Which side is the United States government on in Egypt’s political revolution?
According to the latest video released by Anonymous, the internet activist group that has added a great deal of fuel to the oppression-fighting fires currently taking place all over the world, the US government has been aiding Egypt’s “murderous dictator” in his fight to keep his ruling party intact, and the group is demanding a change.
“We ask that you immediately cut off all military and political aid to the Regime of Hosni Mubarak,” states the video message posted on YouTube by Anonymous representatives on Sunday. “We ask that you lend your support to the people of Egypt during this fight against tyranny (a course of action that would be supported by the supposed platform of freedom, liberty and democracy you claim to stand on).”
“You have provided funding and tools of suppression to an autocratic regime, helping it strip its citizens of their basic human rights. We hope that you do not expect the citizens of Egypt to support your interests after such detestable actions. While exercising their Universal Human Right to protest as declared by the United Nations in 1948, the Egyptian people found themselves assaulted by tear gas canisters labeled ‘Made in USA’,” the video claims. “You cannot expect the people of Egypt to respect your country when you are contributing to their oppression.”
The video does not state what Anonymous intends to do if US government officials choose to ignore their demands, however it’s quite likely to include DDoS attacks on government websites with the group’s weapon of choice, the Low Orbit Ion Cannon. Group members began DDoS attacks on Egyptian government websites late last week, which led to a government shutdown of the internet to the nation’s 80 million citizens, including educational institutions and financial centers.
These new demands of the US government come despite the fact that legal heat is intensifying for Anonymous members, with 40 search warrants issued in the US last week and 5 arrests in the UK. So far it seems to be business as usual for the group as they continue to support new and ongoing missions on communications news sites as well as their blog.
As we’ve seen many times over the past six months, Anonymous does not back down easily and is willing to risk legal punishment in order to stand up for citizen’s rights all over the world. Will the next major target be the US government? It looks as though we’ll soon find out.
