In the news

Today actually seems relatively quiet (so far) - time to take a deep breath before the next big wave hits. There are a few articles of interest however:

Egypt protestors gather for mass march

Despite the Egyptian authorities' attempts to disrupt the anti-government protests, the country prepared Tuesday for a "million man march" expected to leave central Cairo in the late morning hours.

Tens of thousands of people arrived at the Tahrir Square on Tuesday morning, joining masses who violated the curfew and spent the night there.

The Egyptian army vowed not to open fire at the tens of thousands of protestors. Military helicopters we seen hovering above central Cairo.

Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, one of the leaders of the Egyptian uprising, told British newspaper Independent that if President Hosni Mubarak "wants to save his skin, he better leave... Ultimately, the Egyptian army will be with the people."

As many articles have stated - it is becoming more and more apparent that ElBaradei will be Egypt's next leader, and he is firmly aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood.

And that comment leads into the next article:

Egypt's next leader a 'stooge of Iran?'

Egypt could soon go the way of Lebanon in becoming a satellite or close ally of Iran if the current street demonstrations succeed in toppling the government of President Hosni Mubarak.

Until now, the week-long protests have lacked a clear leader, someone to take over should Mubarak fall. But Mohammed ElBaradei, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is busy setting himself up as just such a leader.

ElBaradei openly backed and took part in the demonstrations over the weekend, quickly earning him the support and admiration of most of the protestors.

ElBaradei is a clean-cut diplomat with extensive ties to the international community. But Malcom Hoenlein of the Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations warned everyone not to be fooled.

In an interview with Yeshiva World News, Hoenlein accused ElBaradei of being a “stooge of Iran.” Hoenlein noted that during his years as head of the IAEA, ElBaradei worked tirelessly to oppose Western sanctions against Iran’s nuclear program. ElBaradei adopted and championed the Iranian line that its nuclear program was purely civilian in nature.

The kind of leader ElBaradei would be was further revealed on Sunday when Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, the forerunner of the Palestinian Hamas, publicly endorsed him as the next president of Egypt.

We turn to Israel's southern border and concerns there:

IDF secures Egypt border fearing terrorist infiltration from Sinai

In light of the unrest in Egypt, Israel has been preparing for the possibility that tens of thousands of African asylum-seekers in that country could flood across the border into Israel in fear for their lives.

Army and Border Police forces have been beefed up along the Egyptian border also out of fear that terrorists could exploit the situation to cross the border and perpetrate attacks inside Israel. In addition, military planners are concerned that masses of Sinai Bedouin might seek to flee Egypt for Israel.

And this:

Iran warns foreign warships in PG

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Major General Hassan Firouzabadi said Monday that the Iranian Navy is stationed in the region and controls the passage of warships.

Reminding that the Persian Gulf is considered Iran's southern coast, Firouzabadi said that Iran probes every ship, which intends to sail in these waters, and only allows them passage after documenting their details.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran does not need the presence of extra-regional countries nor their friendship and has always said that the absence of the extra-regional countries will ensure the security of the Persian Gulf," he concluded.

There are currently over 31 warships docked in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, nineteen of which belong to the United States

Last year, the Iranian Navy unveiled its first domestically-manufactured destroyer, Jamaran, in the waters of the Persian Gulf.

The 1,420-ton destroyer, equipped with a variety of anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles, is patrolling the southern waters of the Persian Gulf.