good at it,” said Dreller, 49. “I imagine she was super good at everything she did. Anybody that was in that field was a Type A personality.”

The couple married and had two children, Calyx in Germany and Powers, who went by “Beau,” in Honolulu.

The military family moved a lot, and Parker Schenecker studied at several military schools, including the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College, according to a 2010 bulletin on distinguished alumni, published on his high school’s website.

The newsletter also said he became a colonel in 2006 and was mainly responsible for the National Security Agency’s support to military operations.

About three years ago the family landed in Tampa.

Parker is assigned to U.S. Central Command’s intelligence directorate and has worked for CentCom for more than two years, said Lt. Col. Mike Lawhorn, a spokesman. He was on a temporary duty assignment overseas the past few days.

Julie Schenecker, no longer in the Army, stayed home with their children. She took shifts driving in the neighborhood’s King High School car pool and often referred to the struggles of parenting in seemingly light-hearted Facebook posts.

On May 7, a friend wrote, “Happy Mother’s/Hallmark day to all the mothers. You are more brave than I. Not sure how you do it, but glad you do.”

Julie responded: “some days, not sure how we do it, either!! :-)”

On Sept. 23, a friend posted on his profile: “Hold yourself to a higher standard than anybody else expects of you.”

Julie commented: “i needed that advice today — have a 16 yr old daughter!”

• • •

Beau attended Liberty Middle School and played soccer. The young teen could often be found playing basketball, street hockey or other games with friends in the cul-de-sac.

Calyx was in the 10th grade in the pre-International Baccalaureate program at King High. She was a talented artist, took part in speech and debate and formed a Harry Potter fan club.

Principal Carla Bruning described her as an excellent student who was popular, sweet and enthusiastic.

“She was a great kid, the kind you would want to clone,” Bruning said.

Gary Bingham, who coached Calyx in cross country and track, called her “the fastest freshman I ever had.”

She was quirky, he said, a girl fascinated by bugs and funny-looking leaves on the running trails. She was easy-going and bubbly — smart, too.

At track practice Thursday afternoon, Calyx, a distance runner with long legs, decided to also give hurdles a try.

“She went over a hurdle and fell face first,” Bingham said. “She got up just laughing.”

Bingham expected to see his runner again at a 5K race today. Instead, he consoled his track team Friday and thought of Calyx’s father.

“He leaves here with a family and comes back with nothing,” Bingham said.

• • •

The scene Friday morning was ghastly. Beau was still in the van, Calyx by the computer. It didn’t look like they struggled. “The children never saw it coming,” McElroy said.

Inside the house, police found a detailed note that explained how their mother planned to kill them, then herself. As they processed the scene, the department’s Critical Incident Stress Management team was on hand to counsel the investigators, all parents.

Schenecker told police she shot her son in the head “for talking back to her” as she drove him to soccer practice, an arrest affidavit states.

About 3:30 p.m., authorities led her from Tampa police headquarters. She wore a white, plastic outfit, the type given to suspects when their clothing is seized as evidence.

She did not answer questions from reporters and mumbled to herself as deputies escorted her into the Orient Road Jail.

She shook uncontrollably, and deputies took her to the medical unit to be screened, said Sheriff’s Office spokesman Larry McKinnon.