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Against Expectations, Hosni Mubarak Does Not Step Down

By: Brad Jackson (Diary)  |  February 10th, 2011 at 04:14 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has decided not to step aside and will in fact stay in power until the elections in September. Early reports today indicated that he would resign the presidency, and hand over power to his Vice President, Omar Suleiman.

When the estimated three million energetic Egyptians who had gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square in anticipation of Mubarak’s ouster learned of his decision, anger erupted across the crowd and tensions immediately rose. The demonstrators had been chanting “down, down Hosni Mubarak” as they carried anti-Mubarak signs and watched the speech on a large sheet acting as a projection television.

President Mubarak reiterated his promise not to run for re-election in this September, promising an orderly and peaceful transition, and a thorough review of Egypt’s constitution. He began the address saying that he was speaking as a “father to his sons and daughters” and promised that the “blood of the martyrs would not go to waste.”

Mubarak did announce that he had delegated some powers to Vice President Omar Suleiman, but did not detail what those powers would be.

A military spokesman had told news sources prior to the speech that all of the crowds demands would be met. With that expectation in mind, Mubarak’s decision to stay not only surprised many of the Egyptian people, but may also serve to further foment the uprising, perhaps spreading it’s impact to other countries in the region.

After Mubarak’s speech concluded demonstrators began chanting “get out, get out” and took to the cameras of international news crews to express their anger. One Egyptian who spoke to CNN, said that by choosing not to resign, Mubarak was “calling for more rage” in their country.

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  • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

    too bad

    http://www.redstate.com/dia0420/2011/02/10/egypt-the-writing-is-on-the-wall/#comment-2628

    • throwback59

      Mubarek certainly has courage. I guess that makes him a Majority of One.

      • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine
        • Doc Holliday

          has begged him to stay on until the elections, for obvious reasons.

  • http://spendenforcer.com/ vortigernpendragon

    I believe this is just the beginning

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-LMB55c3wU

    • izoneguy

      N/T

  • Read Chesterton

    He steps back, not down, puts the military in charge… no beheadings… no rush to run out and buy hijabs and burquas… So far so good.

    This just might have something to do with the Sauds calling Obama personally and demamding he stand down on the Mubarek humiliations… (there must have been an “or else something something” in there something that got even George Soros’ to back off.)

    • lineholder

      Asked Kenny about outside influences and the part they played earlier on today. There’s obviously more to this than the meets the eye.

      I hope at this point that the WH stays out of it for the time being, because nothing could throw more fuel on the fire than for us to get into the middle of it, after saying that they needed to resolve it on their own.

  • http://www.redstate.com/etcartman Kenny Solomon

    Fox News:

    Mubarak Fails to Quell Protests Raising Fear Egypt ‘Will Explode’.

    Mohammed El Baradei, a key opposition figure who aims to end Mubarak’s regime, reacted to the authoritarian leader’s speech in a warning via Twitter. “Egypt will explode. Army must save the country now,” the tweet read.

    Mubarak is passing ‘some’ authority to his new VP, but didn’t elaborate as to what authority. His VP – a dude named Sueliman – is/was the intelligence minister and a really hardline Moose Limb, but nowhere near the abject nutcase El Baradei is.

    Mubarak also apparently unilaterally altered the Egyptian Constitution or charter or whatever it’s called to do whatever he’s doing.

    The people are ‘kinda ticked off’.

    My bet is the words “open fire on the crowd” will be heard within a day or two.

    • Read Chesterton

      will also help buy off the right leaders of the troublesome Egyptian labor unions. That should set off a tantrum or two at the WH.

      • lineholder

        I hadn’t even considered. It would alter the dynamics of the situation entirely, wouldn’t it?

      • http://www.redstate.com/etcartman Kenny Solomon

        The BOTUS* chimed and a message was made quite clear to it’s one and only user.

        Obama’s House Of Saud owners told him to STFU.

        As for Mubarak…… On 2 February, El Baradei called him “a dead man walking”.

        — — — — —

        * BOTUS – Blackberry Of The United States.

        • lineholder

          and one in which loyalty matters, apparently. That was an interesting article, Kenny. Thanks for the link.

          I have to ask you…there are some articles over at Reuters…the tone seems to indicate that the people genuinely want freedom, not the type of government that would be offered by the MB…so who pulled that entity into the speculation? Was this something that they took upon themselves to do? Or was it “projection of power” coming from elsewhere?

          • http://www.redstate.com/etcartman Kenny Solomon

            What ‘the people’ in Egypt want doesn’t matter.

            It’s what the bosses of Islam want and their power talks over everything, unless they get taken out. the sole thing they understand is power – overwhelming power and force – and even then, they will not quit until the last.

            These lunatics have plans within plans within plans and they also have patience on a level that make the Chinese dynastic folks look downright hyper in comparison.

            But for dissent within Islam? They will consider millions of their own people as infidels, which has as a quick result somebody yelling out ‘Tally-Ho Snackbar’ and off go a bunch of heads.

          • lineholder

            but I guess what I really meant was why has the emphasis been on the MB here in the states rather than the desire of the people for freedom…then again, given the admin in WH, I know what the answer to that question is.

            Geez, what was I thinking???

        • http://theminorityreportblog.com Repair_Man_Jack

          BOTUS – I WILL steal that!

    • lineholder

      you are probably dead on in your evaluation, Kenny.

    • Raven

      Than from a Muslim Brotherhood takeover and war with Israel.

      Maybe Mubarak thinks he can get enough of the MB to charge his guns that rational people will take over in September.
      After all, if he can kill enough MB, that doesn’t leave too many other factions to fill the vaccuum of Mubarak not being reelected.

  • curiouscanuck

    Millions in the street all dupes? I find that hard to believe. And yes I think it’s the people looking for a democratic-type government. The internet is very powerful, they have been exposed to how life can be. It is just like the breakdown of communisim. The people have seen through the lies of the government and want change..

    • lineholder

      the people are getting “played”. There have been forces at work behind the scenes, one of which was Code Pink and another was MB, who have been willing to bide their time, stir the pot a little, let the people take a bit of rope and run with it in the hopes that these outside groups could jump on the power and control bandwagon.

      Chances are that Mubarak communicated to King Abdullah long before the current events that there could be trouble. Maybe they set up a contingency plan, part of which included contacting Obama and telling him to “stand down or else.”

      Follow Kenny’s lead on this one, because he’s stayed on top of what is going on better than a lot of us have.

      • bobmontgomery

        …everything *is* a conspiracy. You think Mubarak is still there because he….just wants to be? No, there is a conspiracy to keep him there, at least for the time being. I think some have said the army may be behind it.
        You think all those people in the street just had a “now is our time” moment?
        You think there wasn’t a conspiracy behind the American Revolution?
        There are all kind of conspiracies.

    • Doc Holliday

      you need to hit “reply to this” so we know to whom you are directing your comments.

      Assuming you are talking to me, I shall respond. Who said anything about conspiracy? Polls have consistently shown that the Muslim nations who are most pro-American i.e Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan (in the past), have the most virulent anti-American pro Sharia populations.

      You know, maybe Mubarak is an authoritarian. But sometimes the reasons are like the question about the chicken and the egg. Is Mubarak authoritarian BECAUSE his population is full of violent, religious zealots, or are they violent religious zealots because he is authoritarian? I think the answer is a little of both. No doubt, Egypt needs more freedom, it needs liberty. But will overthrowing the present government make this happen? Or will the people vote one time for Sharia law and turn the Middle East situation from bad to worse?

      BTW,. the nations that left communism for good where the most Western nations behind the Iron Curtain, ala Poland and the Czech Republic. Yet, in the less Western former Soviet satellites, ie. Belarus, and even Russia, we see a return to authoritarianism.

    • Read Chesterton

      Millions in the street all dupes?

      I don’t think the crowd in that round square every got beyond a couple hundred thousand. And, most certainly, what percentage of a crowd like that would be informed beyond what they heard on al Jazeera, twitter, or the guy at market who knows such and such.

      If it happens here all the time at your average “Million [fill in leftist faction here] March,” why not in Cairo?

      • curiouscanuck

        I was not saying in the square I was refering to the protests throughout the country. Anyway. Pray Sir please tell me … How many must shout out against tyranny to be free?

        • Read Chesterton

          You must be new around here.

          • curiouscanuck

            and new around here do you mean to the planet… there are more free people on the earth today than at any time in history and it is growing as more and more tyrannies fall.

          • Read Chesterton

            if I answer truthfully a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal will open up an inquisition inquiry on me.

          • curiouscanuck

            I have quickly checked Republican Presidents of the past 60 years and I still can’t find one who did not want freedom and democracy for all nations.

          • curiouscanuck

            there are laws in the USA you don’t agree with. I certainly do not support this one in Canada. However I must say it is good at keeping nutjobs from protesting at our soldiers funerals.

          • Raven

            Where are all these free people you speak of?
            Afghanistan?
            Iraq?
            Pakistan?
            China?
            Even in the Western World there are few free nations.

          • curiouscanuck

            Tell me when in history there was more free people than today?

          • Raven

            Before Socialism really took control of Europe and Canada.

            Your turn.

    • Raven

      Even the nations that Did achieve some form of democracy went through 20 years of hardship and famine and blood to do it.
      And none of the ‘Stans have really succeeded at all. Those that don’t have dictatorships now are engaged in civil wars.

      Where do you think Egypt will fall?

  • rickbull

    tomorrow as it was yesterday. They will simply trade on tyrant for another. They have been ruled by dictators and autocrats for over four millennia, and they have known no other form of government. Combined with the fact that they have no one with the vision of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, George Washington or James Madison, this leaves them nothing more than a movement without a destination (or even a direction).

    They don’t want to be like the American infidels, because we have too much freedom which has led to our “decadence.” An Iranian style theocracy would make them less free than they are now.

    In short, they just want something different — and they are about to get it.

    And they are not going to like it, either . . .

    • Jack_Savage

      “Sometimes you trade flies for wasps.”

      • rickbull

        rather than CT or ME. Ol’ HW is a good guy — sometimes a bit too liberal for me, but I voted for him anyway. I mean, look at what we had as alternatives: Miguelito Loveless in ’88 and Governor William J. Le Petomane in ’92.

  • http://www.redstate.com/etcartman Kenny Solomon

    I thought his owners told him to STFD and STFU ?

    Obama questions credibility of Egypt’s action.

    WASHINGTON (AP) – Bristling with impatience, President Barack Obama on Thursday openly and sharply questioned whether Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s pledge to shift power to his vice president is an “immediate, meaningful or sufficient” sign of reform for a country in upheaval.

    I guess he’s just misunderstanding things like many others seem to do.

    Yeah, I know I know I know…… Obama questioning anyone’s credibility. It’s way too easy for snark, so I’ll leave it alone.

    But I’d really like to see his owner’s message about that statement above.

    — — — —

    * B.O.T.U.S. – Blackberry Of The United States.

    • sharonmcp

      “Our assessment is that the Egyptian government is stable and is looking for ways to respond to the legitimate needs and interests of the Egyptian people”. -Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on January 25, the day the protests started.

      Asked if he would characterize Mubarak as a dictator Biden responded: “Mubarak has been an ally of ours in a number of things. And he’s been very responsible on, relative to geopolitical interest in the region, the Middle East peace efforts; the actions Egypt has taken relative to normalizing relationship with – with Israel. … I would not refer to him as a dictator…” VP Joe Biden on January 28

      Obama said that while it is not the role of any outside country to determine Egypt’s leaders, he indicated to Mubarak that it is clear that an orderly transition should be meaningful and peaceful and “must begin now.” President Obama on Febuary 1

      Stephanie O’Sullivan, the Obama administration’s nominee for principal deputy director of national intelligence, said today that the U.S. intelligence community warned the administration of instability in Egypt at the end of last year 2010 but didn’t foresee when or how it would come. Febuary 03

      The United States must ?support the transition process announced by the Egyptian government?. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on February 06

      ?Vice President Biden urged that the transition produce immediate, irreversible progress that responds to the aspirations of the Egyptian people? February 08

      “There was a good deal of intelligence about Tunisia [but] virtually nothing about Egypt,” Feinstein told NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell. “So there was, to my knowledge, no real warning, either to the White House or, certainly, to the Senate Intelligence Committee or the Congress.” Senate Intelligence Committee chair Dianne Feinstein Febuary 08

      ?we don?t understand the ebb and flow? of politics in the Middle East Senate Intelligence Committee chair Dianne Feinstein Febuary 08

      CIA Director Leon Panetta?s description during a congressional hearing that Mubarak?s resignation Thursday was a ?strong likelihood.?

      Panetta made his remarks Thursday morning while testifying on Capitol Hill, saying the embattled Mubarak ?may step down this evening? and relent to demands of protesters who have filled the streets for the past three weeks.

      When Panetta spoke late Thursday morning, he said the CIA had no definitive evidence on whether Mubarak would resign and give Suleiman control or that the military had seized power. A CIA spokesman said that Panetta based his statement on a possible outcome on news accounts, not from any definitive intelligence gathered by the agency. Febuary 10

      Noting that the Muslim Brotherhood is an umbrella term for a variety of movements, Clapper said that in Egypt it is a largely secular and very heterogeneous group which has eschewed violence and has decried al Qaeda as a “perversion of Islam.” Director of National Intelligence James Clapper on February 10

      ?Elements of the Muslim Brotherhood here and overseas have supported terrorism,? Muller said in response to a question at a hearing on ?Worldwide Threats? by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. FBI Director Robert Muller on February 10

      ?We are watching history unfold,? Obama said early Thursday afternoon. Febuary 10

      Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak did not announce his immediate resignation from office, as many has expected. Febuary 10

      “It is not yet clear that this transition is immediate, meaningful or sufficient.” President Obama Febuary 10

      And these ladies and gentlemen are the “intelligence” officials tasked with keeping us safe. I know I’ll sleep more soundly tonight knowing they are in charge.

    • cactusjack

      Maybe a college professor or low level functionary, but not POTUS. That was actually more destabilizing than Carter’s statements at the time of the Shah. Best remember what another monarch in another era said about this whole business of regime change: “Apres moi, le deluge” (Louis XV – looking forward towards Louis XVI and la Revolution). English idiomatic translation: “You think I’m bad, wait til you see what’ s coming next.”
      To the Libs, however, any revolution is a good one and any street action is noble. They seem to have good intentions don/t they?

      • http://www.redstate.com/etcartman Kenny Solomon

        Everything this administration says and does is on purpose.

        They’re not naive, incompetent, inexperienced, or anything else remotely like that.

        They know exactly what they’re doing and it’s all geared towards a total takedown of America – economically and socially – to Totalitarianism.

        Sounds kind of dire, I know. But I’ve been saying that from the instant I first saw The Jihadist At 1600? on a national stage – with his gun-grabbing and infanticide nonsense, which was long before I was a member here at RS.

    • lineholder

      My first thought was “Oh, yeah, go ahead and poke at that hornets nest…that’s intelligent (sarc).

      What opportunity they may have had to direct the outcome has passed them by. They need to leave it alone now.

    • 6eorge Jetson

      Where have we heard that before?

  • Marcus_Traianus

    A stable transition of power requires to Mubarak stay until the next election. The period in question is shorter than one of our election cycles. As such, there may not even be ample time to evaluate the alternatives. And I believe at a minimum, we can agree they truly need vetting.

    As for the military, have the protesters (or even Obama) actually thought through their demands for them to remove Mubarak? Doesn’t that simply make the Egyptian presidency weaker? Certainly it’s not hard for them to imagine that removing the president now sets future precedent. For example, what happens in the future if some group doesn’t like the president- even though he has a majority of support? Do they just remove the president at that point also?

    Yes, there are large amounts of people in the streets. But this protest is nothing but a mob. Are they a “majority? How do we know? Where is the democratic process? They have done little more than make emotional demands. It is time for some vision, wisdom and leadership in order to plan the future. If they truly want freedom, it is not the Muslim Brotherhood or El Baradei. So what is it? As of right now, they have no clue and with each passing day are becoming the “useful idiots of undemocratic forces.

  • http://www.redstate.com/etcartman Kenny Solomon

    But he won’t leave Egypt.

    The leftists at ABC including Christiane Amanpour have posted the following article (not a blog)……

    Egypt’s embattled President Hosni Mubarak abruptly stepped down as president, ending his 30-year-rein, and Egyptian armed forces will take over the leadership of the country, vice president Omar Suleiman announced today.

    Crowds gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square erupted into loud cheers, chanting “Egypt is free,” as the historic announcement was made.

    “My fellow citizens. In this difficult time that the country is going through, the president Mohamed Hosni Mubarak has decided to relieve himself of his position as president and the Supreme military council has taken control of the state’s affairs. May God protect us,” Suleiman announced on national TV.

    Mubarak left the presidential palace in Cairo earlier today as protesters kept the pressure on the government to force Mubarak out of office.

    I’ll be at the range…… Somebody let me know when the shootin’ starts.

  • curiouscanuck

    Now is the time for all nations to help Egypt to the future. The only way to stop the MB from taking control is to aid them with advice and encouragement in this transition. Some have suggrested advisors from Poland be sent. Also apparenly the Swiss are taking a look at Mubarack’s bank accounts.

  • carolina
  • Read Chesterton
  • curiouscanuck

    the protesters seem pretty hetrogenius and seem to simply want democracy, I understand a lot of people are scared of what is next but I really don’t think there is anything anybody can do about it except the people of Egypt themselves. Might be a good idea to show them support rather tell them they are a bunch of dupes or pawns.

  • Doc Holliday

    in Arabic as we speak.

  • curiouscanuck

    It is of the utmost danger to society to make it (religion) a party in political disputes.
    Thomas Paine

  • throwback59

    this was from a Dec 2010 pew poll, as written in the LA times:

    “According to the survey, majorities in Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan and Nigeria would favor changing the current laws to allow stoning as a punishment for adultery, hand amputation for theft and death for those who convert from Islam to another religion.”

    The demonstrations may be for “democracy” but it’s a democracy no American would recognize.

  • Return to Revolution

    Egyptians (as with most in the Middle East) wouldn’t know liberty if it fell in their laps. The protestors are an unsavory mix of thugs, warlords (i.e., Muslim Brotherhood), and clueless folks who have no idea what they would do if Mubarak did step down, assuming they had any say in it.

    It also makes me cringe when I hear Obama’s usual sophistry, such as their government is up to the Egyptians (as he said with Iran). Of course it is NOT up to the Egyptians; they live in a totalitarian society – the government is in power not by their consent but by the guns that hold them down. Second even if they did decide, would it be moral if they wanted Hitler as their leader, as long as a majority voted for it?

    Yeah, Thomas Paine in Arabic indeed.

  • Doc Holliday

    hard to go from the stone age to a Democratic Republic overnight. The best case is the military remains secular and turns the place into a Turkey circa 50s-80s. If the people show they truly understand what a Republic is, if they truly want liberty for all, then they should control the military. But who thinks this is true today?

  • Raven

    It would be rather hard to argue about what We’re dealing with as concerns them. That would, Hopefully, affect our conduct toward them.

  • http://www.redstate.com/etcartman Kenny Solomon

    Courtesy of Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit.

    Medea Benjamin, leader of the left-wing, pro-Islamist-terrorist group Code Pink said in an interview Wednesday the group had previously worked with organizers of the campaign to overthrow the Egyptian government when Code Pink agitated in Cairo the year before. Code Pink worked on behalf of the terrorist group Hamas against the government?s blockade of Hamas-controlled Gaza. At the time, Code Pink said their safety in Gaza was guaranteed by Hamas.

    Click on the link and read it all.

    Still think it’s ‘the people’ looking for freedom, democratic-type government ?

    The MB is playing both sides of the fence and they’ve had decades to plan it, organize it and have morons like the Code Pink traitors simply fall into their laps.

    Taqyia.

    Look it up.

  • Doc Holliday

    I predict the LSM will say

    1) Obama saved Egypt/toppled a dictator

    2) He did it without going to war (hint, Bush, hint)

    Of course is it BS, but I guarantee this is how they are going to spin this. And know I have not watched anything THE ONE has said today or listened to the media.

  • lineholder

    was a ploy and I considered it….should have known better, too.

  • septembergurl

    Panetta testified today that he “thought” Mubarak would probably be leaving today. Turns out this is from media reports only. This is the head of the CIA.

    Clapper added to his laurels by describing the Muslim Brotherhood as “secular”. Wouldn’t they be called the Secular Brotherhood then hmmmmm? This is after he was interviewed by Diane Sawyer and admitted he knew nothing about the London arrests of terrorists though it had been reported in the media. This is the the Director of National Intelligence, the one who briefs the President.

    This is an intelligence disaster.

    Meanwhile, the Republican chair of the Intelligence Committee in the House has put out a statement excusing both of these morons for their moronic statements under oath. What is Boehner thinking? Why is this clown the head of the Intelligence Committee? This is exactly what we (conservatives, Tea Party) are opposed to.

  • http://www.redstate.com/etcartman Kenny Solomon

    Report from The Kyodo News Service quoting Reuters linked at Mr. Breitbart’s website.

    Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and his family have left the capital Cairo, Reuters news agency, quoting al-Arabiya television, reported Friday.

    Earlier, al-Arabiya had said Mubarak had left Egypt, but the Dubai- based television network later adjusted the report to say the president and his family had left Cairo from a military airbase for an “unknown destination.”

    On its website, al-Arabiya said reports of Mubarak’s whereabouts are “conflicting,” with some saying the Egyptian president was to address the country from his palace, another saying he had gone to a resort in the Sinai, and another saying he may be heading for Dubai.

    Nice time for a ‘vacation’, eh ?

    Nothing to see here !

  • 6eorge Jetson

    I never thought Barack would be bested in the ExpirationDate™ Dash.

  • http://www.redstate.com/etcartman Kenny Solomon

    Hint: It ain’t McHale’s Navy.

    CAIRO (AP) – Egypt’s powerful military backed President Hosni Mubarak’s plan to stay in office until September elections, enraging hundreds of thousands of protesters who deluged squares in at least three major cities Friday, marched on presidential palaces and broke through army barricades at the state TV building?key symbols of the authoritarian regime.

    The army’s show of solidarity with the president was a heavy blow to protesters who called on the military to take action to push Mubarak out after he announced Thursday night that he would hand most of his powers to Vice President Omar Suleiman but remain in office.

    Naaaaaah, nothing could go wrong. Nope, not one single thing.

  • http://www.redstate.com/etcartman Kenny Solomon

    Take a guess who said the following:

    “It’s their right to be free, it’s their right to express their opinion and pick their own type of regime and rulers.”

    “In spite of all the satanic schemes, with the help of God and the people’s resistance, the new Middle East will turn into a region without the United States and the Zionist regime, and the arrogant powers will have no place in this Middle East. Soon, the entire world will experience the sweet taste of a world without Zionists and thugs.”

    Yessum, y’all got-r-done. That thar wuz El Presidente De Iranski, the humble but lovable Iminthemoodfor Abigwhompinjihad.

    That boy’s about as peace-loving as you can get, eh ?

  • hairbaggs

    I am irritated that you wrote what you did because you were absolutely correct and now I can’t say it.

  • lineholder

    that description of the “peace-loving” individual got a laugh into this day!!

    OTOH, sad but true, and millions of people are likely to be deceived by it, simply out of vulnerability and desire for something other than what they have.