What Israel fears in Egypt - Washington Post

One might expect that Israelis, who live in the only democracy in the Middle East, would turn out in the squares of Jerusalem and the gardens of Tel Aviv to show solidarity with the demonstrators in Egypt. The protesters, after all, are seeking to overthrow an authoritarian regime.

Israelis, however, have stayed at home, warily following events on TV and the Internet.

It is not a democratic Egypt that Israelis fear but the prospect of Egypt being hijacked by enemies of democracy, of Israel and of the United States. Within every revolution are some who hope to use democratic processes to establish oppressive regimes. This was, to a large extent, what triumphed in Iran in 1979 and what happened in Gaza only five years ago. Many Israelis wonder why it would be any different in Egypt, which is home to the world's most powerful and popular Islamist movement.

Should the government of Hosni Mubarak be replaced by one not truly committed to freedom and peace, the consequences for Israel could be devastating. As Egypt struggles toward an internal balance that appeases all forces, including the Muslim Brotherhood, peace with Israel could be the price of an Egyptian compromise. And the risks are worse if the Brotherhood, an organization deeply hostile to Israel, America and the West, gets to call the shots.

Consider what an Egyptian official once told me: "There is no war without Egypt." From 1948 to 1973, Israel had to fight four wars against coalitions of Arab armies. Since the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, however, there has not been even one war between Israel and Arab states. The lives of many Israelis and Arabs have been saved over the past four decades, and the security burden on Israel's economy has become more bearable. Yet if the peace with Egypt dissolves, the risks to the Jewish state and its citizens cannot be overstated.

The implications for the region could be massive. If Israel's western neighbor turns hostile, where would that leave our eastern neighbor, Jordan? Would it remain at peace with us? What would be the impact on other pro-American regimes? How many weeks, or days, would the new alignment of interests between Israel and most Arab regimes last against an aggressive and nuclear-armed Iran? If there is a negative outcome to the events unfolding in Egypt, the world will be living with a new Middle East, but it will be very different from the one we all aspire to.

Meanwhile, Israelis are uncertain about some positions of the U.S. administration. They remember how, after the 2009 presidential election, the Obama administration refused to support courageous Iranians who demonstrated against the oppressive "hate to America" regime in Tehran. People are understandably puzzled when news reports show an ally of America - even an authoritarian one - abandoned while U.S. rivals are honored with state dinners in Washington, despite their gross violations of human rights. In this highly charged region, Washington's actions are carefully watched. Israelis are looking at the results of U.S. policy in Iraq, the recent loss of Lebanon to Iran and how American pressure on Israel led to a "democratic" takeover of the Palestinian Authority by Hamas terrorists. Israelis live every day with the results of the U.S. administration's blunder that made already-difficult negotiations with the Palestinians impossible.

Israelis have learned the hard way that Israel cannot shape internal developments in our neighboring Arab states. While they wish America could responsibly engage in this process and ensure a positive outcome, they also doubt whether even America can prevent events from proceeding toward, and down, a slippery slope.

It is said, and is possibly true, that worry may be in the Jewish genes. With our history, having paved so many roads with good intentions only to see them lead to destruction, and having experienced how democratic slogans and processes have been abused again and again by murderous dictators, it is hard not to be concerned.

The future of Egypt is uncertain: Is it a hostile Islamist tyranny, using democracy as a fake ladder, or a compromise at Israel's expense that may be about to occur? The fear of war and death is on Israelis' hearts and minds.

But if a real democracy, committed to the values of freedom and peace, were to emerge in Egypt, Israelis would overwhelmingly support it.

The writer was Israel's ambassador to the United States from 2005 to 2009.

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Google Executive in Egypt is Released - Wall Street Journal

(See Corrections and Amplifications item below.)

Google Inc. executive Wael Ghonim has been released from government custody in Egypt after disappearing during the massive protests that have rocked Egypt for two weeks, ending a tense wait over the whereabouts of one of the rallying symbols for the anti government movement.

Google, Inc. Wael Ghonim

The silence around Mr. Ghonim, who vanished 10 days ago, broke late Monday evening, when a one-line message was sent from his Twitter account, @ghonim: "Freedom is a bless that deserves fighting for it."

The message set off a wave of cheering on Twitter. Google later confirmed his release with a tweet of its own — "Huge relief—Wael Ghonim has been released" — and a friend of Mr. Ghonim's said the executive was safe and unharmed at home with his family.

Mr. Ghonim, Google's marketing manager for the region, had been involved with Internet-based activists mobilizing opposition to the regime, and after his disappearance became a rallying symbol for the young demonstrators in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

Many suspected he had fallen into the hands of Egypt's feared security services, but there had been no confirmation. Then Sunday evening, his brother Hazem said people who met yesterday with Egypt's new vice president, Omar Suleiman, had brokered his release.

Monday brought a tense waiting game. Mr. Ghonim's family was expecting him to be released around 4 p.m. Cairo time. The U.S. State Department said it had received confirmation of the release, but four hours later, Mr. Ghonim's relatives said they had yet to be contacted regarding his whereabouts.

Members of Mr. Ghonim's family spent the early evening in Tahrir Square, the area in downtown Cairo that has become the symbolic heart of the protest movement and the spot where Mr. Ghonim was thought to have been arrested. Multiple news outlets had erroneously reported that the executive was being taken there shortly after 4 p.m., the time at which the prime minister had announced he would be released.

Many details of Mr. Ghonim's disappearance are still unknown. Friends and political activists who know Mr. Ghonim suspect that the executive was seized on Jan. 28 in the downtown square after he joined thousands of others protesting for the ouster of President Mubarak.

The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights estimates that at least 1,275 people have been detained by police since the protests began. Most have been released, lawyers at the center and other human-rights groups say. Those who remain in jail are considered key targets of the Egyptian security services, according to human rights lawyers.

A group of elder Egyptian statesmen who have opened negotiations with Mr. Sulieman to press for constitutional and political reforms told the government that Mr. Ghonim's release was critical to prove to the protesters that the government's promises to enact reform were sincere.

"There's a huge gap of mistrust among the youth in Tahrir towards the government. We told the vice president that Wael and all people who have been detained for expressing their political opinions must be freed," said Naguib Sawiris, an Egyptian billionaire who has taken a lead role within the negotiations.

It remains unclear what role, if any, Mr. Ghonim played in organizing the Jan. 25 protest movement itself, the largest Egypt has seen in more than 30 years. However, he played a prominent role in online activism in the months ahead of the protests which have forced the resignation of Egypt's government and historic political concessions from the autocratic president.

Corrections & Amplifications

Wael Ghonim is head of marketing for the Middle East and North Africa for Google Inc. In addition, the company doesn't have a head office for the Middle East region. An earlier version of this story incorrectly said he was Google's top executive in the region and incorrectly described Google's Dubai office as the company's regional headquarters.

Write to Nour Malas at nour.malas@dowjones.com, Margaret Coker at margaret.coker@wsj.com and Keith Johnson at keith.johnson@wsj.com

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Egypt minister criticises US role - BBC News

10 February 2011 Last updated at 07:51 GMT Mr Aboul Gheit has been Egypt's foreign minister for seven years Egypt's foreign minister has rebuffed calls from Washington to speed up the pace of political reform.

Rejecting a US demand to lift a state of emergency, Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Washington should not "impose" its will on "a great country".

Many thousands of Egyptians have been protesting sine 25 January calling for President Hosni Mubarak to step down.

Wednesday saw protests in Cairo spread to Egypt's parliament, with violence and reports of strikes in other cities.

In reply to Mr Aboul Gheit, the White House said Egypt's transition plans were not yet enough to satisfy those calling for change.

"I think it is clear that what the government has thus far put forward has yet to meet a minimum threshold for the people of Egypt," spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

'Angry, infuriated'

In his PBS interview, Mr Aboul Gheit said Egypt was enduring an "upheaval", and was sharply critical of US statements on Egypt, including Vice-President Joe Biden.

Explicit calls from Mr Biden for "prompt, immediate" action from Egypt were tantamount to "imposing your will" on a long-time ally of the US, Mr Aboul Gheit said.

Continue reading the main story

Washington does not now think the Egyptian government is serious about delivering change, and wants everyone to hear that message”

End Quote Mark Mardell BBC North America editor On the issue of Egypt's emergency law, in place for four decades, Mr Aboul Gheit described himself as "amazed" by Mr Biden's reported comments for it to be lifted.

Jailbreaks amid the recent street protests meant that 17,000 prisoners are now loose on Egypt's streets, the foreign minister said.

"How can you ask me to disband the... emergency law while I'm in difficulty? Give me time. Allow me to have control, to stabilise the nation, to stabilise the state, and then we would... look into the issue."

After an initial reluctance to become publicly involved in Egypt's internal disputes, the White House has in recent days repeatedly called for an "orderly transition" in Egypt.

But Mr Aboul Gheit was critical of Washington's posture during the early days of protest.

"The first four, five days, it was a confusing message. And I was often angry, infuriated.

"But, through discussions with the administration, I think now we have an administration that understands exactly the difficulties of the situation and the dangers and the risks that are entailed in a rush towards chaos without end. So... the administration's message now is much better."

The tens of thousands of protesters taking to the streets of Cairo and other cities over the past 16 days have called overwhelmingly for Hosni Mubarak, the country's long-serving president, to step down immediately.

Mr Mubarak has said he intends to step down after presidential elections, due to be held in September.

Newly appointed Vice-President Omar Suleiman has begun a process of talks with opposition political figures. But opposition groups fear the government is stalling for time and will fail to enact meaningful changes.

New focus

Despite Mr Aboul Gheit's words, Washington once again reiterated its call for rapid and meaningful change in Egypt.

State department spokesman PJ Crowley said the US had been calling for years to an end to the state of emergency, while Mr Gibbs insisted it was obvious that Mr Mubarak's pledges of reform had not gone far enough, fast enough.

"And I think, unless or until that process takes hold, I think you're going to see the continued pictures that all of us are watching out of Cairo and of other cities throughout Egypt.

"If there's some notion on the government side that you can put the genie back in this bottle, I think that's gone a long time ago," he added.

The BBC's North America editor Mark Mardell says Western diplomats believe the US administration has changed its approach in the last two days. Washington does not now think the Egyptian government is serious about delivering change, and wants everyone to hear that message, our correspondent says.

After more than two weeks of protests focussed on Tahrir Square in central Cairo, Wednesday saw protests in the capital spread to the country's parliament, the People's Assembly.

Many regard the assembly as illegitimate after its members were elected in elections widely seen as heavily rigged in favour of Mr Mubarak's party.

There were also reports of widespread industrial action, and of protests outside Cairo - in cities such as Suez and Port Said - turning violent.

Researchers from Human Rights Watch (HRW) say they have confirmed the deaths of 297 people since 28 January, based on a count from eight hospitals in the cities of Cairo, Alexandria and Suez.

No comprehensive death toll has been given by the Egyptian government.

Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.

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After First Talks, Egypt Opposition Vows New Protest - New York Times

Soliman Oteifi/Associated PressVice President Omar Suleiman of Egypt, center back, met with leaders of Egyptian parties and the Muslim brotherhood leadership in Cairo on Sunday. More Photos »

CAIRO — Leaders of the Egyptian democracy movement vowed Sunday to escalate their pressure for the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, even as his government portrayed itself as already in the midst of American-approved negotiations to end the uprising.

Egyptians React to U.S. Policy Vice President Omar Suleiman of Egypt, at the meeting. More Photos »

With the revolt entering its third week on Monday, several thousand protesters remained camped out in the central square that has been the epicenter of the uprising. While their numbers seemed smaller than on previous days, the protesters mustered enough support to form a human chain blocking entrance to the Mugamma, a huge edifice on Tahrir Square built in the 1950s to house the city’s labyrinthine bureaucracy — a central part of everyday life.

Outside the square, the authorities struggled to restore a kind of normalcy, with traffic flowing and snarling, and businesses reopening. But armored vehicles remained outside some government buildings and plans to reopen the stock exchange were postponed. News reports said the government, reorganized by President Mubarak in the early days of the uprising, would assemble on Monday for its first formal meeting.

On Sunday, the government announced that the transition had begun with a meeting between Vice President Omar Suleiman and two representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood, the outlawed Islamist group the Egyptian government has sought to repress for many years as a threat to stability. They met as part of a group of about 50 prominent Egyptians and opposition figures, including officials of the small, recognized opposition parties, as well as a handful of young people who helped start the protest movement.

While both sides acknowledged the meeting as unprecedented, its significance quickly became another skirmish in the battle between the president and the protesters. Mr. Suleiman released a statement — widely reported on state television and instantly a focal point in Washington — declaring that the meeting had produced a “consensus” about a path to reform, including the promise to form a committee to recommend constitutional changes by early March. The other elements echoed pledges Mr. Mubarak had already made, including a limit on how many terms a president can serve.

Leaders of the protest movement, including both its youthful members and Brotherhood officials, denounced Mr. Suleiman’s portrayal of the meeting as a political ploy intended to suggest that some in their ranks were collaborating.

Though the movement has only a loose leadership, it has coalesced around a unified set of demands, centered on Mr. Mubarak’s resignation, but also including the dissolution of one-party rule and revamping the Constitution that protected it, and Mr. Suleiman gave no ground on any of those demands.

“We did not come out with results,” said Mohamed Morsy, a Brotherhood leader who attended, while others explained that the Brotherhood had attended only to reiterate its demands and show openness to dialogue.

The standoff over the meeting underscored the conflicting narratives about the next chapter of the revolt that has shaken Egypt and the wider Arab world.

Each side claimed that it had emerged from the last 12 days as a survivor — unarmed protesters repulsed assaults first by police officers in riot gear and then by pro-Mubarak gangs in plain clothes, but Mr. Mubarak still emerged from a week of demonstrations that brought hundreds of thousands into the streets with his position and his Western support still intact. And while the government hailed what it called a return to normalcy, the protesters vowed that there was no turning back.

To rebut Mr. Suleiman’s claims of consensus, a group of young organizers whose Facebook page fomented the revolt — a half-dozen scruffy-looking doctors, lawyers and other professionals in their early 30s — stepped forward publicly for the first time. At least three had been released just the night before from three days of extra-legal detention at the hands of Mr. Mubarak’s police, and they vowed to escalate their movement. “The government played all the dirty games that they had, and the people persisted,” said Shady el-Ghazaly Harb, a 32-year-old surgeon. “We are betting on the people.”

More than 100,000 turned out again on Sunday in the capital’s central Tahrir Square — more than expected as the work week resumed here. And some of the movement’s young organizers, who were busy meeting to organize their many small groups into a unified structure, said they were considering more large-scale demonstrations in other cities, strikes or acts of civil disobedience like surrounding the state television headquarters.

David D. Kirkpatrick reported from Cairo, and David E. Sanger from Washington. Mona El-Naggar contributed reporting from Cairo.

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Al Jazeera English gains cachet in US during Egypt rallies - USA Today

There has been a cloud over Qatar-based television news service Al Jazeera English since its launch in late 2006. An Arab channel about world affairs seemed too arcane, and potentially controversial, to cable and satellite companies here. Most declined to carry the channel.

By Tim Dillon, USA TODAY file

Ghida Fakhry and her former co-anchor Dave Marash on the set of the English-speaking arm of Al Jazeera television.

By Tim Dillon, USA TODAY file

Ghida Fakhry and her former co-anchor Dave Marash on the set of the English-speaking arm of Al Jazeera television.

That cloud may be lifting as the world waits to see what will happen as thousands of Egyptians clamor to oust President Hosni Mubarak. Audiences are flocking to Al Jazeera English's website (english.aljazeera.net), which some people consider to be one of the most dependable news sources about the situation in Egypt.

"We've seen an exponential increase in demand, interest and viewership for Al Jazeera English since this story has begun," says Al Anstey, managing director.

The channel says that Web traffic is more than 1,000% higher than normal since the protests in Cairo began on Jan. 27. More than 7 million U.S. users visited the website through Feb. 2. At least 2.5 million have gone there to watch video streams.

Visitors to the site also find a plea to "Demand Al Jazeera in the USA." There's a box where they can send a message to their local cable provider.

In Washington, D.C., Comcast, Verizon FiOS and Cox carry the channel. Elsewhere, it's only on a few independent systems, including Buckeye CableSystem in Toledo, Ohio, and Burlington Telecom in Vermont.

Anstey says that Al Jazeera English has struggled to convince pay-TV companies that it is fair and professional, not an outlet for political propaganda.

"There aren't a lot of slots left" for cable channels, adds Tom Rosenstiel, director of Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism. The potential audience for a foreign news channel "might be a lot smaller than a channel that focuses on baseball, soccer or food."

That could change. The upcoming Pew Research Center survey of public interest in news stories will show that attention to Egypt was "markedly higher" last week than it was the week before, center President Andrew Kohut says.

That's the opening Al Jazeera English has been waiting for. "We've been talking to (pay-TV) operators in the last week, and we want to push that conversation forward," Anstey says.

Last week, Link TV, carried by DirecTV and Dish Network, began to carry Al Jazeera English for up to 12 hours a day.

"If this story continues, (Al Jazeera English) might get quite a bit" of carriage, says Paul Maxwell, CEO of Media Business, a pay-TV data and publishing company.

For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.We've updated the Conversation Guidelines. Changes include a brief review of the moderation process and an explanation on how to use the "Report Abuse" button. Read more.

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Egypt transition vital for Mideast peace: Ban - AFP

Egypt transition vital for Mideast peace: Ban(AFP) – 1 hour ago

MUNICH, Germany — An orderly transition in Egypt is essential to the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said Sunday, a day after attending a Middle East Quartet meeting.

"Egypt has been playing a very strategic role in the Middle East peace process. President (Hosni) Mubarak was one of the key players in trying to facilitate reconciliation," Ban told reporters in Munich, Germany.

"Overall in the Middle East peace process he has participated and contributed," he said.

"This is what we are concerned about, and that is why we would like to see this transition take place in an orderly and peaceful manner without having any negative sudden impacts on the overall peace and stability in this region."

On Saturday Ban took part in a Quartet meeting in Munich with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

In a statement afterwards, the grouping called on all parties "to undertake urgently efforts to expedite Israeli-Palestinian and comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace, which is imperative to avoiding outcomes detrimental to the region."

"The Quartet meeting took place at a critically important time, considering what has happened in this region. It has serious implications for continuing a peace negotiation process," Ban said Sunday.

He said it was important that the Quartet had agreed to step up its engagement in order to get the stalled peace process "back on track."

"We will do our best efforts," Ban said.

He said that the next Quartet talks would likely take place on the sidelines of a Group of Eight (G8) foreign ministers' meeting, which is due on March 26-27 in Paris.

Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved. More »

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Israel jittery about gas supply from Egypt - The Associated Press

Israel jittery about gas supply from Egypt(AP) – 1 hour ago

JERUSALEM (AP) — An explosion at an Egyptian gas terminal that disrupted the supply of fuel to Israel had Israeli officials pressing Sunday to speed development of a natural gas deposit that they say can make Israel energy independent.

Infrastructures Minister Uzi Landau wants the government to back loans so financing can be obtained to develop the Tamar field, off Israel's coast in the Mediterranean Sea, a spokesman said. Landau also favors exempting the field's developers from a proposed windfall tax.

"We have to do everything to improve Israel's energy security," Landau told Israel Radio on Sunday. "It is Israel's obligation to remove as soon as possible every obstacle" to developing Tamar, he said.

Landau's spokesman, Chen Ben-Lulu, said the goal was to have gas from Tamar flowing into Israel by 2013. The explosion in Egypt on Saturday "just proves" the need to do so, he added.

"We want energy independence and to achieve it as soon as possible," Ben-Lulu said.

The explosion in Egypt's northern Sinai Peninsula on Saturday came amid a popular uprising against longtime Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. The blast set off a massive fire that was contained by shutting off the flow of gas to Jordan and Israel. Egypt's natural gas company said the fire was caused by a gas leak, but local officials said an explosive device was detonated inside the terminal.

Egypt is to sell Israel 1.7 billion cubic meters a year for at least 15 years under a deal that went into effect three years ago. Israeli industry analysts see that flow as important to diversifying Israel's fuel sources and for political relations.

At the same time, the turmoil in Egypt, which supplies up to half of the natural gas that Israel currently uses to power its electrical plants, has emphasized to Israelis the dangers of relying on other sources for fuel.

Israel's Tamar field is said to contain about 8 trillion cubic meters of gas. In December, gas exploration companies led by U.S.-based Noble Energy announced that another deposit in Israeli waters, Leviathan, contained some 16 trillion cubic meters.

The finds — which Lebanon says, without providing proof, lie partly in Lebanese waters — are enough to keep Israel energy self-sufficient for decades, Israeli experts say.

"Israel needs to achieve security of energy supply. This is one of the most fundamental security and economic aspects of a country," said Gina Cohen, an electricity and gas industry consultant based in Israel.

The notion of energy independence is a radical shift for Israel, a country that has had to haul oil from Mexico and coal from South Africa because its oil-rich Arab neighbors won't sell it fuel.

The supply of gas from Egypt has always been dogged by fears that the flow could be disrupted by saboteurs or political forces hostile to the deal and Egypt's 1979 peace treaty with Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the government had been prepared for the possible disruption of Egyptian supplies and arranged for other sources to compensate.

"Because of these advance preparations, no disruptions in the gas supply to Israel are expected," he said.

Power supplied by state-run Israel Electric Corp., overwhelmingly the largest client for natural gas in Israel, will not be affected by the Egyptian cutoff, Israeli officials said.

Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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Egypt VP Meets Opposition, Offers New Concessions - ABC News

Egypt's vice president met with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and other opposition groups for the first time Sunday and offered sweeping concessions, including granting press freedom and rolling back police powers in the government's latest attempt to try to end nearly two weeks of upheaval.

But the opposition leaders held firm to a demand the government rejects: that President Hosni Mubarak step down immediately. And the source of the opposition's sudden power — the youthful protesters filling Cairo's main square — said they weren't even represented at the talks and won't negotiate until Mubarak is gone.

"None of those who attended represent us," said Khaled Abdul-Hamid, one leader of a new coalition representing at least five youth movements that organized the 13-day-old protests. "We are determined to press on until our number one demand is met" — the ouster of Mubarak.

"The regime is retreating," Abdul-Hamid told The Associated Press. "It is making more concessions every day."

At the same time, there were signs that the paralysis gripping the country since the crisis began was easing Sunday, the first day of Egypt's work week. Some schools reopened for the first time in more than a week, and so did banks — though for only three hours, with long lines outside. A night curfew remains, and tanks continue to ring the city's central square and guard government buildings, embassies and other important institutions.

Since protests began Jan. 25, the 82-year-old Mubarak has pledged not to seek another term in elections to be held in September. The government promised that his son Gamal, who had widely been expected to succeed him, will not do so. Mubarak appointed a vice president — Omar Suleiman — for the first time since he took office three decades ago. He sacked his Cabinet, named a new one and promised reforms. And on Saturday, the top leaders of the ruling party, including Gamal Mubarak, were purged.

Sunday brought another concession that would have been unimaginable just a month ago in this tightly controlled country: Suleiman's meeting with opposition groups including the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood, which has been outlawed since 1954 but is the ruling party's largest rival.

Egypt's opposition — essentially banned by the government for decades — has long been hampered by a lack of cohesiveness. Sunday's talks could be a sign the government is trying to divide and conquer as it tries to placate protesters without giving in to their chief demand.

Mubarak is insisting he cannot stand down now or it would only deepen the chaos in his country. The protesters, skeptical of a regime they blame for repression, corruption and widespread poverty, vow to maintain their pressure until Mubarak leaves.

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Muslim Brotherhood joins Egypt crisis talks - CNN

Muslim Brotherhood, VP Suleiman to meetNEW: Official says bank has imposed restrictions on withdrawals by individuals, but not by companiesMuslim protesters say they will encircle Christians protesters to protect them during MassThe Muslim Brotherhood says it is meeting with Egypt's vice president on SundayMubarak's foes question the resignation of his party's leaders

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Anti-government protesters took to the streets for the 13th day Sunday as the government showed signs of cracking and ripples of normalcy slowly swept across Egypt.

Christians planned a Mass in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Sunday afternoon, anti-government protesters in the square said.

Muslim protesters said they would form a ring around the Christians to protect them during the service. The Mass planned for 2 p.m. (7 a.m. ET) will pay tribute to those killed during clashes.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood said it will meet with Vice President Omar Suleiman on Sunday. Days earlier, the group had said it would not negotiate until President Hosni Mubarak leaves office.

"We did not change our stance. We decided to take the people's demands to the negotiation table," said Essam el-Erian, a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Muslim Brotherhood is an opposition Islamist umbrella group that is officially banned but tolerated in Egypt.

It's the latest development in national political talks after key members of the embattled ruling National Democratic Party resigned Saturday, state television reported. The resignation was the strongest gesture yet to placate angry Egyptians who have been protesting for almost two weeks,

Meanwhile, some banks opened for the first time since January 27 -- two days after protests began. About 50 people lined up outside a bank in Cairo, while other banks were less crowded or remained closed.

The nation's central bank imposed restrictions on withdrawals by individuals, but not by companies, said Ahmed Ismail, manager of the Abu Dhabi National Bank.

Anti-government protesters have said they will continue demonstrating until Mubarak steps down. But the embattled Mubarak, however, remained in his position as head of the party's higher council and as head of state despite popular demands that he relinquish power immediately.

Mubarak's son, Gamal, was among those who resigned from party posts, meaning that he is no longer eligible to take over after his father.

Mubarak has already announced he will not seek re-election in a September vote. Gamal Mubarak's resignation effectively puts to rest a widespread belief that the embattled president was preparing for a dynastic handover.

The United States has been mounting pressure on Mubarak to step aside. On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking at a security conference in Germany, said it is "important to follow the transition process announced by the Egyptian government, actually headed by Vice President Omar Suleiman."

U.S. President Barack Obama, in phone calls with foreign leaders Saturday, emphasized the importance of an "orderly, peaceful transition" to a government that is "responsive to the aspirations of the Egyptian people."

The diplomatic official who delivered a message from the Obama administration to Egypt's leadership this week, however, said Mubarak "remains utterly critical in the days ahead as we sort our way toward the future" and must stay in office.

Changes are needed in Egypt to pave the way for a smooth transition, and "the president must stay in office in order to steer those changes through," said Frank Wisner, a former ambassador to Egypt. "It's his opportunity to write his own legacy."

U.S. officials emphasized that Wisner was speaking for himself, as an expert on the region, and not for the Obama administration.

Some demonstrators said the resignations were a "sedative" move by Mubarak to appease the people.

"This is just one silly attempt to calm down the street, but the regime is still there," said Sameh Bakri in the city of Suez. "They don't want to get straight to the point and resolve the real problem."

The shakeup was announced almost two weeks into Egypt's tumult as thousands of demonstrators held their ground. Last week, deadly clashes broke out in Cairo between pro-Mubarak and anti-Mubarak demonstrators as Molotov cocktails and chunks of concrete flew through the air.

The justice minister announced that courts would reopen Sunday and the government eased its daily curfew, making the hours 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.

"We're in better shape," Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq said on state television. "And we can sense that day by day."

Interior Ministry spokesman Ismail Othman said the army would remain neutral, working only to prevent clashes and chaos between opposing groups.

Some opposition leaders said they had teamed up and called for Mubarak's immediate resignation and the right for peaceful demonstration.

Mohamed ElBaradei's National Association for Change and the Tagammu party's leader announced Saturday a newly formed opposition group of 10 people, including ElBaradei, Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Beltagy, and liberal Ghad party leader Ayman Nour.

"We have been in agreement right now that we'd probably have a presidential council of three members including somebody from the army," ElBaradei told CNN. "We have a caretaker government ... who would then run the country for a year, prepare the grounds for the necessary changes in the electoral process to ensure that we will have all what we need for a free and fair election."

CNN's Amir Ahmed, Frederik Pleitgen, Ivan Watson and Tommy Evans contributed to this report.

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Clinton puts U.S. focus on Egypt transition - Reuters

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (3L) speaks with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (3R) during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines at the 47th Conference on Security Policy in the hotel 'Bayerischer Hof' in Munich, February 5, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Bundesregierung/Guido Bergmann/Pool

By Andrew Quinn

MUNICH | Sat Feb 5, 2011 7:09pm EST

MUNICH (Reuters) - The United States said on Saturday it backs Egypt's drive for orderly reforms to allow democratic elections in a sign of a new U.S. emphasis on gradual transition to resolve the crisis over President Hosni Mubarak's rule.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton threw her weight behind the reform effort launched by Mubarak's handpicked Vice President, Omar Suleiman, saying the government's fragile dialogue with the opposition must be given time to unfold or risk being derailed by radical forces.

"There are forces at work in any society, and particularly one that is facing these kinds of challenges, that will try to derail or overtake the process to pursue their own specific agenda," Clinton told a security conference in Munich.

"Which is why I think it's important to support the transition process announced by the Egyptian Government, actually headed by now Vice President Omar Suleiman."

Suleiman began meeting independent opposition figures on Saturday to go through various options, including a proposal for him to assume the president's powers for an interim period.

Vice President Joe Biden telephoned Suleiman on Saturday to ask about progress on the transition as well as to express concern over continued attacks on civil groups and detention of journalists, activists and human rights advocates, the White House said in a statement.

"He stressed the need for a concrete reform agenda, a clear timeline, and immediate steps that demonstrate to the public and the opposition that the Egyptian government is committed to reform," the statement said.

In one reform gesture, the leadership of Mubarak's ruling party quit on Saturday following 12 days of protests that have shaken Egypt to its core. But protesters dismissed the move as a ruse that would not deter them from their goal of ousting the president immediately.

U.S. officials said Clinton was not explicitly endorsing a future political role for Suleiman, Mubarak's long-time intelligence chief who is viewed skeptically by many in Egypt's opposition movement.

President Barack Obama himself has urged Mubarak to "make the right decision" and U.S. officials have over the past week indicated they believe his days in power may be numbered.

But Clinton, seeking to place renewed emphasis on the process of political transition, underscored the U.S. view that it will take both time and patience to lay the groundwork for truly democratic new elections to take place.

"Our view is the early discussions are the right thing for the government to have initiated and now the opposition should get involved in them to test the proposition that the government is serious," said one senior U.S. official.

Obama has repeatedly urged Mubarak to begin the transition immediately, and Clinton said she believed that this process was already under way and should be allowed time to mature.

"The principles are very clear, the operational details are very challenging," Clinton said on organizing future elections.

"President Mubarak has announced he will not stand for re-election, nor will his son," she said, noting that the government had also pledged constitutional reforms and allowing greater political participation.

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US Military Chief Says Aid to Egypt Should Continue - Voice of America

US Military Chief Says Aid to Egypt Should Continue | USA | English/* Voice of America ®

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US Admiral Mike Mullen (file photo)

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The top U.S. military officer has cautioned against any move to cut U.S. aid to Egypt's military in the midst of the current protests, saying the aid has "intangible benefits" that contribute to the military's neutral and, so far, non-violent role in the crisis.

In an appearance on ABC's Good Morning America, Admiral Mike Mullen rejected threats by some members of Congress to cut the $1.3 billion of annual U.S. aid to Egypt if a government transition does not happen soon.

"There's a lot of uncertainty out there, and I would just caution against doing anything, until we really understand what's going on," said Mullen.

Admiral Mullen says the aid, including a substantial military component, benefits the United States, as well as Egypt. He said the long and close U.S.-Egyptian military relationship has paid dividends in the current crisis, after years of American training of Egyptian officers.

"Beyond just the equipment and those kinds of things, what that has also done is establish a relationship with the Egyptian military, which is one between our militaries of great strength," added Mullen.  "And there are some intangibles associated with that tied to how they handle themselves, and how the focus and what they understand about who they should be, which are very, very positive."

Key Players in Egypt's Crisis

President Hosni Mubarak: The 82-year-old has ruled Egypt for 30 years as leader of the National Democratic Party. Egypt's longest-serving president came to power after the assassination of his predecessor, Anwar Sadat. Mohamed ElBaradei: The Nobel Peace laureate and former Egyptian diplomat has gained international attention as a vocal critic of Mr. Mubarak and his government. Until recently he headed the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency, and he has lived outside Egypt for years. ElBaradei founded the nonpartisan movement National Association for Change, and has offered to lead a transitional administration in Egypt if Mr. Mubarak steps down.Vice President Omar Suleiman: The new Egyptian vice president has served as head of intelligence and is a close ally of President Mubarak. He earned international respect for his role as a mediator in Middle East affairs and for curbing Islamic extremism.Ayman Nour: The political dissident founded the Al Ghad or "tomorrow" party. Nour ran against Mr. Mubarak in the 2005 election and was later jailed on corruption charges. The government released him in 2009 under pressure from the United States and other members of the international community.Muslim Brotherhood: The Islamic fundamentalist organization is outlawed in Egypt, but remains the largest opposition group. Its members previously held 20 percent of the seats in parliament, but lost them after a disputed election in late 2010. The group leads a peaceful political and social movement aimed at forming an Islamic state.

Admiral Mullen is referring to the mostly neutral role the troops in the streets have played and their restraint in not using their weapons against the demonstrators. In addition, senior American and Egyptian officers have long-standing and close relationships, creating a valuable back channel of communications. The admiral himself has spoken twice in the last week with his Egyptian counterpart, Lieutenant General Sami Anan.

"In my discussions with General Anan, he has assured me, he's not going to fire on his people, that they are very focused on the people of Egypt," explained Mullen.  "They would like this, clearly, to transition peacefully. There are more army forces out today. You can see them just in the pictures. And so they've worked very hard to remain neutral, and they really do want to continue to do that."

The admiral said U.S. forces in the Middle East are in what he called a "higher state of awareness" as they monitor the crisis in Egypt, but their alert level has not been raised.

 

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Cameron and Obama discuss Egypt - The Press Association

Cameron and Obama discuss Egypt(UKPA) – 20 minutes ago

David Cameron has discussed the crisis in Egypt with US president Barack Obama after a flight carrying Britons fleeing the stricken country touched down in the UK.

The Foreign Office chartered-flight arrived at Gatwick Airport at around 9pm on Saturday, with around 70 ex-pats and tourists on board.

As the Britons fled the country, Mr Cameron and Mr Obama spoke on the telephone to reaffirm their desire for the transition to a "broad-based" government to begin immediately.

A Downing St spokesman said: "They agreed that it was vital that the Egyptian government respond to the aspirations of the Egyptian people through reform not repression. Violence was unacceptable.

"The Prime Minister welcomed the restraint shown by the army in policing the most recent protests.

"The leaders agreed that it was for the Egyptian people to determine the leadership of their country. But they were clear that an orderly transition to a broad-based government, with real, visible and meaningful change needed to start now.

"The Prime Minister said that a clear and credible roadmap to change was needed as soon as possible, including a path to free and fair elections.

"They agreed to keep in close touch in the coming days."

Earlier, in an apparent change of tone, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton warned that without orderly change, extremists could derail the transfer of power.

She said: "It's important to support the transition process announced by the Egyptian government actually headed by now-vice president Omar Suleiman."

Copyright © 2011 The Press Association. All rights reserved.

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Egypt: Mubarak refuses to go as US brokers exit deal - Hindustan Times

Unbowed by a week of mob violence and official entreaties, tens of thousands of Egyptians turned out for another Friday of protest. Defying military orders to “go home,” the anti-government protestors streamed into Tahrir (Liberation) Square after prayers all through the day. Their single demand remained the same: the immediate exit of President Hosni Mubarak. The square was ringed by soldiers and armoured vehicles who searched for weapons. Many demonstrators brought water and food for those who had spent the night securing the area.

There were reports the US government was trying to broker a deal with Egypt’s newly-appointed vice-president Omar Suleiman to bring in an interim reformist government and ease Mubarak out and end the 11-day-old people’s revolt.

Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, one of the leaders of the protest movement, lay out his scenario on Friday: a transitional government headed by a presidential council of two or three, including a military representative. He said Suleiman — a military man who was earlier intelligence chief — was an acceptable figure to sit on a presidential council.

State television declared it a “day of allegiance” for Mubarak. The protestors called it the “day of departure” for Mubarak.
Egyptian defence minister Hussein Tantawi visited the square along with top army officials to assess the situation.
And in his first television interview since the revolt began, Mubarak said he was “fed up” and wanted to quit but feared the nation would “sink into chaos” if he did so. In an earlier speech, he had vowed to remain president “as long as his heart is beating”.

Questions remained about the military. US officials said they’d received assurances from the top brass that they would not fire on demonstrators. Some analysts argued that the army was hoping to tire out the demonstrators. Others said it was hedging its bets, waiting to see who would win the political struggle.
Television images of the protests dried up following harassment and detention of camera crews by pro-Mubarak gangs and the military.

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EU leaders demand Egypt transition 'now' - AFP

EU leaders demand Egypt transition 'now'(AFP) – 3 hours ago

BRUSSELS — Europe's 27 leaders demanded the transition to democracy in Egypt start "now" in a joint statement Friday that also condemned violence in the country "in the strongest terms".

Meeting at a one-day summit, the leaders "called on the Egyptian authorities to meet the aspirations of the Egyptian people with political reform not repression."

They called for restraint on all sides and no further violence as the country begins an orderly transition to a broad-based government.

"The European Council underlined that this transition process must start now," added the statement, the European Union's toughest response yet to the turmoil in Egypt.

It also issued a veiled threat of suspending EU aid, which though well below US assistance amounts to almost half a billion euros ($610 billion) in the current three-year period.

"The basis for the EU's relationship with Egypt must be the principles set out in the association agreement and the commitments made," it said.

Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved. More »

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Egypt protestors prepare for final push - Financial Times

By Michael Peel, Andrew England and Heba Saleh in Cairo

Published: February 3 2011 13:38 | Last updated: February 4 2011 08:32

Thousands of protesters were gathering on Friday in Cairo’s Tahrir Square for a “Day of Departure” rally aimed at ousting President Hosni Mubarak.

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Egypt has Obama cautiously shifting world view on democracy - Washington Post

Shortly after taking office, President Obama traveled to Cairo to declare a new day in U.S. relations with the Muslim world - saying there was "no straight line" to building democratic societies in the Middle East.

The June 2009 address was in part intended to show a clean break from a George W. Bush-era "freedom agenda" of promoting electoral democracies across the region. Yet Obama now finds himself forced to move much closer to that worldview as he escalates pressure on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to make immediate changes.

Obama has shifted in that direction cautiously over the past week and a half, balancing between urging wider freedom and maintaining his position that the events are for Egyptians, not Americans, to decide. To some extent, that may be his only safe course: Obama does not yet know what kind of government will take shape in Egypt, and administration officials are confident that if it a hostile regime were to wind up taking hold, the president would inevitably take some of the blame.

And so the rhetoric has been circumspect. On Sunday, the administration called for an "orderly transition." By Tuesday, that had escalated into a demand that Mubarak begin implementing democratic changes immediately, but it was not clear what that meant, or exactly what the White House would like to see happen next. Although senior officials have made it plain that they want Mubarak to leave office right away, Obama has not said the same. He has left that to protesters in the streets of Cairo - and to some outspoken foreign policy hawks at home, including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

Obama has navigated some internal divides as well. In the Situation Room on Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan E. Rice - who has a history of urging pressure on authoritarian regimes - called for the administration to take a harder line on Mubarak, one administration official said. That view was met with some resistance from others, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Obama decided that, in his public remarks about Mubarak that night, he was "not going to go all the way, but not let him off the hook," one official said. In typical fashion, Obama shared his comments with his advisers ahead of time and allowed each side to weigh in.

"By the time everyone left, we all ended up agreeing on where we ended up," the official said.

So far, Obama's measured steps have drawn mostly praise across the political spectrum. Criticism has come largely from potential Republican presidential candidates. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) said it is "frightening" to watch Obama on Egypt, and former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty said the administration's response has been "inconsistent and bordering on incoherent."

But GOP leaders in the House and the Senate have expressed support, saying it is vital for the United States to speak with one voice on foreign policy. Even former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has been silent on the matter.

Still, Obama's approach has not eliminated the potential peril for him domestically. If an Islamist regime takes control, comparisons to Iran will be inevitable, with Republicans accusing Obama of not managing one of the most vital U.S. allies in the Middle East and potentially endangering the security of neighboring Israel.

At first, the president appeared reluctant to push Mubarak, an ally, but appeared to grow more comfortable urging changes as Mubarak appeared less flexible.

"Historians will write, if Egypt turns out well, that this was the capstone of a shift in the administration," said Robert Kagan, a Brookings Institution scholar who is part of a working group that is warning the White House to prepare for a change in Egypt.

Some leaders in the Jewish community expressed concern this week when White House spokesman Robert Gibbs urged Egypt to incorporate the views of opposition parties. They wondered whether Gibbs was referring to the Muslim Brotherhood. White House officials held a conference call Wednesday night to reassure Jewish leaders.

The administration is mindful of the potential drawbacks of becoming too closely involved in the internal upheaval of another country. The Bush administration pressured the Israeli government to allow elections to go forward in the Palestinian territories in January 2006 - then found itself in the uncomfortable position of leading a boycott of the elected Hamas government, embittering many Palestinians.

Egypt has elections scheduled for this fall, and without Mubarak on the ballot, some fear the Muslim Brotherhood could gain political power. Such a victory would put Obama in a place similar to the one Bush found himself in after the 2006 Palestinian elections, and would challenge his pledge to allow Egyptians to determine their political future

"It's not that [Obama and his aides] have said, 'We want the Muslim Brotherhood to take over Egypt,' " said Marc Lynch, an Egypt expert at George Washington University. "It's that if they respect democracy and reject violence, they should have as much a right to participate in elections as anyone else."

kornbluta@washpost.com wallstenp@washpost.com

Staff writer Scott Wilson contributed to this report.

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Egypt Chaos Defines Bleeding in Despot Arab World: Tariq Ali - Bloomberg

Feb. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Haleh Esfandiari, director of the Middle East program for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, talks about protests against Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. She speaks with Pimm Fox on Bloomberg Television's "Taking Stock." (Source: Bloomberg)

“Freedom lies behind a door closed shut,” the great Egyptian poet Ahmed Shawqi wrote in the last century. “It can only be knocked down with a bleeding fist.” More than that is bleeding in the Arab world at the moment.

The uprisings we are witnessing in Egypt have been a rude awakening for all those who imagined that the despots of the Arab world could be kept in place provided they continued to serve the needs of the West and their harsh methods weren’t aired on CNN and BBC World. But while Western establishments lull themselves to sleep with fairy tales, ordinary citizens, who are defeated and demoralized, mull their revenge.

The French government seriously considered sending its paratroopers to save former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pleading with officials in Washington to delay Hosni Mubarak’s departure from Egypt so that Israel has time to prepare for the likely outcome. Former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair is even describing the Egyptian dictator as a “force for good.”

The almost 200 pro-democracy citizens who have been killed don’t bother him too much. That’s small beer compared with the tens of thousands dead in Iraq. And a desperate Palestine Liberation Organization is backing Mubarak and repressing solidarity demonstrations in Ramallah on the West Bank.

Hated Figures

In Yemen, another strongman in power for 30 years is beginning to totter. President Ali Abdullah Saleh is a hated figure, again backed by the West, as I discovered when I visited the country last year.

If Tunisia was a tremor, the Egyptian uprising has become an earthquake that is spreading throughout the region. The generals in Cairo are still refusing to disperse the crowds with tanks and bullets. A full-scale Tiananmen Square option, which Mubarak and his friends would have appreciated, becomes difficult in these conditions.

So what will they do? As the crisis moves a step further, Vice President Omar Suleiman, not trusted by many people as the former director of intelligence, is hoping to divide the opposition, clear the streets and negotiate a deal, offering Amr Moussa, the toothless head of the Arab League, the interim presidency. They want someone who will retain the remnants of the old institutions and, in particular, the apparatuses of the secret state that have been so useful in helping the West’s policy of renditions in the war on terror, which has so far only succeeded in engendering more terror.

Total Overhaul

The millions of people in the streets of Egypt are demanding a total overhaul. They want, as in Tunisia, a new constitution that guarantees political and social rights. They want an independent foreign policy that is decided in Cairo, not Tel Aviv or Washington. They want to lift the blockade of Gaza so that its people can live as normally as possible.

This week, the Egyptian regime, shaken by the mass mobilizations, threatened counter-revolution. Pro-Mubarak forces, a combination of the security cops out of uniform and gangsters released from prison, attacked protesters, creating mayhem in Tahrir Square. The military, which pledged to defend public safety, failed to do so.

In Alexandria, there were clashes between Mubarak’s desperate supporters and the anti-government protesters. The coming weekend is decisive. The planned march by several hundred thousand people on the presidential palace might drive Mubarak to get a helicopter to the airport. One assumes the Saudis are preparing a palace for him as is their wont.

Plan B

A post-Mubarak Egypt is difficult to predict with exactitude. What we can say is that it won’t be a repeat of the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The iron will of the Ayatollah doesn’t exist in Cairo. Instead there is a decent, amiable technocrat, Mohamed El Baradei, more known abroad than at home, as a possible Plan B for the White House.

Lurking behind El Baradei is the Muslim Brotherhood. It, too, is divided, with a dominant wing composed of young, modernist Muslims who want to mimic Turkey. If the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s favorite Islamists in Istanbul can do business with Washington, why not their Egyptian equivalents? They have been engaged in private discussions with informal emissaries from the U.S. for more than a decade.

Nonetheless, a regime propelled into office via an uprising from below can’t be as cavalier in disregarding public opinion, and nor is this a time for the U.S. to start preaching the virtues of liberal capitalism: The recent fate of Iceland, Ireland and Greece should be enough on that score.

Internally, what is required is to rebuild the abandoned social safety net, providing elementary health, education and housing for the poor.

Externally, Egypt’s relationship with the U.S. and Israel will have to be modified, regardless of who succeeds Mubarak. A peace treaty that benefits Israel alone was never accepted by the Egyptian people.

Only then will Egypt be able to stop the bleeding.

(Tariq Ali is a London-based writer, filmmaker and author of the 2010 book “The Obama Syndrome.” The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer of this column: Tariq Ali at tariq.ali3@btinternet.com

To contact the editor responsible for this column: James Greiff at jgreiff@bloomberg.net

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US, Egypt in talks; Mubarak 'fed up' - The Hindu

An anti-government protester beckons others to support those at the frontline of clashes with pro-government supporters, near the Egyptian Museum in downtown Cairo, on Thursday. Photo: AP Embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has said he is “fed up” and wants to quit but fears that the nation will “sink in chaos” if he steps down.

“He is fed up with being President and would like to leave office now, but cannot, he says, for fear that the country would sink into chaos,” ABC News, which recently interviewed Mr. Mubarak, said.

In his first interview after pro-democracy protests gained momentum, the President blamed opposition Muslim Brotherhood for the violence in Cairo and said “I was very unhappy about yesterday. I do not want to see Egyptians fighting each other.”

On U.S. President Barack Obama’s apparent calls for his resignation, Mr. Mubarak said he told his American counterpart, “You don’t understand the Egyptian culture and what would happen if I step down now.” He, however, maintained that Mr. Obama is a “very good man.”

When asked about seeing people shouting insults about him and wanting him gone, Mr. Mubarak who has been ruling Egypt for 30 years said, “I don’t care what people say about me. Right now I care about my country, I care about Egypt.”

The 82-year-old leader said he had never planned to run for Presidency during the September election, neither had any plan to pass on the mantle to his son Gamal, who was also present during the interview.

On his feeling after addressing the nation on Monday night when he said he would not run for Presidential election again, Mr. Mubarak said he felt “relief“.

According to the report, Mr. Mubarak was along with his family and his palace was heavily guarded by armed troops, tanks and barbed wires. Protesters’ Friday deadline for Mr. Mubarak’s resignation is ending today.

“I would never run away... I will die on this soil,” he said as the President defended his legacy, recounting the many years he has spent leading his country.

Talks about Mubarak stepping aside now

The Obama administration is in talks with top Egyptian officials about the possible immediate resignation of President Hosni Mubarak and the formation of an interim government that could prepare the country for free and fair elections later this year.

U.S. officials said on Thursday the creation of a military-backed caretaker government in Egypt is one of several ideas being discussed as anti—Mubarak protests escalate in the streets of Cairo and other Egyptian cities.

The officials said the United States isn’t seeking to impose a solution on Egypt but stressed that the administration had made a judgement that Mr. Mubarak has to leave office soon if there is to be a peaceful resolution to the crisis. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive diplomatic talks that are continuing.

The talks were first reported by The New York Times.

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EU set to debate energy and Egypt - BBC News

4 February 2011 Last updated at 02:22 GMT The EU leaders are expected to strongly criticise the violence in Egypt EU leaders are preparing to meet for a one-day summit, with energy, the eurozone debt crisis and unrest in Egypt set to dominate the agenda.

The Brussels talks were called as part of plans to boost growth in the region and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The European Commission estimates EU countries will have to spend one trillion euros on energy infrastructure over the coming decade.

But the leaders are also expected to condemn the violence in Egypt.

The AFP news agency said it had obtained an early copy of a statement on Egypt to be put forward by the leaders at the European Council talks.

In it, the leaders will say they "condemned violence in the strongest terms" and call for an "expeditious and orderly transition" of power, AFP reports.

The summit was called to focus on energy and innovation, which are critical issues for the European Union.

The union has set itself ambitious energy targets, which will only be achieved by massive investment - some one trillion euro (£850bn; $1.4tn) - in the region's energy infrastructure.

Larger member states want the money to come from private industry; others argue that there has to be some EU funding involved.

'Key moment'

The leaders will also talk about plans to ease the sovereign debt crisis in the eurozone.

Recent weeks have seen a relative calming of the financial markets after earlier panic, but members states say concrete action must be taken to prevent further instability.

"We are at a key moment - markets are turning, doubts about the solidity of the euro and the euro zone are dissipating," a French official told reporters on Thursday.

"It's the moment to take a big step ahead. So we are ready to put all these subjects on the table."

Germany and France are set to present joint proposals at the summit on improving economic competitiveness and strengthening the euro's bail-out fund.

The plan is believed to contain proposals for limiting wage increases, aligning retirement ages with life expectancy and introducing a "debt brake" to limit the size of deficit a member state can run.

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More violence in Egypt ahead of more protests - ABC Online

ELIZABETH JACKSON: To Egypt and analysts are warning that president Hosni Mubarak appears to be gearing up for what could become a "Tiananmen moment."

Journalists and foreigners have been targeted in violent clashes in Cairo and many journalists have reported having their recording gear confiscated. Human rights activists have also been arrested.

Hosni Mubarak has denied that the government has instigated the violence and is blaming the Muslim Brotherhood.

International observers are holding their breath in anticipation of what tomorrow might bring.

Timothy McDonald reports.

(Sound of protesters)

TIMOTHY MCDONALD: Sporadic violence continued in Egypt as Hosni Mubarak's supporters and opponents clashed in the streets.

Tempers ran hot, and many were pointing fingers at the president, who has ruled the country for more than three decades.

VOX POP: Mubarak is a terrorist, not us.

VOX POP 2: He is never to be supported by any person of the population. He is a killer.

VOX POP 3: He want to kill all the people.

(Sound of protesters)

TIMOTHY MCDONALD: Protester Marwa Sharafeldin says the crowds of anti-Mubarak protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square have swelled dramatically in response to yesterday's fighting.

She says the protesters believe elements of the ruling party bankrolled yesterday's violence.

MARWA SHARAFELDIN: Even those who listen to Mubarak's last speech, who were starting to have second thoughts, becoming quite compassionate with the president, they have changed their minds after they saw the horrible scenes that we all saw yesterday and the amount of people who were injured and the amount of people who were killed by thugs who, it is increasingly becoming known now, were hired by certain people in the National Democratic Party.

TIMOTHY MCDONALD: According to United Nations estimates, more than 300 people have died since the unrest broke out on the 25th of January, with close to 4,000 injured.

While the violence has continued in the streets, some of the government's public statements have been conciliatory. The Egyptian prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, apologised for the deadly clashes and promised an investigation into the violence.

But in an unrecorded interview with the American ABC's Christiane Amanpour, Hosni Mubarak denied any responsibility for the violence and instead blamed the Muslim Brotherhood.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: When I asked about his supporters causing violence against the protesters in the square he told me "I was very unhappy about yesterday. I do not want to see Egyptians fighting each other".

TIMOTHY MCDONALD: He says he's sick of leading the country, but he's staying on because the Muslim Brotherhood would take over if he relinquished power now.

But if the regime has a stick in one hand, it has a carrot in the other. The vice president Omar Suleiman has offered to negotiate with the Muslim Brotherhood.

OMAR SULEIMAN (translated): I have contacted the Muslim Brotherhood. I have invited them but they are still hesitant to enter into dialogue.

TIMOTHY MCDONALD: Dr Kamal el-Helbawy is a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood based in London. He says the offer is more of a threat than an opportunity.

KAMAL EL-HELBAWY: They are threatening as well. If you lose this opportunity, there is no other way. So this is a threat. Secondly, the Muslim Brotherhood were banned for many, many years and all the time during the regime of Mubarak for 30 years and now they are in trouble and the revolution is continuous and the people would not like to see only Mubarak departing but the whole regime that was involved.

TIMOTHY MCDONALD: As the violence continues, attacks on foreign journalists have also become commonplace.

The Committee to Protect Journalists says there have been 27 attacks on the media.

That list doesn't include an attack on a crew from the ABC's Foreign Correspondent, who were kicked and punched by Mubarak supporters.

ABC Middle East correspondent Ben Knight told Radio National the attacks have been stepped up, with Mubarak supporters and officials harassing journalists in their hotels.

BEN KNIGHT: A group of pro-Mubarak supporters managed to get into that hotel and were looking for foreign journalists. That situation, I understand, ended without too much incident but perhaps what is even more worrying since then is that the state authorities have been going around to the hotels. One journalist has reported the authorities burst into his room, six of them, went straight out to the balcony looking for broadcast equipment, didn't find it and then came back in.

TIMOTHY MCDONALD: The US as well as several European countries have labelled the attacks completely unacceptable.

The Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has also added his voice to the chorus of condemnation.

KEVIN RUDD: This behaviour is simply unacceptable to the Australian Government, to governments throughout Europe, for governments throughout the world and it must stop.

TIMOTHY MCDONALD: The situation in Egypt is still very tense, as protesters gather for another huge March tomorrow and the protests could have ripple effect throughout the Middle East.

The Jordanian King sacked his government earlier this week after protests there, and yesterday's violence has also touched off protests in Yemen.

ELIZABETH JACKSON: Timothy McDonald with that report.

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