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Showing posts with label Mubarak's thugs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mubarak's thugs. Show all posts
Millions of Egyptian demonstrators are holding a rally in the capital, Cairo, to demand the military hand over power to a civilian government.
Some three million participants in the massive rally have gathered at Cairo's Liberation Square, which has been the epicenter of the Egyptian Revolution. Thousands more were expected to join the rally after the Friday Prayers.
Also in Alexandria, large numbers of people are also celebrating the fall of Mubarak.
US-backed President Hosni Mubarak stepped down last Friday after ruling Egypt for three decades.
His resignation followed nearly three weeks of massive nationwide demonstrations against his regime.
After Mubarak's ouster, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces took over all his powers.
The military council has said it will allow the formation of a civilian government only after the September elections. But the Egyptians want the junta to immediately transfer power to a civilian government.
The families of those killed during the struggle for freedom are caught between happiness for their country, and grief over their lost ones, a Press TV correspondent reported from Cairo.
Official figures show at least 365 people have been killed and about 5,500 wounded in the Egyptian Revolution.
Activists have demanded the release of political prisoners, the lifting of a 30-year-old state of emergency and the disbandment of military court. They say demonstrations will continue until the army accepts the reforms.
Egyptian people intend to hold a massive protest march in the capital Cairo to demand new rights and implementation of changes pledged by the military council that has temporarily taken over power in the country.
The march, planned for Friday, is also viewed as a warning to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces that assumed power last week following Mubarak's ouster, Reuters reported.
The army has since come under pressure to hand over power to a civilian government, carry out political reforms and lift emergency regulations that have been enforced for the past thirty years.
Mubarak's overthrow has raised serious concerns in the United States and Israel, where major financial and military support for the dictator's regime was taken for granted.
Many pro-democracy protesters remain in detention. Amnesty International has called on the military to "intervene to end torture and other abuse of detainees, which have been taking place in military custody."
Life has not returned to normal in Egypt, with banks and schools still closed and the public sector staff on strike. Workers have been protesting against low wages and poor working conditions.
Employees have also expressed outrage at corruption and abuse of power by the cronies of Mubarak and have pressed the public prosecutor to take strict measures against them.
On Thursday, four top officials, including three ministers, were arrested on allegations of money-laundering and abuse of office.
The US will continue efforts to maintain Egypt's collaborations with Washington and Tel Aviv as it is unlikely that the US stops putting pressure on those opposing Israel, a journalist says.
In an interview with Press TV, Gareth Porter said, ''Unless there is a totally surprising decision made in Washington to abandon its regional strategy, which has, for three decades or so, been devoted to unremitting pressure on those states and parties which have opposed Israel and its role in relation to Palestinians, as well as its role in the region," the US will continue to "try to use whatever instruments of power available to it in Egypt to try to keep that country as much as possible on a track that is collaborative with the United States and Israel."
He said US efforts to keep control over Egypt's politics will be a source of tension for the next six months to come following the Egyptian revolution.
“One must assume that the interest of the military regime, particularly one which is headed by the person who was the primary collaborator of the United States' CIA in this rendition program, is going to have a different set of priorities and different set of interests from those of the pro-democracy demonstrators in Egypt,” Porter added.
“Therefore, we are going to see a long period here of very intricate maneuvering between the government headed by the former intelligence chief of Egypt and the forces, which were involved in the pro-democracy demonstrations,” he added.
While Muslims account for the majority of Egypt's population, the West has criticized those amending the Egyptian constitution for refusing to remove Article 2, stating that Islam is the state religion and recognizing the Shariah as the source of law.
Porter said that the US and Israel are interested in “pushing Egypt in a different direction … to fence off Islamic influence, the influence of Islamist parties and particularly the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.”
The issue is not one of simply Egyptian political forces within the country's borders, but “also involve external forces, as well.”
Shortly after the victory of Egypt's popular revolution, the pro-democracy protesters urge any future government to prevent foreign interference in the country's domestic affairs.
People have refused to leave the streets ever since Friday, when three-decade-long President Hosni Mubarak handed power over to the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces, giving in to 18 straight days of demonstrations. The people have urged the new military rulers to hand over power to a civilian government as soon as possible.
“We are not with America or any other government. We are able to help ourselves. We don't need America, France or Israel. We have proved that we have a high degree of knowledge. If America needs help we can help. We are greater than the US,” said one protester.
Downplaying the popular outrage on January 25, when the uprising began, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton rated the North African ally's government as a stable one. Later, however, Washington supported transition of power to the people as the protests gathered momentum.
The protesters also called on the future government not to undermine its legitimacy by recognizing Israel.
“I don't think that Israel is a state. I don't believe in it. Israel is just an occupation. I personally, as an Egyptian, do not acknowledge the existence of Israel. Any Arab government that deals with Israel or works under Israel I do not acknowledge it either,” he added.
The former government endorsed Israel as a 'state' in a sign of allegiance to Washington and has invariably cooperated with Tel Aviv's crippling siege of the Gaza Strip by closing its Rafah border-crossing with Gaza, which is the enclave's only terminal that bypasses Israel.
“We are not with America. We are Egyptian and we can decide our fate on our own. We do not acknowledge any other foreign government to say that they will decide any fate for us. Only we decide,” said another rallier.
The revolution followed one in Tunisia, which ended the 23-year-long rule of ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Tunis kept a close relationship with Paris, which had reportedly ordered for weapons and riot control equipment to be sent to Tunisia to curb the as popular uprising.
“We are against the US interfering in Egypt's establishment of a democratic government. We are against any foreign interference. We are against the involvement of America and France in our affairs,” said another demonstrator
The Egyptian revolution has not come to a conclusion yet and people should continue protests to press their demand for a civilian government, a political analyst says.
Ali al-Ahmad, the director of IGA in Washington, told Press TV on Sunday that "it is too early to say that the revolution has succeeded" since it has not brought ousted President Hosni Mubarak and his people to justice yet.
Al-Ahmad said the main obstacle that is still present is the state of emergency that has been in place since Mubarak came to power nearly thirty years ago.
The analyst added that though Mubarak has left, his property has not been confiscated and his cronies are still in power which can form a "military dictatorship" unless people elect a government.
"The military is ruling the country without any supervision and there is no guarantee that will continue to be so for years," he said.
Al-Ahmad said that Egypt's new day will begin when the constitution is re-written and approved by the people and a government that is "responsible for people" is formed.
He warned the leaders of the revolution that the military is conducting a conspiracy to "steal the revolution" and asked people to continue their demands by holding demonstrations every Friday.
The Egyptian military that assumed power following Mubarak's ouster has dissolved the parliament and suspended the constitution.
The military has announced that it would stay in power for six months before a civilian government is elected.
Thousands of protesters, who doubted a rapid transition to democracy, streamed into Cairo's Liberation Square on Sunday, saying they will not quit unless their demands are met.
Egyptian labour unions plan to hold more nationwide strikes for a second day, adding momentum to the pro-democracy demonstrations in Cairo and other cities.
The move comes as the demonstrations calling for President Hosni Mubarak's immediate ouster enters its 17th day.
Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker, reporting from Cairo, said about 5,000 doctors and medical students were expected to come out on Thursday.
"It's certainly increasing the pressure on the government here. I think it's worth making the distinction that the strikes going on are more of an economic nature, they are not necessarily jumping on the bandwagon of the protesters in Tahrir Square, ...many of them are not actually calling for the president to step down, but fighting for better wages, for better working conditions."
Our correspondents, reporting from across Egypyt, said around 20,000 factory workers had stayed away from work on Wednesday.
"[Strikers] were saying that they want better salaries, they want an end to the disparity in the pay, and they want the 15 per cent increase in pay that was promised to them by the state," Shirine Tadros, reported from Cairo.
Some workers were also calling for Mubarak to step down, she said.
Culture minister quits
Meanwhile, Gaber Asfour, the recently appointed culture minister, resigned from Mubarak's cabinet on Wednesday for health reasons, a member of his family told Reuters.
But the website of Egypt's main daily newspaper Al-Ahram said Asfour, a writer, was under pressure from literary colleagues over the post.
Asfour was sworn in following the start of the protests on January 31, and believed it would be a national unity government, al-Ahram said.
Determined protesters continue to rally in Cairo's Tahrir [Liberation] Square, and other cities across the country. They say they will not end the protests until Mubarak, who has been at the country's helm since 1981, steps down.
Protesters with blankets gathered outside the parliament building in Cairo on Wednesday, with no plan to move, our correspondent reported. The demonstrators had put up a sign that read: "Closed until the fall of the regime".
There was also a renewed international element to the demonstrations, with Egyptians from abroad returning to join the pro-democracy camp.
Our correspondent said an internet campaign is currently on to mobilise expatriates to return and support the uprising.
Protesters are "more emboldened by the day and more determined by the day", Ahmad Salah, an Egyptian activist, told Al Jazeera from Cairo. "This is a growing movement, it's not shrinking."
Meanwhile, 34 political prisoners, including members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood opposition group, were reportedly released over the past two days.
Our correspondent said that there are still an unknown number of people missing, including activists thought to be detained during the recent unrest.
Human Rights Watch said the death toll has reached 302 since January 28. However, Egypt's health ministry denied the figures, saying official statistics would be released shortly.
Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman has warned the opposition groups on Wednesday that if their movement doesn't enter into negotiations, a “coup” could transpire.
The following is a transcript of a Press TV interview with Mohammad Oweis, a Middle East expert in Washington, DC.
Press TV: Egypt's Vice President Omar Suleiman had earlier warned that his patience is running thin with the protesters. Considering the crackdown we've seen today in Kharga, should we expect bloodshed on the streets of Egypt?
Oweis: Well Omar Suleiman is very afraid of what may happen to him because of the crime he committed against the Egyptian people. He is holding on to the position President Hosni Mubarak put him in which is Vice President. He is not a vice president because Egyptians don't want him to be. He is a criminal who has committed crimes with impunity for a long time and he should not be given immunity and Egyptian are not going to give him immunity from the crimes he has committed. Even the thugs and the security forces who are killing people on the streets are not going to be immune from trails later. So the best thing that the demonstrators can do is to just get the names of these thugs and tell them that they will be tried for the crimes against the demonstrators.
Omar Suleiman is not a Persona non grata. His days in Egypt are numbered and probably his days on the earth is numbered if he continues to be defiant and threatening the Egyptian people because the army is not going to kill its own people on orders from a criminal like Suleiman.
Press TV: We've heard time and time again of chaos insuing if Mubarak steps down. Do you agree with that assessment?
Oweis: Well, we haven't seen chaos. In fact the chaos comes from Mubarak and his thugs. This is a very civilized revolution and in fact I think these guys who are leading this revolution are really going the right way.
The government has lost control over the demonstrators in Egypt and killing people is not going to stop others from going to the streets.
Today nobody asked people to go into the streets but hundreds of thousands took to the streets against the regime. Today's protests show that everything is right way for achieving a revolution.
The regime however dreams up things and behaves as if there everything is very fine for the Egyptians. People of Egypt have suffered for a long time. They have been humiliated by this regime. I think the position of Egyptians is much better as they don't afraid of the security forces. They may not get enough food, but at least they do not afraid the regime thugs.
Egypt is going to be one of the best Arab countries and one of the greatest Muslim countries.
Press TV: How do you assess the US role here: it is going to continue providing aid to Mubarak's regime, and has not explicitly called for him to step down?
Oweis: The US has looked at the cover of the Egyptian regime and the Europe has also done the same. Israel is entangled with serious problems because it is well aware that its future will be worse because no more dictators will remain to protect the regime's security in the region.
Americans and Europeans cannot breach democracy any longer. So they have no choice other than supporting democracy in Egypt and Israel can go to hell.
Protesters sit inside the tracks of Egyptian Army tanks both to prevent them from moving and to shield themselves from the rain, as a soldier, talks to one of them at the protest site opposite the Egyptian Museum near Liberation Square in downtown Cairo.
An Egyptian activist says several Egyptian army officers and soldiers have warned the military that they will no longer shoot protesters, instead they will shoot the commanders.
"I think some of them (the army personnel) might join protesters. We have heard some of the officers and soldiers saying if we receive an order to shoot people, we would shoot whoever issued the order," Wael Abbas, a member of the opposition Egypt Revolution Youth Movement, told Press TV in a phone interview on Thursday.
Egypt Revolution Youth Movement has been one of the active rights groups in 17 days of revolution which has rocked the North African country.
"I have no confirmation if the army is going to intervene in favor of the protesters or in favor of the regime," Abbas added.
Revolution has entered its 17th consecutive day in crisis-hit Egypt, despite massive crackdown on demonstrators in the past two days, which left more than a hundred people killed or wounded.
Thousands of pro-democracy protesters camped overnight in the streets in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, near parliament building, the site of a massive march on Wednesday.
The angry protesters blocked roads and railways connecting the northern part of the country to the south on Thursday.
Reports say the protesters set fire to tires placed across the main motorway that goes from Cairo to Assiut, 350 kilometers south of Cairo.
Around 8,000 protesters, mainly farmers, took to the streets in Assiut, and used wooden planks and bricks to block the railway line. More than 3,000 railway workers went on strike to put more pressure on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to resign.
Meanwhile, the army has been deployed in force in the capital Cairo. Security is reportedly tight in the streets leading to Nasr City and New Egypt districts.
Egypt's main opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, earlier revealed that the regime of the embattled Mubarak intends to crack down on Friday's "Day of Massive Protest March."
The Muslim Brotherhood says some 30,000 security forces will be deployed to prevent any pro-democracy protests in Cairo's Liberation Square.
The group added that it has called 800,000 of its members for the Friday demonstrations.
Egypt has been rocked by millions-strong nationwide protests against beleaguered Mubarak over the past 17 days. The protesters want Mubarak to step down.
Hundreds of protesters were killed and wounded in Kharga in southern Egypt, on Wednesday.
The fear factor has been broken, the genie is out of the bottle. Arabs have taken to the streets demanding freedom. As the winds of change blew across the Arab world, the US, the power that has long dominated the region, has been particularly absent.
With all its allies crumbling one after another, what will the US do to maintain its influence in the region? And what can be expected of Israel, the country's closest ally in the region?
Will the spread of democracy lead to a peaceful end to decades of autocratic rule in the Middle East or will the fear of Islamist extremism galvinise Washington's resolve to reinforce Pax Americana?
Our guests today are: Rashid Khalidi, a professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University; Seymour Hersh, a Pulitzer-winning author; and Thomas Pickering, the former US under secretary of state.
Our interviewees are: Clovis Maksoud, the director of the Center for the Global South; and Rob Malley, the Middle East director of International Crisis Group.
This special episode of Empire aired from Monday, February 7, 2011
Omar Suleiman, the Egyptian vice-president, warned on Tuesday that his government "can't put up with continued protests" for a long time, as tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters rallied in Cairo's Tahrir Square for the sixteenth day in a row.
In a sharply worded statement reflecting the regime's impatience and frustration with the mass demonstrations, the newly appointed Suleiman said the crisis must be ended as soon as possible.
Increasingly the public face of the embattled government, Suleiman said there will be "no ending of the regime" and no immediate departure for President Hosni Mubarak, according to the state news agency MENA, reporting on a meeting between the vice-president and independent newspapers.
The immediate departure of Mubarak is a key demand for the pro-democracy demonstrators. Mubarak's pledge to not seek another term later this year didn't tame the angry protests.
Meanwhile, the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon added his voice to host of countries calling for "an orderly transition" in Egypt.
Speaking at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Moon said Egyptian government must heed the call from its people for greater reform immediately.
Subtle threat
Suleiman reportedly told the editors of the newspapers that the regime wants dialogue to resolve protesters' demands for democratic reform, adding, in a veiled warning, that the government doesn't "want to deal with Egyptian society with police tools."
At one point in the roundtable meeting, Suleiman warned that the alternative to dialogue "is that a coup happens, which would mean uncalculated and hasty steps, including lots of irrationalities. We don't want to reach that point, to protect Egypt."
Pressed by the editors to explain the comment, he said he did not mean a military coup but that "a force that is unprepared for rule" could overturn state institutions, said Amr Khafagi, editor-in-chief of the privately-owned Shorouk daily, who attended the briefing.
"He doesn't mean it in the classical way."
"The presence of the protesters in Tahrir Square and some satellite stations insulting Egypt and belittling it makes citizens hesitant to go to work," he said.
Egyptian military, widely hailed for professionalism and restraint, has vowed not to use force against peaceful protesters. President Mubarak, his deputy and the new prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, are all retired military officers with deep links to the institution.
Sticks and carrots
Suleiman warned that calls by some protesters for a campaign of civil disobedience are "very dangerous for society and we can't put up with this at all."
This comes a day after Suleiman announced a slew of constitutional reforms, to be undertaken by yet to be formed committees.
Suleiman said that one committee would carry out constitutional and legislative amendments to enable a shift of power while a separate committee will be set up to monitor the implementation of all proposed reforms. The two committees will start working immediately, he said.
Suleiman stressed that demonstrators will not be prosecuted and that a separate independent fact-finding committee would be established to probe the violence on February 2.
Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators have poured into Cairo's Tahrir (Liberation) Square as protests against Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, entered their 15th day despite a slew of concessions announced by the government.
Tens of thousands of protesters have also come out on the streets in Alexandria, Egypt's second largest city.
There were also reports of a protest outside the parliament building in the capital. Witnesses said protesters had pitched a tent in front of the building and are likely to stay there.
According to Hoda Abdel-Hamid, Al Jazeera's correspondent in the Egyptian capital, the crowd at Tahrir Square grew rapidly on Tuesday afternoon, with many first-timers joining protesters seeking Mubarak's immediate ouster.
The newcomers said they had been inspired in part by the release of Wael Ghonim, the Google executive, after what he said was two weeks of detention by state security authorities.
Ghonim was the person behind a page called "We are all Khaled Said" on the social networking site Facebook, which is being credited for helping spark the uprising in Egypt.
"I came here for the first time today because this cabinet is a failure, Mubarak is still meeting the same ugly faces ... he can't believe it is over. He is a very stubborn man," Afaf Naged, a former member of the board of directors of the state-owned National Bank of Egypt, said.
"I am also here because of Wael Ghonim. He was right when he said the NDP [ruling National Democratic Party] is finished. There is no party left, but they don't want to admit it," she said.
Amr Fatouh, a surgeon, said he had joined the protests for the first time as well.
"I hope people will continue and more people will come. At first, people did not believe the regime would fall but that is changing," he said.
Another Al Jazeera journalist, reporting from the square, said the protesters' resolve seemed very high. Many said they would not leave until their demands are met.
The determined protesters have reportedly composed a 'revolution anthem' to boost morale.
Meanwhile, about 20 lawyers have petitioned Abdel Meguid Mahmoud, the country's prosecutor general, to try Mubarak and his family for allegedly stealing state wealth.
Ibrahim Yosri, a lawyer and a former deputy foreign minister, has drafted the petition.
Constitutional reforms
But Mubarak's message has thus far been that he will not leave until his term expires in September.
However in a statement made on Egyptian state television on Tuesday, Omar Suleiman, the country's vice-president, said that a plan was in place for the peaceful transfer of power.
He announced formation of two independent committees for political and constitutional reforms.
Suleiman said that one committee would carry out constitutional and legislative amendments to enable a shift of power while a separate committee will be set up to monitor the implementation of all proposed reforms. The two committees will start working immediately, he said.
Suleiman stressed that demonstrators will not be prosecuted and that a separate independent fact-finding committee would be established to probe the violence on February 2.
The government had offered on Monday a pay rise to public-sector workers, but the pro-democracy camp said the government had conceded little ground in trying to end the current crisis.
"[The pay rise] doesn't mean anything," Sherif Zein, a protester at Tahrir Square told Al Jazeera on Tuesday.
"Maybe it will be a short-term release for the workers ... but most of the people will realise what this is, it's just a tablet of asprin, but it's nothing meaningful."
Beyond Tahrir Square, life has been slowly getting back to normal in other parts of Cairo with some shops and banks reopening.
Tourism sector affected
However, the country's tourism sector is still suffering, with the area around the famed pyramids remaining closed. The Credit Agricole bank says the protests are costing Egypt more than $300m a day.
"There is a lot of popular public sentiments in Cairo and wider Egypt regarding what those protesters are trying to achieve but at the same time, people are trying to get back to live as normal lives as possible," our correspondent said.
Another correspondent, also in Cairo, said: "There are divisions. On one side, people do agree with the messages coming out of Tahrir Square, but on the other, Egypt is a country where about 40 per cent of the population lives on daily wages."
Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons, reporting from Cairo, said that a so-called battle for hearts and minds is going on.
"Anti-government demonstrators are pushing to convince the country that Mubarak needs to go, but some also don't want the country to plunge into chaos," he said.
"There is also a struggle to get back to normality. Many want to get back to normal lives, but at the same time want this campaign to continue."
Tanks continue to guard government buildings, embassies and other important institutions in the capital.
Egyptian anti-government protesters have welcomed the release of a Google executive who disappeared in Cairo last month after playing a key role in helping demonstrators organise.
Wael Ghonim was released on Monday by Egyptian authorities, sparking a fast and explosive response from supporters, bloggers and pro-democracy activists on the internet.
Ghonim's release came nearly two weeks after he was reported missing on January 28 during protests against Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.
"Freedom is a bless[ing] that deserves fighting for it," Ghonim, Google's head of marketing for the Middle East and North Africa, wrote in a message posted on his Twitter account shortly after his release.
He said he was seized in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, late last month as he joined tens of thousands of protesters in the city's Tahrir Square, the focal point of protests aimed at calling on Mubarak to step down from his 30-year-rule in Egypt.
Ghonim said he was picked up by three plainclothes men on the street, pushed into a car and taken off for interrogation by state security members.
'Not a hero'
The prominent blogger spoke to Egypt's On TV after his release on Monday, pleading with reporters not to call him a hero.
"Please don't make me a hero. I'm not a hero. I have been asleep for 12 days," he said.
"I hope that we would be able to put an end to all the rubbish in this country. The rubbish really needs to be cleaned up."
Ghonim gave a subsequent, emotional interview to the privately owned Egyptian channel Dream TV later on Monday.
"I am not a symbol or a hero or anything like that, but what happened to me is a crime," he told Dream TV.
"If you want to arrest me, that's your right. But there are laws and I am not a terrorist or a drug-dealer. We have to tear down this system based on not being able to speak out."
Ghonim said he was blindfolded during his 12 days in the custody of state security so that he could not identify his interrogators, but he said that he was not physically tortured.
He described his abduction as a "crime which we are fighting", adding that the law that allows such actions such be changed - a reference to the country's emergency laws.
Al Jazeera's correspondent in the northern Egyptian city of Alexandria said the interview will "no doubt have a massive impact on the number of pro-democracy protesters" in the country.
"I expect their numbers to increase dramatically tomorrow and Friday because of this show," our correspondent said.
"The show also included an interview with a former state TV presenter who dismissed her previous employers as liars and propaganda artists for Mubarak.
"The show ended with a plea from her: 'To all the children watching this show, go to your parents, tell them: mum, dad, if you want me to have a brighter future, a good education, then take me to Tahrir square tomorrow'."
Sparking the uprising
Activists said Ghonim was the person behind a page on the social networking site Facebook that is credited for helping spark the uprising in Egypt.
The "We are all Khaled Said" page and Facebook group was named after an Egyptian activist who rights groups said was beaten to death by police in the northern port city of Alexandria. Two officers are now facing trial in the case.
Pro-democracy protesters have continued their sit-in in Cairo's Tahrir Square since mass protests began on January 25. The demonstrations showed no signs of being appeased on Tuesday by talks between the government and opposition groups on Sunday.
But the number of protesters in the streets has decreased since the height of the protests on January 28, a day demonstrators billed the Day of Wrath.
However, immediately after Ghonim's interview on Dream TV on Monday, activists asserted that the blogger had breathed new life into the protests.
"Left breathless by Wael Ghonim. InshaAllah his sincerity & patriotism, beamed into Egypt's living rooms, will ignite this revolution #Jan25," Twitter user Desert_Dals wrote.
"My aunt called me crying after Ghonim's interview saying "I'm going to Tahrir tomorrow! God Bless him! He made us proud!" Twitter user MennaGamal wrote on her account.
"Ghonim just became the mayor of Tahrir Square!" Twitter user AngelSavant wrote.
DFMorrison, another Twitter user wrote, "If you feel recharged by #Ghonim for the Egyptian Revolution to reach its goals, Retweet! #Tahrir #Egypt #25Jan."
The UN says at least 300 people have been killed in the violence since the demonstrations began, with Human Rights Watch, the international rights group, putting the number killed in the cities of Cairo, Alexandria and Suez at 297 on Monday.
Ghonim, in his interview on Monday, paid tribute to those killed.
"I want to say to every mother and every father that lost his child, I am sorry, but this is not our fault.
"I swear to God, this is not our fault. It is the fault of everyone who was holding on to power greedily and would not let it go."
On January 29, Omar Suleiman, Egypt’s top spy chief, was anointed vice president by tottering dictator, Hosni Mubarak. By appointing Suleiman, part of a shake-up of the cabinet in an attempt to appease the masses of protesters and retain his own grip on the presidency, Mubarak has once again shown his knack for devilish shrewdness. Suleiman has long been favoured by the US government for his ardent anti-Islamism, his willingness to talk and act tough on Iran - and he has long been the CIA’s main man in Cairo.
Mubarak knew that Suleiman would command an instant lobby of supporters at Langley and among 'Iran nexters' in Washington - not to mention among other authoritarian mukhabarat-dependent regimes in the region. Suleiman is a favourite of Israel too; he held the Israel dossier and directed Egypt’s efforts to crush Hamas by demolishing the tunnels that have functioned as a smuggling conduit for both weapons and foodstuffs into Gaza.
According to a WikiLeak(ed) US diplomatic cable, titled 'Presidential Succession in Egypt', dated May 14, 2007:
"Egyptian intelligence chief and Mubarak consigliere, in past years Soliman was often cited as likely to be named to the long-vacant vice-presidential post. In the past two years, Soliman has stepped out of the shadows, and allowed himself to be photographed, and his meetings with foreign leaders reported. Many of our contacts believe that Soliman, because of his military background, would at least have to figure in any succession scenario."
From 1993 until Saturday, Suleiman was chief of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service. He remained largely in the shadows until 2001, when he started taking over powerful dossiers in the foreign ministry; he has since become a public figure, as the WikiLeak document attests. In 2009, he was touted by the London Telegraph and Foreign Policy as the most powerful spook in the region, topping even the head of Mossad.
In the mid-1990s, Suleiman worked closely with the Clinton administration in devising and implementing its rendition program; back then, rendition involved kidnapping suspected terrorists and transferring them to a third country for trial. In The Dark Side, Jane Mayer describes how the rendition program began:
"Each rendition was authorised at the very top levels of both governments [the US and Egypt] ... The long-serving chief of the Egyptian central intelligence agency, Omar Suleiman, negotiated directly with top [CIA] officials. [Former US Ambassador to Egypt Edward] Walker described the Egyptian counterpart, Suleiman, as 'very bright, very realistic', adding that he was cognisant that there was a downside to 'some of the negative things that the Egyptians engaged in, of torture and so on. But he was not squeamish, by the way'. (p. 113).
"Technically, US law required the CIA to seek 'assurances' from Egypt that rendered suspects wouldn't face torture. But under Suleiman's reign at the EGIS, such assurances were considered close to worthless. As Michael Scheuer, a former CIA officer [head of the al-Qaeda desk], who helped set up the practise of rendition, later testified, even if such 'assurances' were written in indelible ink, 'they weren't worth a bucket of warm spit'."
Under the Bush administration, in the context of "the global war on terror", US renditions became "extraordinary", meaning the objective of kidnapping and extra-legal transfer was no longer to bring a suspect to trial - but rather for interrogation to seek actionable intelligence. The extraordinary rendition program landed some people in CIA black sites - and others were turned over for torture-by-proxy to other regimes. Egypt figured large as a torture destination of choice, as did Suleiman as Egypt’s torturer-in-chief. At least one person extraordinarily rendered by the CIA to Egypt — Egyptian-born Australian citizen Mamdouh Habib — was reportedly tortured by Suleiman himself.
Suleiman the torturer
In October 2001, Habib was seized from a bus by Pakistani security forces. While detained in Pakistan, at the behest of American agents, he was suspended from a hook and electrocuted repeatedly. He was then turned over to the CIA, and in the process of transporting him to Egypt he endured the usual treatment: his clothes were cut off, a suppository was stuffed in his anus, he was put into a diaper - and 'wrapped up like a spring roll'.
In Egypt, as Habib recounts in his memoir, My Story: The Tale of a Terrorist Who Wasn’t, he was repeatedly subjected to electric shocks, immersed in water up to his nostrils and beaten. His fingers were broken and he was hung from metal hooks. At one point, his interrogator slapped him so hard that his blindfold was dislodged, revealing the identity of his tormentor: Suleiman.
A far more infamous torture case, in which Suleiman also is directly implicated, is that of Ibn al-Sheikh al-Libi. Unlike Habib, who was innocent of any ties to terror or militancy, al-Libi was allegedly a trainer at al-Khaldan camp in Afghanistan. He was captured by the Pakistanis while fleeing across the border in November 2001. He was sent to Bagram, and questioned by the FBI. But the CIA wanted to take over, which they did, and he was transported to a black site on the USS Bataan in the Arabian Sea, then extraordinarily rendered to Egypt. Under torture there, al-Libi "confessed" knowledge about an al-Qaeda–Saddam connection, claiming that two al-Qaeda operatives had received training in Iraq for use in chemical and biological weapons. In early 2003, this was exactly the kind of information that the Bush administration was seeking to justify attacking Iraq and to persuade reluctant allies to go along. Indeed, al-Libi’s "confession" was one the central pieces of "evidence" presented at the United Nations by then-Secretary of State Colin Powell to make the case for war.
As it turns out, that confession was a lie tortured out of him by Egyptians. Here is how former CIA chief George Tenet describes the whole al-Libi situation in his 2007 memoir, At The Center Of The Storm:
"We believed that al-Libi was withholding critical threat information at the time, so we transferred him to a third country for further debriefing. Allegations were made that we did so knowing that he would be tortured, but this is false. The country in question [Egypt] understood and agreed that they would hold al-Libi for a limited period. In the course of questioning while he was in US custody in Afghanistan, al-Libi made initial references to possible al-Qa'ida training in Iraq. He offered up information that a militant known as Abu Abdullah had told him that at least three times between 1997 and 2000, the now-deceased al-Qa'ida leader Mohammad Atef had sent Abu Abdullah to Iraq to seek training in poisons and mustard gas.
"Another senior al-Qa'ida detainee told us that Mohammad Atef was interested in expanding al-Qa'ida's ties to Iraq, which, in our eyes, added credibility to the reporting. Then, shortly after the Iraq war got under way, al-Libi recanted his story. Now, suddenly, he was saying that there was no such cooperative training. Inside the CIA, there was sharp division on his recantation. It led us to recall his reporting, and here is where the mystery begins.
"Al-Libi's story will no doubt be that he decided to fabricate in order to get better treatment and avoid harsh punishment. He clearly lied. We just don't know when. Did he lie when he first said that al-Qa'ida members received training in Iraq - or did he lie when he said they did not? In my mind, either case might still be true. Perhaps, early on, he was under pressure, assumed his interrogators already knew the story, and sang away. After time passed and it became clear that he would not be harmed, he might have changed his story to cloud the minds of his captors. Al-Qa'ida operatives are trained to do just that. A recantation would restore his stature as someone who had successfully confounded the enemy. The fact is, we don't know which story is true, and since we don't know, we can assume nothing. (pp. 353-354)"
Al-Libi was eventually sent off, quietly, to Libya - though he reportedly made a few other stops along the way - where he was imprisoned. The use of al-Libi’s statement in the build-up to the Iraq war made him a huge American liability once it became clear that the purported al-Qaeda–Saddam connection was a tortured lie. His whereabouts were, in fact, a secret for years, until April 2009 when Human Rights Watch researchers investigating the treatment of Libyan prisoners encountered him in the courtyard of a prison. Two weeks later, on May 10, al-Libi was dead, and the Gaddafi regime claimed it was a suicide.
According to Evan Kohlmann, who enjoys favoured status among US officials as an 'al-Qaeda expert', citing a classified source: 'Al-Libi’s death coincided with the first visit by Egypt’s spymaster Omar Suleiman to Tripoli.'
Kohlmann surmises and opines that, after al-Libi recounted his story about about an al-Qaeda–Saddam-WMD connection, "The Egyptians were embarassed by this admission - and the Bush government found itself in hot water internationally. Then, in May 2009, Omar Suleiman saw an opportunity to get even with al-Libi and travelled to Tripoli. By the time Omar Suleiman’s plane left Tripoli, Ibn al-Sheikh al-Libi had committed 'suicide'."
As people in Egypt and around the world speculate about the fate of the Mubarak regime, one thing should be very clear: Omar Suleiman is not the man to bring democracy to the country. His hands are too dirty, and any 'stability' he might be imagined to bring to the country and the region comes at way too high a price. Hopefully, the Egyptians who are thronging the streets and demanding a new era of freedom will make his removal from power part of their demands, too.
Lisa Hajjar teaches sociology at the Uiversity of California - Santa Barbara and is a co-editor of Jadaliyya.
Pro-democracy protesters are continuing their sit-in in Cairo's Tahrir (Liberation) Square for the fourteenth consecutive day, showing no signs of being appeased by talks held a day earlier between the government and opposition groups.
People were still camped out in the square on Monday while life was slowly getting back to normal in other parts of the Egyptian capital.
An Al Jazeera correspondent said traffic in the streets was increasing while businesses were beginning to reopen.
"There's a lot of popular public sentiments in Cairo and wider Egypt regarding what those protesters are trying to achieve but at the same time, people are trying to get back to live as normal lives as possible," he said.
"But some of the shopping malls for example are still closed because they're afraid of looting, and the banks yesterday were only open for a few hours."
Tanks continue to guard government buildings, embassies and other important institutions in the city.
Meanwhile, an Al Jazeera online producer, reporting from the square said relations between the protesters and the troops were turning tense.
On Sunday night, troops stationed near the famed Egypt Museum had briefly opened fire. Tensions also rose when soldiers attempted to reinforce a barbed wire fence, which the protesters resisted. Agitated protesters staged a sit-in and two of them were detained.
Opposition talks
Egypt has been in turmoil since January 25, when protesters took to the streets seeking the immediate resignation of Hosni Mubarak, the president who has ruled the country for three decades.
Omar Suleiman, the country's newly appointed vice-president, began meetings with six opposition groups on Sunday, including the banned Muslim Brotherhood (MB).
Salma El-Tarzi, an activist in Tahrir Square, told Al Jazeera that she was indifferent to the talks.
"The political parties can do whatever they please because they don't represent us," she said.
"This is not a revolution made by the parties. The parties have been there for 30 years and they've done nothing. This is the people's revolution."
Some analysts have called the Muslim Brotherhood's participation in the dialogue a major concession. The group had initially refused to participate in any negotiations unless Mubarak resigns.
But Essam El-Erian, a member of the MB, Egypt's largest opposition group, told Al Jazeera that it has to participate "in any dialogue that can meet the demands of the people".
"This process can encourage more people to be added to protesters in Tahrir Square and all over the country. We've gone to the dialogue to enforce the revolution ... to add more pressure on Mubarak and his regime to leave."
However, another member of the movement played down the meeting, saying the MB is not prepared to drop its central demand of calling for Mubarak to resign as president.
"We cannot call it talks or negotiations. The Muslim Brotherhood went with a key condition that cannot be abandoned ... that he [Mubarak] needs to step down in order to usher in a democratic phase," Abdul Moneim Aboul Fotouh told Al Jazeera.
Reforms pledged
According to a statement from Suleiman's office following the meeting, the government offered to form a committee to examine proposed constitutional amendments, pursue allegedly corrupt government officials, "liberalise" media and communications and lift the state of emergency in the country when the security situation was deemed to be appropriate.
But Fotouh said the government had failed to take concrete measures on the ground.
"If they were serious, the parliament would have been dissolved, also a presidential decree ending the emergency law".
Egypt has been under emergency rule since 1981, the year Mubarak assumed power.
The political parties can do whatever they please because they don't represent us. This is not a revolution made by the parties. The parties have been there for 30 years and they've done nothing. This is the people's revolution.
Barack Obama, the US president, made new remarks on the political situation in Egypt after the meeting. He told the US television network Fox that Egyptians would not permit a repressive government to fill the Mubarak void, adding that the Muslim Brotherhood is only one faction in Egypt.
"But here's the thing that we have to understand, there are a whole bunch of secular folks in Egypt, there are a whole bunch of educators and civil society in Egypt that want to come to the fore as well.
"So it's important for us not to say that our own only two options are either the Muslim Brotherhood or a suppressed people."
Our correspondent in Cairo said the pro-democracy protesters were still not pleased with Obama's stance on the crisis.
"Protesters tell me Obama still hasn't come up with any statement that they want to hear," he said.
"They want immediate change and the feeling among many of them is that the way US is handling this crisis is not good for the way America is perceived both here and in general in the wider region."
Demonstrators are standing their ground in Cairo a day after hundreds of thousands of people gathered to call for Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, to quit.
The protests entered their twelfth day on Saturday, after the city's Tahrir Square, the focal point of protests in Egypt, saw demonstrators observe a "Day of Departure" on Friday.
About 10,000 pro-democracy protesters also gathered outside the main train station in Egypt's second city, Alexandria, Al Jazeera's correspondent there reported.
The leadership of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) resigned en masse on Saturday, according to state television.
Hossam Badrawi has been appointed the new secretary-general of the party, replacing Safwat El-Sherif, a Mubarak loyalist, in that post.
Badrawi, seen by many as a liberal voice in the NDP, will also replace Gamal Mubarak, Hosni Mubarak's son, as head of the party's policies bureau.
Frank Wisner, a special envoy for Barack Obama, the US president, has said Hosni Mubarak "must stay in office to steer" a process of gathering "national consensus around the preconditions" for the way forward.
The comment represents the strongest statement from a US government official in support of Mubarak remaining in office since protests began on January 25.
Obama administration officials welcomed the resignation of Gamal Mubarak, terming it a "positive" move.
Despite the continuing demonstrations and the resignations, Ahmed Shafiq, the prime minister, said stability was returning to the country and that he was confident a deal could be reached on constitutional reforms.
At a news conference aired on state television, Shafiq suggested that the government was seeking to enter into talks with enough opposition representatives to isolate street protesters.
Saturday's protests in Cairo were calm, and protesters were seen lighting campfires across the square as night drew in.
With the exception of a standoff between two groups who were chanting slogans, there was no violence reported on Saturday.
One of Al Jazeera's correspondents in Cairo said there were about 10,000 people in Tahrir Square and queues of people trying to get in. About 500 people joined the protesters from the port city of Suez.
Our correspondent reported that the army was "behaving as if it's back to business as usual tomorrow [Sunday]". He said that the military had removed checkpoints on the 6th of October bridge, allowing traffic to resume normally.
"The army is still securing the square, but their agenda appears to be isolating the protesters - keeping them safe, yes, but also minimising their impact on the surrounding areas," our correspondent said.
General rejected
At one point, General Hassan El-Rawani, the head of the army's central command, entered the square and asked protesters to leave.
They responded with chants of "We are not leaving, he [Mubarak] is leaving!"
Protest organisers have now called for a "Day of the Martyred" to be observed in honour of those who have died in the protests so far, while Copts in Egypt have called for Sunday mass this week to be observed in Tahrir Square.
Security in the square remains tight, with the military engaging in negotiations with protesters to dismantle some of the barricades that they had put up.
"There is very tight security today [Saturday] because there have been all sorts of unconfirmed rumours of bombs being planted in different areas, which has caused a bit of panic," she said.
Another of our correspondents reported that soldiers had formed a line inside the square, around 100 metres beyond the museum barricade, and are separating the protesters inside the square from those manning the barricade.
"If I had to guess, I'd say the plan is to limit the number of protesters who can get to the museum barricade and then disassemble it, so that the army can regain control of that entrance," he said.
"It looked like there might've been some altercation there; protesters were hopping over the barricades to the outside.
"They've now formed their own human chain, facing outward, along the exterior of the barricade."
Cabinet meeting
Meanwhile, state media reported that Mubarak met ministers responsible for the main economic portfolios in his new government on Saturday.
The meeting included the prime minister, finance minister, oil minister and the trade and industry minister. The central bank governor also attended.
On Friday, Egypt's prosecutor-general had barred Rashid Mohammed Rashid, the former trade and industry minister, from leaving the country, and had frozen his bank accounts.
The same measures was also taken against Habib al-Adly, the former interior minister, and Ahmed Ezz, a businessman.
'Death or freedom'
Friday's "Day of Departure" commenced after afternoon prayers, and saw huge numbers also gather in the cities of Alexandria, Mahalla and Giza.
Protests continued into the night, in defiance of a curfew that has not been observed since it was first announced last week.
The newly relaxed curfew now runs from 7pm to 6am local time, according to state television.
One protester in Cairo told Al Jazeera that demonstrations will continue until Mubarak steps down.
"It's either death, or freedom," he said.
Ahmed Shafiq, Egypt's new prime minister, however, said on Friday that Mubarak would not be handing over powers to Omar Suleiman, the vice-president, before the September elections. In statements carried by the official MENA news agency, Shafiq "ruled out" an early exit for Mubarak.
"We need President Mubarak to stay for legislative reasons," he said.
One of our correspondents said some people outside Tahrir Square are beginning to become angry because they are not going to work, they do not have money and shops are running out of food.
"Who is going to represent [the protesters]? Who is going to lead negotiations with the government? Whoever you speak to has a different idea of what is to come because the demonstrators are a very diverse group," she said.
Speaking on Friday in Washington, Barack Obama, the US president, said it was "clear that there must be a transition process that begins now ... and leads to free and fair elections".
On Saturday, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh, Saudi Arabia's top religious authority, warned that anti-regime uprisings are "chaotic acts" aimed at "tearing .. apart" the Muslim world.
Journalists detained
On Saturday, authorities arrested an Al Jazeera journalist who was returning from leave in Cairo to Doha at Cairo's international airport. He was released later in the day, along with Al Jazeera' bureau chief in Cairo, who was detained on Friday and another journalist who was arrested three days ago.
One other Al Jazeera journalist remained in custody.
On Friday, Al Jazeera's offices in Cairo were attacked by "gangs of thugs", according to a statement from the network. The office was burned, along with the equipment inside it.
Security forces also earlier broke into the headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood's website and arrested 12 journalists there, Al Masry Al Youm, the country's largest independent newspaper, and the Associated Press reported on Friday.
An Egyptian journalist wounded in earlier anti-government protests has died of his injuries, his wife told Al Jazeera on Friday.
Ahmed Mohammed Mahmoud, who worked with state-owned daily al-Ahram, was wounded on January 29 during anti-government protests. He is the first journalist known to have died in the unrest.
Amnesty International, the international human rights group, meanwhile, has said that two of its employees have been missing since last Thursday, and that a total of 30 human rights activists have have disappeared in recent days.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has held a ministerial meeting with members of his new cabinet as millions of demonstrators pour into the streets across the country for the 12th consecutive day.
The meeting was attended by Egypt's Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq as well as the central bank governor and the ministers of petroleum, social solidarity, trade and industry, and finance, a Press TV correspondent reported on Saturday.
It was the president's first meeting with the ministers after he ordered the dismissal of the previous government last week in a frantic bid to dampen massive protests in the North African country.
Earlier on Saturday, unknown attackers blew up an Egyptian pipeline supplying gas to Israel near the Gaza Strip amid a growing sense of uncertainty over the identities of the perpetrators of the attack.
The attackers used explosives on the stretch of the pipeline running through the town of Lihfen in the Sheikh Zuwayed area of the Sinai Peninsula near the Gaza Strip, officials said.
"The state TV has been describing it as a terrorist attack, and the authorities have switched off the source of the gas supply and the things now are under control…We've been told that there was no major damage to the pipeline itself, but this would play into to the hands of the government and its talk of fear, looting, violence, and chaos if Hosni Mubarak goes," the correspondent stated.
Meanwhile, protests in troubled Egypt continued for the 12th consecutive day on Saturday with millions of demonstrators marching on a number of cities in the crisis-hit country.
Several Egyptian cities, including the capital Cairo, Alexandria, and Suez, have been the scene of massive protests in the past 11 days, as millions of people spilled out into the streets, calling for an immediate end to Mubarak's three-decade US-backed rule.
"In Tahrir (Liberation) Square people are now gathering again for another day of protest and there were also reports that the pro-Hosni Mubarak forces are going to show up," the corresponded added.
Meanwhile, some analysts have cast a shadow of doubt on the motives behind the gas pipeline explosion, saying that contrary to government officials' claims, the incident may not be the work of foreigners.
"Regardless of who made it, who made such (an) explosion to the gas pipeline near El-Arish, I think Israel would not see it friendly with such (an) explosion there for two reasons: one (is) because Israel imports gas from Egypt, secondly because most of the Egyptian Natural Gas Company's stocks are sold to -- or are owned by -- Israelis," said journalist Tahsin al-Halabi in an interview with Press TV.
He further noted that most high-ranking ex-Mossad officers, such as Yosef Maiman, who owns about 25 perent of the national Egyptian gas company through his colleague and ally, Hussein Salem, who is close to Mubarak, are also among those who own the biggest chunk of shares in Egyptian gas companies.
Hussein Salem, is an Egyptian partner of Israeli businessman Maiman in the East Mediterranean Gas company (EMG), which has a long-term agreement to supply natural gas to Israel.
In January, Salem, who owns 28 percent of EMG, which has supplied gas to Israel since June 2008, was caught in Dubai with $500 million in cash in his possession.
Egypt's largest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood says the country's popular uprising has managed to take down the three-decade-long regime of President Hosni Mubarak.
"The people have brought down the regime,” AFP the group's spokesman, Mohammed Mursi, on Saturday.
“We see no point in any dialogue with an illegitimate regime," he added.
Saturday was the 11th consecutive day of anti-government protests across the country. More than 300 people have been killed during Cairo-ordered crackdown on the demonstrations since the beginning of the rallies, reports say.
Apparently trying to appease the outraged public, Mubarak claimed recently that he would step down the end of his term later this year.
Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman said on Thursday he had asked the Brotherhood to begin dialogue with the regime, but the opposition group had rejected such prospect.
On Saturday, Egypt's Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Hussein Tantawi visited Cairo's Tahrir Square -- the rallying point of the anti-regime protesters.
"The defense minister is inspecting the situation on Tahrir Square," state television said, adding another announcement encouraging people to leave the epicenter of protests against President Hosni Mubarak now in their 11th day.
"The man (Mubarak) told you he won't stand again," he said.
The Egyptians, many of whom distrust Cairo's apparent gestures of transition, however, keep up the nationwide popular movements.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has dismissed calls for immediate resignation although the country is swept by nationwide protests urging him to step down.
He claims he intends to give up power in the face of protests, but fears there will be more turmoil if he steps down now.
In an interview with ABC on Thursday, Mubarak said he was getting weary of being president and wanted to abandon power, but fears his resignation will unleash a fresh wave of upheaval in the country.
"I am fed up. After 62 years in public service, I have had enough. I want to go," said Mubarak, adding that "If I resign today, there will be chaos."
The embattled Egyptian president, who resides inside his heavily guarded palace in Cairo, also played down the outside pressure on him to immediately step down, saying that "I don't care what people say about me. Right now I care about my country."
The 82-year-old president made the remarks as millions of Egyptian protesters had started marching towards Cairo's Tahrir Square on Thursday.
The protesters have vowed to stand firm despite the deadly clashes that left several people dead and at least 1,500 others wounded in Cairo on Wednesday and the early hours of Thursday.
The Egyptian anti-government protesters have started the eleventh consecutive day of their demonstrations across the country to force Mubarak to step down, staging a “Day of Departure” for him.
Protesters in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, are staging a "Day of Departure" for President Hosni Mubarak.
The Egyptian anti-government protesters have started the eleventh consecutive day of their demonstrations across the country to force Mubarak to step down.
Protesters are gathering in Cairo's Tahrir Square and millions of Egyptians are expected to take part in the rally.
The demonstrators who are reportedly coming to Cairo from other parts of the country, plan to gather at the square and mosques all around the capital and then march to the presidential palace.
Protesters are chanting that Mubarak's regime is "null and void."
Meanwhile, reports say pro-government vigilantes are trying to prevent demonstrators from reaching Cairo's Tahrir Square which is expected to be the focal point of Friday's protests.
Mubarak loyalists have reportedly been throwing rocks at protesters from roof-tops.
A prominent Egyptian cleric, Yusuf Al Qaradawi, has said that Mubarak has lost legitimacy because more than 90 percent of Egyptians want him out.
Qaradawi has said it is "the religious duty for every Muslim in Egypt to join the protest" and called on Mubarak to step down or face intensified protests.
He also reiterated that "the pro-government demonstrators are members of the secret police and the entire show is stage-managed."
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, during the Friday prayer sermons in Tehran, pointed to Mubarak as a “lackey of the Zionist Regime.”
Ayatollah Khamenei also noted that Tunisia's former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was dependent on the US and even the CIA.
Meanwhile, The New York Times has reported that the US is discussing a plan with Egypt for Mubarak to resign immediately.
US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen says Egypt's army will not fire on protesters as anti-government demonstrations continue in the country.
"I mean in the discussions I've had with their military leadership, they've reassured me that they have no intent to fire on their own people," AFP quoted Mullen as saying.
US military's top officer said to his Egyptian counterpart General Sami Enan on Wednesday that the army is expected to conduct the country to political reforms.
At least ten people were killed on Wednesday when anti-government protesters clashed with plain-clothes policemen and the supporters of President Hosni Mubarak.
Reports say that US is urging Mubarak to immediately relinquish power to accelerate the country's transition to democracy.
The Egyptian leader has expressed readiness for resignation, but has said he fears more chaos will follow if he steps down.
Despite government's crackdown on people, the unprecedented demonstrations have entered their eleventh day which is declared by protesters as the "day of departure" for Mubarak.
Millions of people are scheduled to gather at mosques across the country for communal Friday prayers. They have planned to walk to presidential palace in an effort to force Mubarak to step down.
The Egyptian authorities have come under severe criticism from world leaders for violence against peaceful protesters.
The Egyptian government has also been slammed for attacking and detaining correspondents and reporters during the uprising in the country.
South Africa's Closing Argument Against Israel for Genocide at the ICJ
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