Egypt celebrates as Mubarak Resigns As Egypt's President, Armed Forces To Take Control
Egypt's Hosni Mubarak resigned as president and handed control to the military on Friday, bowing down after a historic 18-day wave of pro-democracy demonstrations by hundreds of thousands. "The people ousted the president," chanted a crowd of tens of thousands outside his presidential palace in Cairo.
Several hundred thousand protesters massed in Cairo's central Tahrir Square exploded into joy, waving Egyptian flags, and car horns and celebratory shots in the air were heard around the city of 18 million in joy after Vice President Omar Suleiman made the announcement on national TV just after nightfall.
Mubarak had sought to cling to power, handing some of his authorities to Suleiman while keeping his title. But an explosion of protests Friday rejecting the move appeared to have pushed the military into forcing him out completely. Hundreds of thousands marched throughout the day in cities across the country as soliders stood by, besieging his palace in Cairo and Alexandria and the state TV building.
"In these grave circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave his position as president of the republic," a grim-looking Suleiman said. "He has mandated the Armed Forces Supreme Council to run the state. God is our protector and succor."
Nobel Peace laureate Mohammed ElBaradei, whose young suporters were among the organizers of the protest movement, told The Associated Press, "This is the greatest day of my life."
"The country has been liberated after decades of repression," he said adding that he expects a "beautiful" transition of power.
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Today 3:42 AM Lebanese 'Hope More Authoritarian Regimes In Middle East Succumb'
The BBC's Owen Bennett-Jones in Beirut says:
"For over two weeks now many Lebanese people have been following closely the news from Egypt, and now Hosni Mubarak has gone there is a sense of pride that Arabs, with no need for help from outside powers, have forced democratic change by peaceful protest.
Many Lebanese are now wondering what happens next and they say they are hopeful that more authoritarian regimes in the Middle East will succumb to people power."
Today 3:28 AM VIDEO: Carnival Atmosphere In Tahrir Square
Footage has emerged showing the celebrations taking place in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the epicenter of recent anti-government protests.
Fire-spinners, drummers, and fireworks are all part of the celebrations resulting from Hosni Mubarak's resignation.
Today 3:16 AM Mubarak Will Still Have Vast Wealth Despite Asset Freeze
ABC News reports that the deposed Egyptian president will still have access to a vast fortune:
The Swiss government said Friday it is freezing any money belonging to Mubarak or his family in Switzerland.But [Professor of Middle East Politics at Durham University, Christopher] Davidson said the former president's wealth in real estate around the world will be more difficult to seize."I think it will be only a small part of the cake," said Davdison. "And I reckon it's not his entire wealth."
Today 3:10 AM Mubarak Picked An Auspicious Date To Resign
Haroon Siddique observes:
Mubarak picked an auspicious date to resign. On this day 32 years ago the Iranian revolution took place when the Shah's forces were overwhelmed. And 21 years ago today Nelson Mandela was freed by the apartheid regime in South Africa.
Today 2:30 AM Egypt Military Spokesman Delivers Statement
The Guardian writes:
A spokesman for Egypt's military has just appeared on television to read a new statement.Read aloud in a flat monotone, the statement said that the supreme council of the armed forces was "currently studying the situation" and will issue further statements to clarify its position.The military also had a farewell message for Mubarak:"The supreme council of the armed forces is saluting President Hosni Mubarak for all he has given in sacrifice in times of war and peace."And it had kind words for the protesters:"The supreme council of the armed forces is also saluting the spirits of those who were martyred."
Today 2:18 AM Update: Mubarak's Assets Frozen By Swiss Government
More on this story:
Switzerland has frozen assets that may belong to Hosni Mubarak, who stepped down as president of Egypt on Friday after 30 years of rule, the foreign ministry said.
Assets belonging to Mubarak's associates would also be targeted so as to limit the chance of state funds being plundered, the ministry said. Mubarak and his associates would be prevented from selling or otherwise disposing of property, notably real estate.
Read more here.
Today 2:12 AM ELBaradei: 'Egypt Today Is A Free And Proud Nation'
 | @ ElBaradei : Egypt Today is a free and proud nation. God bless |
Today 2:10 AM UN Sec Gen Calls For Egypt Authorities To Respect Human Rights
 | @ RichardRothCNN : UN Secretary-General Ban urges interim authorities in Egypt to respect human righhts and calls for inclusive dialogue |
Today 2:04 AM Protest Leader Ghonim: 'Educated Egyptians Come Back, Build Nation'
 | @ Ghonim : A call to all well-educated Egyptians around the world. Come back ASAP to build our nation. #Jan25 |
Today 1:56 AM Reports: Mubarak Speech Not Cleared With Military
Al Ahram reports that a former senior Egyptian intelligence official told the newspaper that "both of last night's addresses by Mubarak and Suleiman were in defiance of the armed forces."
Maj. Gen. Safwat El-Zayat, a former senior official of Egypt's General Intelligence and member of the Egyptian Council of Foreign Affairs, asserted, in an interview with Ahram Online, that the address delivered by President Mubarak last night was formulated against the wishes of the armed forces, and away from their oversight. He claimed that Vice Preisdent Omar Suleiman's address, which came on the heels of Mubarak's address, was equally in defiance of the armed forces and away from its oversight.
Read the full report here.
Today 1:49 AM Al Jazerra: Swiss Government Freezes Mubarak's Assets In Its Banks
 | @ Amiralx : Swiss government freezes mubarak's assets in its banks: Al Jazeera |
Today 1:47 AM 'The Game Isn't Over'
Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times strikes a note of caution
But the game isn't over, and now a word of caution. I worry that senior generals may want to keep (with some changes) a Mubarak-style government without Mubarak. In essence the regime may have decided that Mubarak had become a liability and thrown him overboard — without any intention of instituting the kind of broad, meaningful democracy that the public wants.
Today 1:41 AM 'The Dictator Is The Last To Know'
The New Yorker's David Remnick shares his thoughts on the demise of dictators:
To watch Hosni Mubarak today in his late-night speech in Cairo, as he used every means of rhetorical deflection to delay his inevitable end, was to watch a man so deluded, so deaf to the demands of history, that he was incapable of hearing an entire people screaming in his ear. And it is almost always that way: the dictator, coddled in his isolation, surrounded by satraps and servants, immersed in his own sense of essential-ness, is the last to know.
Read the full story here
Today 1:25 AM Biden: US Has Spoken With One Voice On Egypt
 | @ markknoller : Biden says US has spoken largely with one voice on Egypt, Dems and GOPs alike. |
Today 1:20 AM Al Arabiya: Egypt Army To Suspend Parliament, Fire Cabinet
Saudi-owned satellite channel Al Arabiya reports: "the higher military council will sack the cabinet, suspend both houses of parliament and rule with the head of the supreme constitutional court."
Read the full story here.
Today 1:16 AM U.S. Senate Leader Reacts To Mubarak Resignation
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has released a statement in response to Hosni Mubarak's resignation.
I am pleased that President Mubarak has heard and heeded the voice of the Egyptian people, who have called for change. It is crucial that Mubarak's departure be an orderly one and that it leads to true democracy for Egypt, including free, fair and open elections. We caution all sides against violence during this transition, and we will be watching the situation closely. We wish the Egyptian people the best in their next steps toward determining their own future under a democratic process.
Today 1:09 AM Qatar government: Egypt gov't change positive step
 | @ ynetnews : #israel Qatar government: Egypt gov't change positive step: http://bit.ly/h47kZK |
Today 1:08 AM Human Rights Watch Calls For End To Emergency Rule
In a statement issued a short time ago, Human Rights Watch called on the High Council Of The Egyptian Armed Forces to which power has been transferred in Egypt, should:
"End emergency rule and initiate a meaningful process of democratic transition to ensure free, fair and inclusive elections, as well as an end to torture and other human rights abuses by all security forces."
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