CAIRO — A crush of thousands of people streamed into Tahrir Square on Thursday, beating drums and chanting amid conflicting reports on whether Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will step down.
By Pedro Ugarte, AFP/Getty ImagesEgyptian anti-government demonstrators shout slogans against President Hosni Mubarak at Cairo's Tahrir Square on Thursday, the 17th day of protests against the regime.
By Pedro Ugarte, AFP/Getty ImagesEgyptian anti-government demonstrators shout slogans against President Hosni Mubarak at Cairo's Tahrir Square on Thursday, the 17th day of protests against the regime.
State TV reported that the military had taken control of the country and protesters demands would be met. But Egypt's information minister, Anas el-Fiqqihas, said Mubarak would not resign.In Cairo's central square, protesters passed by tanks and barbed wire to join the masses assembling. People chanted "Bye, bye Mubarak!" and "Freedom!" in English. One soldier lifted a young girl out of the crowd to stand behind him on a tank as the people passed by.Egypt's military announced on national TV that it had stepped in to "safeguard the country." State TV said Mubarak, 83, the country's fourth president, will speak to the nation Thursday night from his palace in Cairo."I'm rejoiced but worried, there might be some chaos in the country," said accountant Hafez Sayed, 27, who added he is worried the army will take over and things will be unsettled. "In the long run it will be very nice. It will be democracy and peoples' rule."Some worried the army takeover might be a coup.
"We don't want Egypt to fall into chaos or 60 years backward to a military regime again," said Ahmed Abdullah, 38. "The good news is freedom, everybody will be heard. The bad news is that it is a military coup which will not be in Egypt's interest at all. The aim of this revolution is to be a free society."The dramatic events came on the 17th day of an historic uprising of the Egyptian people that has captured the world's attention in a movement that played out over the Internet and on television. In Tahrir Square, where the protests began, people from all walks of life jabbed their hands into the air in V-for-victory signs shouting "God is great!" and waved flags as the military tried to keep order.Meanwhile in Washington, D.C., top U.S. intelligence officials defended their intelligence on the fast-moving unrest in Egypt saying that officers in the region had filed hundreds of reports back to Washington outlining the growing instability."We have done yeoman's work reporting on this dangerous and fast changing situation," Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told the House Select Committee on Intelligence. "We are not clairvoyant."CIA Director Leon Panetta also defended the quality of U.S.intelligence telling House members that it was possible that Mubarak could relinquish power as early as this evening. Panetta later clarified his remarks, saying that U.S. officials were continuing to "monitor"' reports that Mubarak would step down but did not have "specific"' information about when the move would occur. President Obama, speaking to a group in Marquette, Mich., pledged support for the people of Egypt. "What is absolutely clear is we are witnessing history unfold," he said. "It's a moment of transformation taking place because the people of Egypt are calling for change." In Egypt the atmosphere in Tahrir Square was electric and carnival-like with loud music, shouting and people dancing in the streets."We live in a disgusting way," said Israa Ali, a 19-year-old student at Cairo University, her eyes shining under her hijab. "Tonight, I hope he leaves, and we never see another Mubarak."Over a loudspeaker, a message was relayed to the crowds that a newspaper had reported that Mubarak would leave. Whoops and hollers broke out and more shouting and singing filled the air."We are so happy!" said Ali. "We are not sure that it is true, but we hope that it is."English teacher Gamal Mohamed Sayid, 41, was leaving Tahrir Square when he heard the news."All people can say, the only thing that all people dreamed, is that Hosni Mubarak steps down now," he said. "All the people will be happy. All the people will cry with joy." Reports this week that Mubarak and his family have amassed a fortune that could be in the billions of dollars further fueled angry protesters, many who live in poverty and don't have jobs.Rumors of Muburak stepping down began earlier in the day Thursday as news surfaced of an emergency meeting of the military's supreme council that didn't include Mubarak. Footage on state TV showed Defense Minster Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi chairing the meeting of two dozen top stern-faced army officers, seated around a table.At Tantawi's right was military chief of staff Gen. Sami Anan. Not present was Mubarak, commander in chief and a former air force chief, or his vice president, Omar Suleiman, a former army general and intelligence chief named to his post after the protests erupted Jan. 25.As news began to leak out Gen. Hassan al-Roueini, military commander for the Cairo area, told protesters in central Tahrir Square, "All your demands will be met today."In the last two days labor strikes have broken out around the country. State employees and workers joined crowds in Tahrir Square. On Thursday, hundreds of lawyers in black robes broke with their pro-government union, pushing through a police cordon and marching on one of Mubarak's palaces — the first time protesters had done so. Striking doctors marched to the square from the state hospital in their white lab coats.Mubarak became president following the assassination of President Anwar Sadat in 1981 by army officers opposed to Sadat's signing of the Egypt—Israel peace treaty.Mubarak moved quickly to crush an Islamic fundamentalist uprising, jailing 2,500 members of militant Islamic groups. He also stood by Egypt's peace treaty with Israel and played a vital role in persuading Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat to recognize Israel's right to exist.Mubarak moved slowly on changes within Egypt and relied heavily on internal security forces and the military to keep the Egyptian population in check, said David Pollock, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, focusing on the political dynamics of Middle Eastern countries."The United States tried over many years to encourage Mubarak to reform, but he resisted that very strongly," Pollock said. "We didn't want to threaten the relationship or his hold on power enough to really press that point."Contributing: Donna Leinwand and Kevin Johnson in Washington, D.C.; Carolyn Pesce in McLean, Va.; Associated Press. For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.We've updated the Conversation Guidelines. Changes include a brief review of the moderation process and an explanation on how to use the "Report Abuse" button. Read more.
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