CAIRO (AP) - The closure of Egypt's banks for two of the past three weeks has added strain on an economy already reeling from the evaporation of tourism and a prolonged stock market closure caused by the political upheaval that ousted longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.
The closures were ordered after protests and strikes by poorly paid bank workers, some of them demanding a purge of executives they accused of corruption. Concerns over a lack of security also factored into the decision. Most police disappeared from the streets a few days after the revolt began on Jan. 25 and many have not returned.