Clashes break out in Tahrir Square

More than 100 injured as pro-Mubarak supporters attack protesters seeking president's ouster in Egyptian capital

Opposition groups have accused Mubarak of sending in "thugs" during the clashes

Source: Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/201122124446797789.html

Clashes have broken out between pro- and anti-government demonstrators in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

Protesters from both sides threw stones at each other in Tahrir Square, the epicentre of ongoing opposition demonstrations against President Hosni Mubarak, for the past nine days.

Al Jazeera correspondents, reporting from the scene, said that more than a 100 people were injured in the clashes and in a stampede that started when trouble broke out

Earlier, witnesses said thousands of pro-Mubarak supporters had entered the square. Opposition groups said Mubarak had sent in thugs to suppress the protest.

Al Jazeera's Jane Dutton, also in Cairo, said that "hundreds of anti-government supporters were running from the square, including many women and children".

Another Al Jazeera correspondent said men on horseback and camels ran into the crowds, as army personnel stood by. The correspondent added that more horses and camels are arriving into the square.

Al Jazeera's online producer in Cairo said rocks were continously being thrown from both sides.

He said that though the army had put up barricades around the square, they let the pro-Mubarak supporters through.

"The people on horses are pro-Mubarak supporters, they are a very angry crowd looking for anyone working for Al Jazeera and for Americans. They are trying to get on the other side of the army tanks to get to the anti-Mubarak supporters. More and more pro-Mubarak supporters are coming in."

Violence

Dutton also said that security guards have also been seen amongst the pro-Mubarak supporters, and it may be a precursor to the feared riot police arriving on the scene.

Dutton added that a journalist with the Al-Arabiya channel was stabbed during the clashes.

Fighting took place around army tanks deployed around the square, with stones bouncing off the armoured vehicles. Soldiers did not intervene.

Several groups were involved in fist fights, and some were using clubs. The opposition also said many among the pro-Mubarak crowd were policemen in plainclothes.

"Members of security forces dressed in plain clothes and a number of thugs have stormed Tahrir Square," three opposition groups said in a statement.

Mohamed ElBaradei, a prominent opposition figure, accused Mubarak of resorting to scare tactics. Opposition groups have reportedly also seized police identification cards amongst the pro-Mubarak demonstrators.

"I'm extremely concerned, I mean this is yet another symptom, or another indication, of a criminal regime using criminal acts," ElBaradei said.

"My fear is that it will turn into a bloodbath," he added, calling the pro-Mubarak supporters a "bunch of thugs".

Despite the clashes, some anti-government protesters said they would not give up until Mubarak steps down.

Khalil, in his 60s and holding a stick, blamed Mubarak supporters and undercover security for the clashes.

"But we will not leave," he told Reuters. "Everybody stay put."

Mubarak concessions 'insufficient'

Egypt protesters continue to demand president's immediate ouster, as US calls for urgent transition and reforms plan

Egyptians feel Mubarak's concessions are too little too late. [AFP]

Source: Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/20112272918301323.html

Unimpressed by president Hosni Mubarak's speech on Tuesday night, in which he vowed not to renew his rule, thousands of Egyptian protesters remain holed up in Cairo's central Tahrir Square, adamant in their demand that the president must step down.

Mubarak, in his defiant speech, announced he would surrender power, but only in September at the end of his term in office, after which he would not seek re-election. But protesters reacted angrily, jeering him and once again calling for an immediate end to his 30-year reign.

"The speech is useless and only inflames our anger," said Shadi Morkos in Tahrir square. "We will continue to protest."

"We will not leave! He will leave!" others chanted at the time.

Al Jazeera's Jane Dutton, reporting from Cairo, said there is now a "real standoff" between Egyptians and Mubarak, with neither side seeming to budge in the others' direction.

The ball is now in the protesters' court, Dutton said.

"[Mubarak] has given them what they want. He has said he will step down, just not yet. And he has offered them all these concessions, demands that they have made over many years, for other parties to run in the elections, for there to be a fixed term under the president."

"But it's too and little too late," Dutton added. "People are angry that these sort of changes are being imposed or suggested under a dictatorship, under this regime. They want him to go and they want him to go now."

Speaking to Al Jazeera after Mubarak's speech, protesters in Cairo echoed these same sentiments. "I want to say that this man is provoking us. This man wants to have a massacre in this country that has been good to him and his children." one male demonstrator told Al Jazeera.

'Unacceptable'

"Chants of 'Down with the regime! Down with the president!' started up again about 30 seconds after he was done with the speech," Ashraf Khalil, a journalist based in Cairo, told Al Jazeera.

"Talking to the protesters in Tahrir Square, those who are remaining have made it clear that his latest concessions are unacceptable. They have no intention of giving him some sort of eight month farewell tour. They want him gone immediately and they plan to keep the pressure up," Khalil said.

But to those demanding he leave Egypt, Mubarak said on Tuesday: "This is my country ... and I will die on its soil."

Reaction to Mubarak's speech has been strong and swift. Immediately afterwards, Barack Obama, US president, said "orderly transition must be meaningful, it must be peaceful, and it must begin now."

But much of the reaction was registered on social networking sites, which have become a vehicle for anti-government protests. A flood of responses on the microblogging site Twitter mostly seemed to favour the Egyptians call for the president to cease power.

"Mubarak said he wants to die in Egypt - careful what you wish for!" one user called Guapo Plethora tweeted.

Another, Iyad El-Baghdadi, tweeted "Live from Tahrir Square: Everyone considers Mubarak an ex-President and think his days are numbered."

Mona Eltahawy, a columnist and public speaker on Muslim and Arab issues, also tweeted saying, "It's Mubarak vs Egypt and Egypt must win. Armed forces [have] to understand. There is no way Mubarak can stay til September. OUT."

Opportunity for real change

Al Jazeera's correspondents on the ground in Egypt reported similar sentiments. "I was in Tahrir Square for Mubarak speech and once they heard offer to not run again, chanting started "get out get out". Dan Nolan tweeted.

Later he added "Nobody there believes any of his promises any more. They know this is their opportunity for real change and won't stop til it happens."

Ayman Mohyeldin, another correspondent, tweeted that "History may be repeating itself. Former Tunisian president Ben Ali gave three speeches and [vowed not to run again for elections].

Early into Wednesday, protesters in Cairo held up banners stating "Remove the regime", Al Jazeera's Dutton reported.

She said demonstrators were determined not to move, and were planning other major protests to take place after Friday prayers.

"The protesters I spoke with really do think Friday might be the day they drive Mubarak from office. They are very optimistic, they are jubilant," Ashraf Khalil said.

HRW: Mubarak officers commit violence

Peter Bouckaert, the emergency director for Human Rights Watch

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/163182.html

Human Rights Watch has accused elements loyal to Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak of committing acts of violence and looting in an attempt to undermine the Egyptian revolution.

The group has confirmed several cases where undercover police loyal to Mubarak instigated raids and hostility during demonstrations in the North African country.

According to Peter Bouckaert, emergency director for Human Rights Watch, there are reports of injured looters with police ID cards getting treatment in hospitals.

In addition, Bouckaert confirms cases of looters and vandals in the Egyptian cities of Cairo and Alexandria with police identification cards.

On Sunday, looters broke into Cairo's famous Egyptian Museum. They ripped off the heads of two mummies and damaged small artifacts before being caught.

Bouckaert also expressed doubts over reports of the escape of thousands of prisoners during the weekend.

Over the past several days, Egypt's state television has been running reports on violent criminals among the demonstrators.

Some view the move as an attempt by Mubarak to discredit the current democratic movement in the crisis-hit country.

The HRW report comes as on Wednesday morning protesters in Tahrir Square began preparations for the 9th day of demonstrations against Mubarak's regime.

The army with tanks has been still deployed throughout different positions in and around the square.

Mubarak said on February 1 that he would surrender power in September, angering protesters who want an immediate end to his 30-year rule.

The 82-year-old leader said he would not seek re-election when his presidential term ends in September.

Defiant Mubarak vows to finish term

Violence erupts in Alexandria shortly after Egyptian president's announcement that he will not seek another term.


Mubarak's televised announcement came after eight days of unprecedented nationwide protests

Source; Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/201121191413252982.html


CAIRO, EGYPT - Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, has announced in a televised address that he will not run for re-election but refused to step down from office - the central demand of millions of protesters who have demonstrated across Egypt over the past week.

His announcement follows a week of protests, in which millions of people have taken to the streets in Cairo and elsewhere.

Mubarak seemed largely unfazed by the protests during his recorded address, which aired at 11pm local time on Tuesday.

Shortly after his speech, clashes broke out between pro-Mubarak and anti-government protesters in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, Al Jazeera's correspondent reported.

Rock-throwing youths at the city's Mahatit Masr Square scattered as automatic gunfire rang out and a tank advanced towards them before halting and then withdrawing. There was no sign of any casualties.

Mubarak's words were unlikely to carry much weight with the protesters at Cairo's Tahrir, or Liberation, Square: they resumed their "Leave, Mubarak!" chant shortly after his speech, and added a few new slogans, like "we won't leave tomorrow, we won't leave Thursday ..."

Mubarak mentioned the protests at the beginning of his speech, and said that "the young people" have the right to peaceful demonstrations.

But his tone quickly turned accusatory, saying the protesters had been "taken advantage of" by people trying to "undermine the government".

Until now officials had indicated Mubarak, 82, was likely to run for a sixth six-year term of office. But in his address on Tuesday, Mubarak said he never intended to run for re-election.

"I will use the remaining months of my term in office to fill the people's demands," he said.

That would leave Mubarak in charge of overseeing a transitional government until the next presidential election, currently scheduled for September.

Economy and jobs

Mubarak promised reforms to the constitution, particularly Article 76, which makes it virtually impossible for independent candidates to run for office. And he said his government would focus on improving the economy and providing jobs.

"My new government will be responsive to the needs of young people," he said. "It will fulfil those legitimate demands and help the return of stability and security."

Mubarak also made a point of saying that he would "die in this land" - a message to protesters that he did not plan to flee into exile like recently deposed Tunisian president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, said: "It is clear that President Mubarak is in denial over his legacy.

"Until Friday we are probably going to watch a major escalation of tension in events both between the demonstrators on the one hand and the regime of Mubarak on the other."

Mohamed ElBaradei, the Egyptian opposition figure who returned to Cairo to take part in the protests, said Mubarak's pledge not to stand again for the presidency was an act of deception.

ElBaradei, a Nobel peace prize winner as head of the UN nuclear agency, said if Mubarak did not heed the call to leave power at once, he would be "not only a lame-duck president but a dead man walking".

"He's unfortunately going to extend the agony here for another six, seven months. He continues to polarise the country. He continues to get people even more angry and could [resort] to violence," ElBaradei said.

Indeed, none of the protesters interviewed by Al Jazeera earlier today said they would accept Mubarak finishing his term in office.

"He needs to leave now," Hassan Moussa said in Tahrir Square just hours before Mubarak's announcement.

"We won't accept him leaving in September, or handing power to [newly installed vice-president] Omar Suleiman. He needs to leave now."

Waiting game

The protests continue to feel like a waiting game - as if Mubarak is hoping to simply outlast the crowds amassed at Tahrir Square.

"When the people of a nation decide something, then it will happen," Abdullah Said

Ahmed, a student from Al-Azhar University, said. "The United States chooses its leaders. We're going to choose ours. Our patience can do anything."

Saber Shanan said: "I'll stay here until I die or until the system changes."

Mubarak's announcement came after pressure from the US administration, which urged him not to seek re-election.

Frank Wisner, a former ambassador to Egypt, met Mubarak on Monday and reportedly told him not to extend his time in office.

In remarks to the media at the White House on Tuesday evening, Barack Obama, the US president, said he had spoken with Mubarak who he said "recognises that the status quo is not sustainable and a change must take place".

Obama said he told Mubarak that an orderly transition must be meaningful and peaceful, must begin now and must include opposition parties.

Obama emphasised, however, that "it is not the role of any other country to determine Egypt's leaders".

Jordan PM resigns but protests continue

Jordanian protesters hold an anti-government protest in capital Amman, January 28, 2011

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/163098.html

Jordan's King Abdullah II has sacked the government and asked ex-premier Marouf Bakhit to name a new cabinet, a choice that equally drew criticism from the opposition.

On Tuesday, King Abdullah II accepted the resignation of the government led by Prime Minister Samir Rifai, who formed the first government in December 2009 and reshuffled it after parliamentary elections in November 2010, AFP reported.

"King Abdullah II designated Marouf Bakhit to form a new government to replace the government of Samir Rifai," a palace statement said.

"Bakhit's mission is to take practical, quick and tangible steps to launch true political reforms, enhance Jordan's democratic drive and ensure safe and decent living for all Jordanians."

The decision comes amid massive demonstrations sweeping the Persian Gulf kingdom over the past three weeks.

Jordanian protesters, inspired by the revolution in Tunisia and the massive uprising in Egypt, have been criticizing the government for its failure to carry out necessary political and economic reforms.

The opposition demands "the resignation of the government, the amendment of the electoral law and the formation of a national salvation government headed by an elected prime minister," said Zaki Bani Rsheid, a member of the Islamic Action Front (IAF) executive council.

They also call for constitutional changes to limit the king's power in naming prime ministers, arguing that the premiership should go to the leader of the parliamentary majority.

Meanwhile, the king's appointment of Bakhit, the country's prime minister from 2005 to 2007, has been met with criticism from IAF leaders who argue that the one-time premier "is a not a man of reforms."

"He carried out the worst parliamentary elections in Jordan in 2007," Bani Rsheid said, referring to the disputed general polls on November 20, 2007, which was shrouded in fraud and rigging allegations.

"We need a man who is well respected by the people, a man who does not have a history of corruption and oppression. How can he (Bakhit) lead political reform?" the opposition leaders questioned.

Opposition says Mubarak must go

Egyptians rally at Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo on February 1, 2011

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/163096.html

Main opposition groups in Egypt have rejected to negotiate with embattled President Hosni Mubarak, calling on him to step down as anti-government protests gain momentum.

Earlier, Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman said the government is seeking dialog with all political parties.

Egypt's main opposition party, the Muslim Brotherhood, says Mubarak must leave the country before any talks with the government. It has also urged the United States to stop supporting Mubarak.

The group says Washington's approach toward the Egyptian uprising will be decisive for the future of bilateral relations.

Also, Egyptian opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei says Mubarak should step down by Friday, stressing that Egyptians have marked Friday as departure day for the president.

"There can be dialogue but it has to come after the demands of the people are met and the first of those is that President Mubarak leaves," he said.

Fifty Egyptian human rights groups have also called on Mubarak, the authoritarian President who has ruled the country for 30 years, to relinquish power and avoid further blood-shed.

This comes as large crowds of people are flooding out of their homes to join the anti-government protests on its eighth straight day. The demonstrators have only one demand - Mubarak's resignation.

In the capital Cairo, the protesters are gathering around Tahrir Square for a march of millions. Thousands have spent the night at the square despite a curfew.

The protesters, who have vowed to storm the presidential palace within coming days, have tried and executed President Hosni effigy in a symbolic move.

Meanwhile, some reports say Mubarak is hiding in his palace in Sharm el-Sheik.

Tanks and troops have been stationed along the route of the march, although the army has promised not to use force against the demonstrators.

Tens of thousands have also taken to the streets in Alexandria.

Clashes between police and protesters have claimed around 300 lives so far in the ongoing uprising against the beleaguered establishment over the past week.

Two million Egyptians converge in Cairo

Egyptian demonstrators gather in Tahrir Square, in central Cairo, on January 31, 2011, on the seventh day of protests against long term President Hosni Mubarak's regime

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/163011.html

Up to two million protesters converge in the center of the Egyptian capital, Cairo, as a “million man march” continues across Egypt to mark a week since the beginning of the popular uprising.

Some two million Egyptians have massed in capital Cairo for the biggest anti-government protest in Egypt's recent history.

The demonstrators have flooded Cairo's Tahrir square, calling on President Hosni Mubarak to step down.

Men, women and children from all walks of life are attending the rally which has so far been peaceful.

Tanks and troops have been stationed along the route of the march, but the army has promised not to use force against the demonstrators.

Security checkpoints have also been placed all across Cairo.

Reports say the government has restricted access to the capital by shutting down all roads and public transportation.

Large demonstrations are also being held in other cities all over the country.

The UN says eight days of unrest have left an estimated 300 people dead.

Meanwhile, the United States has ordered all non-essential government personnel, including non-emergency embassy staff, to leave Egypt.

10,000 Egyptians converge in Cairo

Egyptian demonstrators gather in Tahrir Square, in central Cairo, on January 31, 2011, on the seventh day of protests against long term President Hosni Mubarak's regime.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/163011.html

More than 10,000 protesters converge in the center of Cairo, as the nation braces for a 'million man march' to mark a week since the unprecedented demonstrations began in the country.

Many protesters defied a curfew to bunker down overnight in Cairo's Tahrir Square. They were joined by thousands of others soon after dawn, some toting signs reading "Mubarak Out," while others carried posters showing beleaguered Mubarak hanging from a noose.

Other protesters held signs emblazoned with Mubarak's picture and the slogan "Your head must roll."

Protest organizers have pledge to march in millions on the eight day of protests on Tuesday in the Egyptian capital to demand Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak step down, AFP reported on Tuesday.

The internet in Egypt was down for the fifth straight day amid reports that mobile phone networks could be restricted later in the day.

The Egyptian government also canceled national train services across the country in a move to prevent the protesters from joining the 'million man march' in the capital city.

The Egyptian military has also stepped up its presence in downtown Cairo ahead of a planned 'one-million man' protest against the government of Mubarak. The country's state television has warned people to stay home.

The protesters said they would begin their demonstration in Tahrir Square and march towards the building housing the state television and then on to the presidential palace.

Protest organizers have pledged another million-strong march in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria on Tuesday side by side their fellow capital residents.

Anti-government protesters and opposition groups have announced an indefinite general strike to mount pressure on Mubarak.

The uprising, which has claimed at least 150 lives in Egypt so far, has forced Mubarak to announce political and economic reforms, dismissed as inadequate by opposition figures.

The Egyptian Army has pledged not to open fire on peaceful demonstrators as thousands of people insist on their campaign to oust Mubarak.

The army, which put Mubarak into power in 1981, has reportedly announced that it considers the people's demands as legitimate.

'Egypt unrest signals hope of freedom'

A protester leads a chant during an anti-government rally in Tahrir Square on the morning of January 31, 2011 in central Cairo, Egypt.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/163010.html

Almost a week into the Egyptian uprising, speculation is rife that the protest will have a domino effect on other Arab countries in the region.

Director of the Institute for (Persian) Gulf Affairs (IGA) Ali al-Ahmed shared his thoughts on the issue in an interview with Press TV. The following is a rush transcript of the interview.

Press TV: As I am talking to you, there are people in Tahrir square who have braved the curfew that has been in place during the past couple of days. What is your reading of the situation right now?

al-Ahmed: The situation is increasing. It has been almost a week since it started. However, the [extent] of the protest has increased. Tomorrow we have the possibility of having millions of people on the streets of Egypt and across Egypt.

The protest is not only contained in Cairo or the media in Cairo, but also in Alexandria, Suez and even the city where Mubarak was born, Minufiya. High officials from the government are from Minufiya. So this protest is spreading across the country and taking hold. It could be a matter of days before this is all over.

Press TV: Of course, you are talking about the protest tomorrow. It is called the “one million man” protest; what would you say the difference in tomorrow's protest would be with the ones that we witnessed during the past couple of days?

al-Ahmed: I think tomorrow will be a decisive day because it is going to be a few days before Friday and we might even not have to wait until Friday. Tomorrow the protest is not going to be only in Tahrir square, but in other parts of Cairo. You will see people taking a much more pro-active role than just sitting and shouting in the city.

Press TV: We talked about the same issue ten days ago. If Mubarak was willing to sort of give in to the demands of protesters, maybe none of the things we are discussing today would be on the agenda. How would you comment on that? Isn't it a bit too late to appoint Omar Suleiman coming in front of the TV cameras and promising change?

al-Ahmed: Of course it's too late. Mubarak has been in power for thirty years. He is not a [young] man. He is almost ninety years old. So for them to take these steps [is] basically insulting the intelligence of the Egyptian people and thinking that he can fool them again.

They say you can fool some people some of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time, and Mubarak is so crazy that he thinks he can still continue to lie and deceive the Egyptian people. He is not in his right mind. And for the United States to support the man, who basically has one foot in the grave and one foot outside it, it's also very irresponsible and not understandable for them to do that. So you have circumstances that are amazing because the man is basically not alive. He is ninety years old and I don't know how long he wants to stay in power.

Press TV: Just going back a little bit further, say one month ago, I wouldn't personally think that a man setting himself on fire in Tunisia would send signals this far and wide to travel to as far as Egypt. Not only in his country that led to the ouster of the long-time leader of that country, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, but to travel to Egypt, a country of eighty million, much more strategically important than Tunisia is, and to bring the state of chaos that we witness today in Egypt. How far do you think this signal can -- and will -- travel?

al-Ahmed: There is an Arab proverb that goes, “God puts His secret in the weakest of his creation.” Muhammad Bu Azizi is the angel of freedom that sacrificed himself to send this wave of freedom across the Arab countries and we think that if in a few days Mubarak collapses, and his regime is toppled, you will see this wave of freedom cutting across like an earthquake -- or an atomic bomb -- that shatters the ground beneath to topple other dictators in Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain and even Saudi Arabia. Across the region you will see that effect take place, the “Bu Azizi bomb”.

Egypt braces for 'million man march'

Anti-government protesters continue to congregate in Tahrir Square on the morning of January 31, 2011 in central Cairo, Egypt.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/163001.html

Egypt is bracing for an eighth day of protests pledging a 'million man march' on Tuesday to mark a week since the unprecedented demonstrations began in the North African country.

Tens of thousands of protesters, demanding Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down, stayed for a seventh day in central Cairo's Tahrir Square, pledging to hold a march of a million the following morning.

Protesters also called for a general strike on Tuesday in an attempt to mount pressure on beleaguered Mubarak.

On Monday, large crowds showed up at the site and the latest footage showed, despite heavy military presence in Cairo, thousands of protesters slept in Tahrir Square.

Anti-government protesters rejected overtures from the Egyptian presidency. Mubarak appointed a new cabinet and Vice President Omar Suleiman told on the state television that a dialogue would be opened with the opposition.

The protesters said they would not relent until Mubarak steps down and the country is put on the path towards serious economic and democratic reforms.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Arab world's oldest and largest opposition movement, condemned the UN and Western countries for failing to take action against the government crackdown on protests and the killings of civilians.

The Egyptian Army has pledged not to open fire on peaceful demonstrators as thousands of people insist on their campaign to oust Mubarak.

The army, which put Mubarak into power in 1981, has reportedly announced that it considers the people's demands as legitimate.

At least 150 people have so far been killed and thousands more injured during clashes with government forces over the past week.

Egyptians revolt, dissolve government

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/162972.html

Egyptian protesters have gained a landmark success by forcing the cabinet to step down with ministries unable to protect President Hosni Mubarak or the regime.

Separating the Egyptian turmoil into a battle of classes, and throwing in the Obama factor, political analyst Mohammad Oweis gives an interview to Press TV about the troubling events that have taken place in Egypt, as well as what the future holds for its citizens and president.


Press TV:

Mohammad Oweis, political analyst, is joining us over the phone from Washington to discuss the issue [of Egypt]. Mohammad Oweis, the army has reportedly received orders to shoot protestors while the curfew has been extended. How far do you think the army would go to stand against the people?

Mohammad Oweis:

You have to differentiate first between the top brass of the army, the corrupt elite of the army who are giving the orders to protect their interests and the rank and file of the army. I think they will have a mutiny sooner or later in the army. The rank and file of the Egyptian army is not going to shoot at their own people who are suffering from all kinds of discrimination, repression, [and] aggression by the regime. So, I don't think the army is going to succeed much longer than this, and the top brass will start running away like the family of Hosni Mubarak, especially [since] America has lifted the cover off of the regime. There is nowhere for them to go. I think they are on their way out and there is nothing they can do.

Press TV:

US President Barack Obama has started consultations with some world leaders about Egypt. What do you think are the aims his ominous nation wants to secure?

Mohammad Oweis:

Where was he when the Egyptian government, the top brass of the government and army were pillaging and stealing the money and the economy of Egypt? Why did he not do anything then? Where was he when Egypt had blockaded Gaza, and tried to starve the people of Gaza on behalf of the Israelis? The best thing for President Obama is to keep his mouth shut and do nothing and say nothing. Let the Egyptian people take on the presidency, the people he protected. And it is up to the Egyptian people to decide how to deal with the Americans, the Israelis, and [etc].

Press TV:

As I'm talking to you, there are images of the uprising in Egypt. Some of the people in those images holding placards, reading, “Go Mubarak!”, or “Erhalyia” in Arabic. What stage do you think Egypt -- I can't call it revolution yet, or maybe you will -- is at this point of the uprising? Where is it now?

Mohammad Oweis:

It is a successful revolution already. It already dissolved the government, [and] the ministries who can run the affair of the people. The ministries can't even protect him and can't protect the regime. There is nobody there to protect Hosni Mubarak, and he has no choice but to leave. [The] Prophet Musa (Moses) the man [needs] to come and to part the Red Sea for him to run to Saudi Arabia. He needs to get the hell out before the people get him and pull him like they did with the former Prime Minister of Iraq back in 1958. So if he does not leave standing up, he will leave flat away from this world.