Ayman Nour blocked from travel

 Egyptian opposition politician Ayman Nour said today that state security forces prevented him from flying to the United States.  Since finally being released from prison, where he had been placed on trumped-up charges after losing the 2005 Presidential election to Hosni Mubarak, Nour has faced recurrent harrassment and abuse.  He recently signed on to the broad campaign to oppose Gamal Mubarak's succession to his father's position as President. 

 The Reuters article mentions that Nour was scheduled to speak at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.   He was also scheduled to speak, at my invitation, here at the Elliott School next Friday (November 13) on the topic of "democracy in Egypt."  I certainly hope that the Egyptian authorities change their mind in time to allow him to travel to the United States and share his views on that subject.