Mubarak Flies The Coop …
Or, perhaps the “coup”….
The BBC reports the breaking news: Egypt’s Mubarak resigns as leader
In an announcement on state TV, Vice-President Omar Suleiman said Mr Mubarak had handed power to the military.
It came as thousands massed in Cairo and other Egyptian cities for an 18th day of protest to demand Mr Mubarak’s resignation.
Protesters responded by cheering, waving flags, embracing and sounding car horns. “The people have brought down the regime,” they chanted.
Mr Suleiman said Mr Mubarak had handed power to the high command of the armed forces.
“In the name of God the merciful, the compassionate, citizens, during these very difficult circumstances Egypt is going through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down from the office of president of the republic and has charged the high council of the armed forces to administer the affairs of the country,” he said.
“May God help everybody.”
Like I said yesterday, the military was put in the position of having to “do something” about Mubarak. I wonder if anyone has told him that he resigned? Well, they’ll take care of the details later, after they get their next check from the US.
The military needs to understand that the people who gathered have already lost their fear of death, so if it doesn’t start delivering some real changes, especially labor reforms and lifting the state of emergency, the protesters will be back, and the strikes are a certainty. The people won a big one, so they are ready and willing to do this again.
4 comments
I wonder if anyone has told him that he resigned?
Heh. That was my first response too, when I got the news flash from McClatchey that Mubarack had flew the coop/coup/whatevah.
In one of the interviews of the crowd, when asked about the possibility that the military wouldn’t really change anything, a protester said “We know where to go now, and we will be back if things don’t change.”
He sure tried to put it off. I guess high govt knows how to deny deny deny.
I don’t get it, OWL. He could have left with some dignity, which might have moderated some the valid criticism of his heavy-handed rule, but he refused to accept reality. Now, he can be assured that they will pursue him and his money.