Americans Paraded On Egyptian TV After Arrests

[Purveyor]

Source: New York Daily News

Three American students in Cairo arrested during the violent new eruption of pro-Democracy protests in Tahrir Square were paraded Tuesday on Egyptian TV, looking stressed and scared.

The trio studying Arabic at the American University in Cairo were accused of throwing firebombs from a rooftop at the military forces struggling to keep control of the country.

Egyptian state television showed their student IDs and soda bottles presumably filled with gasoline lined up on a desk while they stood staring at the camera with varying expressions of defiance and terror.

The university identified the trio as Derrik Sweeney, 19, from Jefferson City, Mo.; Luke Gates, 21, from Bloomington, Ind.; and Gregory Porter, 19, of Glenside, Pa.

MORE...

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/americans-paraded-egyptian-tv-arrests-article-1.981278?localLinksEnabled=false

[bemildred]

1. I guess the generals are getting desperate. nt

[chrisa]

15. Yup. They desperately want to keep power.

They're trying the ages old, "It's the work of foreign infiltrators!" excuse.

[msongs]

2. Americans are paraded on American tv after arrests. no biggee nt

[former9thward]

3. Pretty stupid to go to a foreign country and attack the military.

I guess they figured if something goes wrong they will be bailed out by Mommy and Daddy or the Embassy at least.

[Vinnie From Indy]

5. Or, they are innocent and are being used as ppolitical pawns.

As long as were throwing shit against the wall, let's include all of the possibilities.

[gratuitous]

9. That is indeed a possibility

And their best hope is that the Egyptians act better than Americans, and observe the due process niceties that we can't be bothered with. Which is a pretty shameful thing to have to say, but I fear it is true.

[redgiant]

7. Very foolish

If they were, in fact, participating in violent actions against the authorities as guests in Egypt, they are either incredibly naive and/or incredibly stupid. Hopefully, the State Department can get them deported back to the US. If not, they'll likely have bad time. Actions have consequences.

[liberal N proud]

19. If they are truly guilty, then they should do the local punishment

The problem with international travel is getting caught in a situation like this. One must very careful when traveling in other countries not to get involved in local politics.

[Poll_Blind]

4. At least one of them was a former Repuke intern. After viewing the video of them in action, I'd...

...say they're probably in some deep shit.

I don't support Americans participating in violent uprisings here in America and as dodgy as the current Egyptian government is, just being American ain't going to get you a free pass if you participate in violence against another country's armed forces/police.

Oh, and people should read the full article.

PB

[freshwest]

17. Apparently practicing disrupting democratic protests here at home. More O'Keefe's. n/t

[Historic NY]

6. They got some problems there isn't miranda or rights over there....

bottles, and then dressing up along with they already said, says.... they ani't coming home for thanksgiving.

[McCamy Taylor]

8. They are hostages so the US will keep sending in the money.

[Nihil]

10. They are thugs who are gambling that US exceptionalism will bail them out.

Read the OP article ...

>> Before his arrest, in a series of Twitter posts starting Sunday, Gates described
>> being in the middle of the increasingly violent protests.
>> “We were throwing rocks and one guy accidentally threw his phone,” he reported.
> ...
>> Gates seemed energized by the fervor.
>> “Wish the protests in New York looked like the ones in Tahrir,” he wrote.

Are you *really* trying to defend violent scum like this?

:wtf:

[UpInArms]

11. if the tables were turned and they were Egyptian students

in America - throwing "homemade bombs" at homeland security goons - they were be called terrorists - shipped to Guantanamo and never seen or heard of again.

Torture, anyone?

[w4rma]

12. Whatever they were doing, we need to protect them. (nt)

[Nihil]

22. Did you really mean that to sound the way that it did?

> Whatever they were doing, we need to protect them.

Have you really failed to notice that so much of the anti-American view
out there is SOLELY based on your attitude of American Exceptionalism?

:argh:

[tuckessee]

13. If these guys aren't terrorists then what is one?

I hope the Egyptians treat them as would the pantheon of Freedom & Democracy - years of detention marked by sick & scientific torture topped off with a kangaroo military court hearing. It's the American Way.

[COLGATE4]

14. Fucking Idiots!

[freshwest]

16. I read the article. Guess they thought it was Spring Break. The military rule there sucks, but...

For these guys, after what they admit in the article, they didn't help the Egyptian people at all. Just wanted to riot. I'm sure their parents will pay up to get them to come back and brag about it.

:nopity:

[dipsydoodle]

18. Is this the Cairo X Factor ?

:shrug:

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

20. Oh those zany college hijinks!

Or not...............

[red dog 1]

21. Gates Tweeted "We were throwing rocks."...doesn't sound like an "innocent American student"

[goforit]

23. Can not believe these kids are there.

[Art_from_Ark]

24. The students have been released

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/egypt/111124/egypt-3-american-students-released-after-protest-arrests