Update: Politico.com just reported: “Pres. Barack Obama declared that a ‘transformation’ is taking hold in Egypt as reports said President Hosni Mubarak was on the verge of stepping down. ‘We are witnessing history unfold’, Obama said. ‘The people of Egypt are calling for change…America will continue to do everything we can to support an orderly and genuine transition to democracy in Egypt’.” [Genuine democracy? That sounds like a genuine McDonald’s milkshake.]
4:26 EST: According to the NY Times: President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt told the Egyptian people Thursday that he would delegate more authority to his vice president, Omar Suleiman, but that he would not resign his post, contradicting earlier reports that he would step aside and surprising hundreds of thousands of demonstrators gathered to hail his departure from the political scene.
In a nationally televised address following a tumultuous day of political rumors and conflicting reports, Mr. Mubarak said he would “admit mistakes” and honor the sacrifices of young people killed in the three-week uprising, but that he would continue to “shoulder my responsibilities” until September, and did not give a firm indication that he intended to depart the political scene.
The critical mass of citizens pushing for Mubarak’s resignation is growing, and breaking news stories from the Washington Post and NY Times are indicating more changes are coming sooner rather than later. According to the Washington Post, “CIA Director Leon Panetta, in testimony before a House intelligence committee Thursday, said, ‘There is a strong likelihood that Mubarak will step down this evening,’ referring to the Egyptian president.”
This would presumably leave Vice President Omar Suleiman in the role of Egypt’s leader — still not the complete overhaul on the governing party being demanded by protesters, which will take time if it is allowed to happen at all. Suleiman is reported to have been coordinator of the CIA’s extraordinary rendition program in Egypt — that word being doublespeak for the American program of bringing prisoners (presumably terrorism suspects) to Egypt for torture.
It seems that tanks and tear gas may not be the only American exports used against the Egyptian people — although the US can hardly take credit for inventing torture. Still the role of the US in decades of repression by the Egyptian government was, at best, one of turning a blind eye. Through most of these weeks of protest, the Egyptian military has played a neutral role, with several reports of individual soldiers assisting activists being assaulted by pro-Mubarak thugs. Now there appears to be some positioning going on by the military, according to the NY Times:
Egypt’s armed forces said on Thursday that they were taking “necessary measures to protect the nation and support the legitimate demands of the people,” a signal that the military intends to take a commanding role in governing the country.
There was no immediate confirmation that the army intended to replace the government named by President Hosni Mubarak, but protesters in Cairo roared approval at the news that the military was moving to supplant the government they have steadfastly opposed.
Jubilant chants of “The Army and the people in one hand!” could be heard on broadcasts from Tahrir Square.
There was no information about what role Mr. Mubarak or his new vice president, Omar Suleiman, would play in a military government.