Egyptian President Hosni Mubarakacknowledged his citizens' discontent and attempted to defuse the crisis in Egypt Friday night by announcing that a new government is on the way. But the embattled president gave no indication that he himself planned to step down.
Specifically, Mubarak said that the current government has been asked to resign and he would appoint a new one on Saturday. He gave no indications he himself planned to step down, despite increasing calls for him to do so.
Mubarak's exact words: "I have requested the government to step down today. And I will designate a new government as of tomorrow to shoulder new duties."
The 82-year-old autocrat, who assumed power in Egypt 30 years ago, made the announcement following a day of widespread protests, violence and demonstrations. Just hours before the activity on the streets began, Egypt cut off Internet networks throughout the country.
Al Jazeera correspondent Sherine Tadros tweeted in response, "Mubarak says he'll fire govt but people are asking for regime change not a change in the regime!"
Keep up with the latest Egypt news below.
Report From Cairo
A reader who wishes to be known only by his alias Abu and Twitter handle@EgyptFreedomNow writes to tell us the situation on the ground in Cairo this morning. Reports Abu:
So far the protests have been hostile with the plain clothes thugs and uniformed riot police under Mubarak!Reactions to his speech have been brutally negative from everyone young and old. We the people of Egypt do not want a change in the regime, we want regime change! You cannot reform a broken government by re-shuffling the the card deck with "new and improved minions" when the dictator dealer is corrupt! The Army has been very respectful so far as have the crowds. We share a weary but mutual trust and camaraderie.A majority of Egyptians in Cairo want the following:1) Pro-secular freedom and tolerance of others. This includes Coptic Christians that have been supporting our effort. 2) We want a Constitutional Democracy. 3) We want to exile Mubarak and his family. There is no compromise on this priority issue from our people. 4) No more dictators regardless of their name, rank, or popularity!5) No hard-line theocracy! Especially no "Muslim Brotherhood" thugs that would crackdown worse than this regime has ever done for human rights.Just as American President Reagan told Gorbachev in 1987 Berlin to: "Tear down this wall!"President Obama must tell Mubarak in 2011 Cairo to: "Tear down this firewall!"We are nervous today because we do not know how violent they will become during each new day of protest. This has been much more peaceful than we believed it would be, however we are not even one week into this path we have taken.Much of the service here has been cut. No phone, no sms, and no internet without proxies.The best resource we have been using to spread information about how to get information out to others is this resource list website: werebuild.eu/wiki/Egypt/Main_PageMay peace guide our actions as we seek a new dawn in Cairo.
'More Of The Same'
Ben Wedemen from CNN tweets:
 | @ bencnn : New VP Omar Sulaiman and PM Ahmed Shafiq are as Mubarak as Mubarak. Egyptians in no mood for more of the same. #Jan25 #Egypt |
New Prime Minister
Al Jazeera is reporting that former aviation minister Ahmad Shafiq has been appointed prime minister.
Mubarak's Sons In London: Reports
Reports indicate that Mubarak's two sons, Gamal and Alaa, have arrived in London. The BBC is reporting both their arrival and the official denial on Egyptian television that they have left Egypt. More to come.
Israel Evacuates 200 Citizens From Egypt
AP reports: Israel's national airline has whisked some 200 Israelis, including families of Israeli diplomats, out of Egypt on board an emergency flight to escape the chaos engulfing the Arab country.
An Israeli official said Saturday's flight included dozens of tourists as well as diplomat's families.The official said Israeli diplomats would remain in Egypt for the time being. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations.
A Cairo airport official confirmed that El Al arranged the special flight. El Al does not usually fly on the Jewish sabbath to appease observant Jewish passengers who do not travel on the day of rest.
El Al refused to comment.
The flight reflects Israel's concerns over the situation in Egypt — the first Arab country to reach peace with Israel.
Leading Cleric Calls Mubarak 'Blind, Deaf And Dumb'
Sunni Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi has called on Mubarak to step down. The Egyptian-Qatari Qaradawi insisted that the Egyptian president's ouster would be the only solution to the nation's problems now that he had turned "blind, deaf and dumb.' Reports the AFP:
The cleric, spiritual leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and longtime resident of Qatar, heads the International Union for Muslim Scholars.
"There is no staying longer, Mubarak, I advise you (to learn) the lesson of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali," he said, referring to Tunisia's deposed president who fled to Saudi Arabia.
"Go Mubarak, have mercy on this people and leave so as not to increase the destruction of Egypt," he added.
He told Egyptians to "continue their uprising" but cautioned against any "attack on state institutions." The uprising "must come through peaceful means," Qaradawi said.
Widespread Looting
NBC's Richard Engle reports from Cairo that widespread looting is taking place in the wealthy suburbs outside the city as well as in Cairo itself.
More On Omar Suleiman, The New Vice President
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak named a vice president Saturday for the first time since coming to power nearly 30 years ago. It was a clear step toward setting up a successor in the midst of the biggest challenge ever to his rule from tens of thousands of anti-government protesters.
Mubarak named his intelligence chief and close confidant Omar Suleiman, state television reported.
Mubarak was widely seen as grooming his son Gamal to succeed him, possibly even as soon as in presidential elections planned for later this year. However, there was significant public opposition to the hereditary succession.
Suleiman has been in charge of some of Egypt's most sensitive foreign policy issues, including the Palestinian-Israeli peace process and inter-Palestinian divisions.
His appointment as vice president answers one of the most intriguing and most enduring political questions in Egypt: who would succeed the 82-year-old Mubarak?
Like Mubarak, Suleiman has a military background. The powerful military has provided Egypt with its four presidents since the monarchy was toppled nearly 60 years ago.
Mubarak Appoints A Vice President
Embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has appointed intelligence chief and confidante Omar Suleiman as his vice president.
Police Open Fire On Crowd In Cairo
AP reports: Police have opened fire on a massive crowd of protesters in downtown Cairo, killing at least one demonstrator.
Thousands of protesters are trying to storm the Interior Ministry located in the heart of the city.At least one body was seen being carried out on the shoulders of protesters Saturday. Many people were wounded as well.
It was not immediately clear whether the riot police were shooting live ammunition or rubber bullets.
Massive anti-government demonstrations are sweeping through downtown Cairo, defying a government curfew and demanding the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.
Protesters Look To Defy Another Curfew
Washington Post reports protesters look to defy government's curfew again:
The army was hailed on the streets as a potential savior, and protesters gave the troops thumbs up, openly imploring them to join their movement. But security services issued a statement calling for protesters to leave central squares and major roadways by 4 p.m., or else face arrest.As sundown approached, Tahrir Square was rapidly filling up in defiance of the curfew.There was widespread looting in some neighborhoods of the capital - including the city's upscale shopping district and the well-to-do suburbs. Government authorities blamed protesters run amok. But demonstrators claimed the destruction was perpetrated by plainclothes employees of the ruling National Democratic Party bent on sowing chaos to discredit the burgeoning pro-democracy campaign.
Tens Of Thousands Of Protesters Return To Streets Saturday
AP reports: A massive crowd of tens of thousands calling for the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak was gathering in the streets and squares of downtown Cairo Saturday afternoon, with protesters making clear they reject promises of reform and a new government offered by the embattled leader trying to hang on to power.
Dozens of tanks and armored personnel carriers fanned out across the city of 18 million, guarding key government building a day after large, violent confrontations emboldened the movement demanding a change of leadership. There was rampant looting across the sprawling city of 18 million and a growing feeling of fear and insecurity.
In the city's main Tahrir Square, at the center of Saturday's massive demonstration, there was only a light military presence — a few tanks — and soldiers are not intervening. Few police were seen in the crowds and the protest began peacefully but then police opened fire on some people in the crowd near the Interior Ministry and a number of them were wounded by gunshots. It was not clear whether they used rubber bullets or live ammunition.
One army captain joined the demonstrators, who hoisted him on their shoulders while chanting slogans against Mubarak. The officer ripped a picture of the president.
"We don't want him! We will go after him!" demonstrators shouted. They decried looting and sabotage, saying: "Those who love Egypt should not sabotage Egypt!"
Saudi Stock Exchange Tumbles
AP reports: Saudi Arabia's stock exchange tumbled by over 6 percent on Saturday, setting the stage for other regional markets to drop as concerns mounted about the violent protests in Egypt that presented the most serious challenge to President Hosni Mubarak's roughly 30-year rule.
The Saudi Tadawul was down 6.27 percent to 6,278.04 points by about 3:15 p.m. Saudi time. The market in Saudi Arabia, where the start of the work week is Saturday, was the first to react to the violence in Egypt and the drop in the TASI offered a window into the potential battering that could emerge when other regional markets reopen on Sunday."The fall is due to sentiment about what's happening in Egypt, and also in the US because the Dow went down" on Friday, said John Sfakianakis, chief economist at the Riyadh-based Banque Saudi Fransi-Credit Agricole Group.
Army Shows Signs Of Sympathy For Protesters
The New York Times reports that the Egyptian army is showing signs of sympathy for the protesters as they flood the streets of Cairo Saturday for a 5th day of demonstrations:
While some protesters clashed with police, army tanks expected to disperse the crowds in central Cairo and in the northern city of Alexandria instead became rest points and even, on occasion, part of the protests as anti-Mubarak graffiti were scrawled on them without interference from soldiers.
In another sign that the army was showing sympathy for the demonstrations, in a different central Cairo square on Saturday a soldier in camouflage addressed a crowd through a bullhorn declaring that the army would stand with the people.
“I don’t care what happens,” the soldier said. “You are the ones who are going to make the change.” The crowd responded, “The army and the people will purify the country.”
Protesters Return To The Streets Saturday
AP reports: Tanks guarded key government building around Cairo and the central square Saturday as protesters returned to the streets a day after massive and violent confrontations emboldened the movement demanding the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. The Cabinet resigned in the midst of rampant looting across the sprawling city and the death toll since protests began rose to 45.
Dozens of military armored personnel carriers and tanks as well as soldiers on foot deployed around a number of key government buildings in the capital, including state television and the Foreign Ministry after thousands of protesters besieged the two offices in Friday's riots. The military was protecting important tourist and archaeological sites such as the Egyptian Museum, home to some of the country's most treasured antiquities, as well as the Cabinet building. The pyramids on the outskirts of Cairo — Egypt's premiere tourist site — were closed by the military to tourists.
China Blocks 'Egypt' On Twitter-Like Site
Australia's News.com.au reports that China has blocked the word "Egypt" from appearing in searches on its country's popular Twitter-like service:
A search for "Egypt'' on the Sina microblogging service brings up a message saying, "According to relevant laws, regulations and policies, the search results are not shown.''The service has more than 50 million users.
Read more here.
An Overview Of The Egyptian Protests
Whether you've been breathlessly following the Egypt protests and need a comprehensive overview or you're new to the story and would like a primer, find all you need to know about the historic events here.
Oil, Dollar Surge After Egypt Protests
Bloomberg reports on the worldwide financial state following today's activity in Egypt:
Stocks worldwide plunged the most since November, crude oil posted the biggest jump since 2009 and the dollar rose versus the euro after protesters posed the biggest challenge to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule. Egypt’s dollar bonds sank, pushing yields to a record.
Full story here.
Egypt Facebook Application
HuffPost has a Facebook application to let you see what your friends are saying about the historic protests in Egypt. All you have to do is log into Facebook to run the simple search. Click here to see what your network is saying.
Did America Back Rebels Behind Uprising?
The Telegraph reports on an Egyptian dissident trained in New York:
The American Embassy in Cairo helped a young dissident attend a US-sponsored summit for activists in New York, while working to keep his identity secret from Egyptian state police.On his return to Cairo in December 2008, the activist told US diplomats that an alliance of opposition groups had drawn up a plan to overthrow President Hosni Mubarak and install a democratic government in 2011.
Full story here.
VIDEO: 'Made In USA' Tear Gas Can Surfaces Amidst Egypt Protests
HuffPost's Jason Linkins reports.
Inside The State Department's Twitter Diplomacy
Foreign Policy sheds light into how the State Department works behind the scenes to try to prevent Arab leaders from blocking social media and online tools.
Foreign policy reports:
The State Department has been working furiously and mostly behind the scenes to cajole and pressure Arab governments to halt their clampdowns on communications and social media. In Tunisia there seem to have been real results, in Egypt, it's too soon to tell.Ever since the State Department intervened during protests by the Iranian Green movement in June 2009, convincing Twitter to postpone maintenance so opposition protestors could communicate, the U.S. government has been ramping up its worldwide effort to set up a network of organizations that could circumvent crackdowns on Internet and cell phone technologies by foreign governments.
Full story here.
White House Cut Funding To Promote Democracy In Egypt
HuffPost's Marcus Baram reports:
President Obama's historic speech at Cairo University galvanized millions of people across the Arab world with its inspiring message of peace and brotherhood among Muslims. And his stirring endorsement of democracy led many Egyptians gave hope to many Egyptians that his words would ring in a new era, helping pressure their own government to hold free and fair elections and to adhere to the rule of law.
But when it comes to backing up the president's rhetoric since that speech in June 2009, the administration has a decidedly mixed record and has disappointed many Egyptians, foreign policy experts tell The Huffington Post. Though Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has championed human rights around the world and American diplomats have quietly encouraged political and legal reforms in Egypt, when it comes to promoting democracy in the riot-torn country, efforts have generally been less aggressive than the Bush administration's.
Read the rest here.
Protestors Take Over Egyptian Embassy In Venezuela
Protestors in Venezuela briefly took over the Egyptian embassy there in a show of solidarity with the protestors in Egypt. The protestors entered the embassy peacefully under a pretext, and then seized control. According to Bloomberg:
“The wanted to protest, of course, but they shouldn’t have done that because we are obliged to protect all of the embassies, which are sovereign territory,” Chavez said in comments carried on state television during a military event.
The government regained control of the embassy after the protestors spoke with Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro.
U.S. Warships Nearby
Time reports that "the U.S. Marines have a pair of warships -- the USS Kearsarge and theUSS Ponce -- just hanging around the southern end of the Red Sea waiting to see if they're needed to rescue U.S. diplomats and citizens from Cairo."
Obama & Mubarak
The White House released this photo of President Obama speaking with Egyptian President Mubarak on Friday.
Audio Report From Egypt
You can listen to NYT Cairo Bureau Chief David Kirkpatrick's audio report from Egypthere. Writes the New York Times' Robert Mackey:
Dave was with opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei as he faced down the security forces in the city's Giza district and then witnessed part of the battle between protesters and the police for control of the Qasr al-Nil bridge.
Obama: 'The Future Of Egypt Will Be Determined By The Egyptian People'
Obama stressed that there must be "concrete steps" towards political, social and economic reforms while reiterating that Egypt is a strong ally of the US. While calling for restraint on both sides of the protests, Obama also urdeg that Egypt cease interfering with Internet and social media use during the prostests.
Before the appearance he spoke with Mubarak for 30 minutes, during which time Obama urged the Egyptian president to take real steps towards reform.
Watch Obama's speech here:
His full remarks:
Good evening, everybody. My administration has been closely monitoring the situation in Egypt, and I know that we will be learning more tomorrow when day breaks. As the situation continues to unfold, our first concern is preventing injury or loss of life. So I want to be very clear in calling upon the Egyptian authorities to refrain from any violence against peaceful protestors.The people of Egypt have rights that are universal. That includes the right to peaceful assembly and association, the right to free speech, and the ability to determine their own destiny. These are human rights. And the United States will stand up for them everywhere.I also call upon the Egyptian government to reverse the actions that they’ve taken to interfere with access to the Internet, to cell phone service and to social networks that do so much to connect people in the 21st century.At the same time, those protesting in the streets have a responsibility to express themselves peacefully. Violence and destruction will not lead to the reforms that they seek.Now, going forward, this moment of volatility has to be turned into a moment of promise. The United States has a close partnership with Egypt and we've cooperated on many issues, including working together to advance a more peaceful region. But we've also been clear that there must be reform -- political, social, and economic reforms that meet the aspirations of the Egyptian people.In the absence of these reforms, grievances have built up over time. When President Mubarak addressed the Egyptian people tonight, he pledged a better democracy and greater economic opportunity. I just spoke to him after his speech and I told him he has a responsibility to give meaning to those words, to take concrete steps and actions that deliver on that promise.Violence will not address the grievances of the Egyptian people. And suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. What’s needed right now are concrete steps that advance the rights of the Egyptian people: a meaningful dialogue between the government and its citizens, and a path of political change that leads to a future of greater freedom and greater opportunity and justice for the Egyptian people.Now, ultimately the future of Egypt will be determined by the Egyptian people. And I believe that the Egyptian people want the same things that we all want -- a better life for ourselves and our children, and a government that is fair and just and responsive. Put simply, the Egyptian people want a future that befits the heirs to a great and ancient civilization.The United States always will be a partner in pursuit of that future. And we are committed to working with the Egyptian government and the Egyptian people -- all quarters -- to achieve it.Around the world governments have an obligation to respond to their citizens. That's true here in the United States; that's true in Asia; it is true in Europe; it is true in Africa; and it’s certainly true in the Arab world, where a new generation of citizens has the right to be heard.When I was in Cairo, shortly after I was elected President, I said that all governments must maintain power through consent, not coercion. That is the single standard by which the people of Egypt will achieve the future they deserve.Surely there will be difficult days to come. But the United States will continue to stand up for the rights of the Egyptian people and work with their government in pursuit of a future that is more just, more free, and more hopeful.Thank you very much.
No comments:
Post a Comment