Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia,

[Blaze]

And that would truly be a tragic occurrence if one of his followers murdered him to save his honor.
I do have sympathy for an old man and his envisioned (wishful) self.

[Nitro Express]

This could be a good opportunity for Britain to step in and get some more antiquities.

Send in Lawrence of Arabia II to do the job.

[Nitro Express]

Oh noz......the shit gon' hit the fan now.

Mubarek did not say he would step down.

Vice President basically said the same thing.

Now the masses are marching towards the Presidential palace and the State TV complex.

If I were Mubarak, I would get the fuck out of Egypt now!

Since the military is not following orders and they have the tanks, I don't think some razor wire is going to keep El Presidente safe.

[Nitro Express]

Murbarak will probably shoot himself in the bunker after he realizes there is no escape. We can only hope so.

[Blaze]

Peace unto all


That looks so much like Mecca. The exuberance is quite ... My heart becomes banded and a tear of amazement often escapes before controlled emotions return.
I bet mecca has a song... Let us hunt!
Call to God! Goodness, Paul!

I will not get to see the video for a few hours. I selected by title and have since read the lyrics.

[sadaist]

That looks so much like Mecca. The exuberance is quite ... My heart becomes banded and a tear of amazement often escapes before controlled emotions return.

I see thousands upon thousands of Egyptian flags being waved. These people love their country & risked everything these last 18 days. They didn't give up to political "calm down" speeches created to appease the masses. Words. It is a beautiful thing to see. But they are now on very shaky ground.

The grass is NOT always greener....

Like I said a couple weeks ago, I hope they get what it is they seek and not some new government based on which corrupt group currently holds the most power.

[Seshmeister]

http://ismubarakstillpresident.com/

[Seshmeister]

The president and the the vice president have resigned leaving the speaker of the house in charge.

If this had happened in the US there would currently be an orange man on TV crying...

[jero]

for not winnig the WC final

[Hardrock69]

I really could not believe the fucking speeches last night. ANY MORON should understand when he is being shown the door...BY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE!

YOU DO NOT UPSET THE MOB! TO DO SO IS THE ACTION OF AN IDIOT!

Seriously.....once the crowd began leaving the square and head for the palace, I was freaking out! I mean LIVE ON TV! A HUGE MOB WHO WAS MAD AS HELL, AND WASN'T GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!!

I went to bed about 2 AM last night, worried about what was going to happen to the people.

Past history has shown it was more likely than not for the military to step in and brutally crush the resistance in this situation.

I MUST COMMEND THE EGYPTIAN ARMED FORCES FOR THEIR PROFESSIONALISM, AND THEIR RESTRAINT, AS THEY TRULY HAVE SHOWN WHO THEY CARE ABOUT - THE PEOPLE OF EGYPT!!

I was at work, slaving on my computer, when I suddenly noticed Yahoo news saying Mubarak had stepped down.

As I work with a lotta honky conservative white boys, any comment made by yours truly about this situation would be met with statements indicative of dismissal, as in "uh......so?".

It surely would be nice someday to work with some people who at least have some concern for the planet or their fellow human beings.

This has been an incredible thing to witness.

I sincerely hope they are able to set up a valid and functional representative government that can actually succeed in Egypt.

[Blaze]

Praise be unto God!

I grab my breast to assure I am here, then a mighty and vigorous titty shake!

[Blaze]

Factbox: Egyptian opposition reaction to Mubarak resignation



CAIRO (Reuters) – Here are reactions from Egyptian opposition groups to President Hosni Mubarak's resignation.

ESSAM ERIAN, MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD

"This is a historical day for all Egyptians, thank God all Egyptians were united behind one goal, the overthrow of the regime and the building of a new democratic one. The ball is now in the court of the Higher Military Council, which has said that it is going to take sound measures. We are optimistic."
MOHAMED ELBARADEI, HEAD OF NATIONAL ASSOCATION FOR CHANGE
"We have waited for this day for decades. We all look forward to working with the military to prepare for free and fair elections. I look forward to a transitional period of co-sharing of power between the army and the people."

AYMAN NOUR, HEAD OF THE GHAD PARTY

"This is the greatest day in the history of Egypt, that will not be repeated. This nation has been born again. These people have been born again, and this is a new Egypt," he told Al Jazeera television.
"We look forward to the transition period which is a period that will take us to a civilian state that will meet our legitimate demands of having a civilian, free country," he said, adding that the nation would be based on human rights.
"I believe the army is aware of its mission in preserving the situation until we move to the civilian period," said Nour, who came a distant second to Mubarak in the 2005 race, the only multi-candidate presidential election to be held in Egypt.

GEORGE ISHAQ, FOUNDER OF THE KEFAYA MOVEMENT

"It's the greatest day in Egypt's history and it's a great day for the world. It was a spontaneous revolt without leadership, I've not seen anything like it. Egypt is the heart to the Arab world. This wave could sweep away all the tyrants in the Arab world, they are all shaking. Mubarak was the ultimate despot. He frustrated us all with his insistence on staying. It's unreal to see this, people who were so downtrodden do this after 30 years of injustice, corruption and despotism. This man was an ignorant despot."
"Now we'll discuss our demands with the army. We need six months to a year for transition. We need a technocrat government to form a committee to write a new constitution and then carry out parliament and presidential elections. The army understand the situation, their role is temporary."

MAHMOUD ABAZA, SENIOR FIGURE IN LIBERAL WAFD PARTY

"Many chances were lost to solve this crisis but thank God we found a solution. A president who should have been a symbol of the nation became a source of discord.
"We have closed the page on an Egypt that lasted a long time where Egyptians could not choose, hold accountable or change their leader. In these 50 years when all powers were placed in the head of state Egypt did not develop economically or democratically and many countries advanced ahead of Egypt."
"We must be careful of seeing off one dictatorship and stepping into another, so this is a critical period. The army could remain with old ideas and prefer the system over freedom, though this is not very likely. Secondly, a force like the Muslim Brotherhood could dominate the political process but we have enough experience to avoid this and they do too. Thirdly, the youth could lose hope and interest in public affairs and lose the power that can push Egypt into the future."

RIFAAT SAID, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE LEFTIST TAGAMMU PARTY

"Mubarak made a lot of mistakes but he stepped down in the end and it was necessary he could not continue with the entire people demanding his resignation and it's clear the army played a central role in achieving this. I congratulate Egyptian youth, they have given us something nice and it'll be a model for many countries. The Higher Army Council has behaved in a balanced way and that's encouraging. They didn't use violent language or come out firing weapons. There is concern but I think the army knows how to sort things out."

(Writing by Andrew Hammond; editing by David Stamp)

[FORD]

[Blaze]

By Nadia El-Awady

"I'm an Egyptian revolutionary! And I helped topple a dictator!"

That was the message I tweeted to the world soon after learning that Egyptian President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak had finally stepped down.

The rush of emotions I have felt since hearing the news has been almost crippling at times.
The Egyptian people had lived under a single dictatorial ruler for 30 years. It took less than three weeks for this regime to crumble.

For 18 days, more than 300 had died at the hands of the police and thugs reportedly leashed by the regime itself. Thousands were injured. Hundreds camped out in Tahrir Square, a majority with not much more than a single blanket to protect themselves from the elements. And yet millions of others marched day after day, voicing their demands that Mubarak and his regime leave.
During those 18 days, I marched, ran from tear gas and live ammunition, and then I marched some more. I visited Tahrir Square almost every day. I took pictures, I shot film, and at times I joined the protesters myself.

For the most part, when they were not being attacked, the mood among protestors was almost like a party; Tahrir Square felt like a carnival. On every corner, people sang, danced, recited poetry, discussed politics and, of course, marched round and round and round and round calling for an end to the regime.

Many displayed the sense of humor for which Egyptians are known all over the Arab world. One man held up a sign that said: "Leave now. I really need a shower." Others acted out comedic plays and sketches. A protester dressed up like a soccer referee and walked around the square blowing through his whistle and waving a red card that said "leave".

Another group of protesters who had come to Cairo from Sharqiya, a region 50 miles north of the capital, took off their shoes and used them to spell the word "leave". Showing the sole of your shoe has long been considered an insult in Arab culture.

On the night of Thursday, February 10, Mubarak made his third speech to the Egyptian public. All day, rumors had filled the square that he would resign that night. People from all over the capital left their homes and headed to Tahrir Square, in anticipation of a celebration. When he said instead that he would not step down until he had presided over a transition of power himself, almost every single man, woman and child who was in the square raised their shoes in indignation. Mubarak was not listening.

Many woke up Friday expecting the day to turn into a blood bath. Mubarak and Omar Suleiman, the long-time head of the Egyptian intelligence services who Mubarak had named as his vice president shortly after the demonstrations began, implied that they would not tolerate continued disruption in the country. Since the police had not yet appeared back on the streets, this left only the army to impose an end to the protests.

But the people had absolutely no intention of backing down.

Like so many others, I left my home Friday morning not knowing whether I'd live to return. I was equipped with nothing but my camera and a bandanna to protect myself from tear gas.

If any force was used against the protesters, they had nothing to protect themselves with. We had already seen so many die at the hands of police and thugs . Nevertheless, protesters left their homes armed only with their determination and the will to make a better country for themselves.

I arrived at around noon in front of the Presidential Palace, where throngs of protesters had gathered.

 For the most part, the day turned out to be uneventful. People socialized, stopping to chant every now and then. Numbers began to swell in the mid-afternoon when thousands more poured in from Tahrir Square, 20 kilometers away.

 Some waved flags and chanted, but mostly people waited in anticipation. Several times protesters chanted "The people and the army are together as one", as if urging the military to stay on the side of the people.

At 5:41 pm, the call for prayers rang out in the square in front of the presidential palace. Hundreds gathered to pray while others stood around, watching and waiting. We had heard news earlier that the president's office was going to make a statement. After Mubarak's speech from the night before, we weren't expecting much.

I called my family at home and asked that they call me and place the phone near the TV as soon as the statement started so that I could hear along with them. Sunset prayers ended and only minutes afterwards my phone rang. It was 6:03 pm. Just as my phone rang a roar exploded in the crowd. I could not hear my sister on the other end. No one near me knew exactly why the crowd was roaring.
It took a minute or two of struggling until my sister's words finally broke through: "The President has resigned."

I can't even remember shutting the phone. My best friend Arwa, who was among the throngs, ran up to me in tears saying, "He's gone, Nadia. He's gone!" We hugged and cried, then hugged complete strangers and cried with them. We roared and sang and chanted along with the thousands in front of the Presidential Palace, "The people…indeed…have toppled the regime."

The throngs almost immediately left the square in front of the palace and started marching towards Tahrir Square. Chants of "Here are the Egyptians…here, here, here," and "Egyptians, raise your heads and be proud," rang everywhere on the streets of Heliopolis, where the presidential palace lies. As I marched along with the crowd, I began to shoot video of the celebration.

Fireworks erupted from apartment building balconies, cars took to the streets and people honked their hearts out. Flags were everywhere. People hugged army officers as they passed; it was the most jubilant scene I have ever witnessed or taken part of in my life. And over and over, one chant was repeated: "Martyrs, you can now rest in peace."

As jubilant protesters marched, we all reiterated to each other that we have honored the blood of those who had died. We had done this for them and for the future generations of Egypt.

Tahrir Square was a beehive of activity. By the time I arrived, the exhaustion of three weeks of protests had begun to set in. I made a quick round of the overcrowded square. I only stopped once. I saw an elderly couple I had photographed three nights earlier in the square. That night they were holding hands waving the Egyptian flag in support of protesters. On Friday night, they were walking through Tahrir, holding hands, waving the flag, a huge smile on their face.

I went to them. "I saw you the other night. I was so proud of you. I wanted to come to you now and say congratulations," I told them. We all hugged and cried and congratulated each other. We took pictures together. The smiles on their faces were priceless.

I walked home from Tahrir Square with my friend Arwa waving what was probably the 13th flag she had bought in as many days. We greeted cars on the way and sang with people riding in them.
The second I arrived home, my legs gave way. For 18 days, I had marched and marched and they carried me through. But they now needed a rest.

I slipped into a deep sleep and got up around 6 o'clock on Saturday morning to pray the dawn prayers. As I tried to go back to sleep afterwards, I shed tears for the Egyptians who had died for their country.

I felt proud to have stood with them shoulder to shoulder. I felt proud to have stood my ground when things got rough in the following days of the revolution. I felt I had honored their deaths. I felt proud that my children finally had a chance to live a life of freedom. My greatest sense of pride came from how my fellow Egyptians handled themselves through those toughest of times, honorably, in style, with a great sense of humor. Egyptians had shown the world that we were a peaceful nation, even at times of revolution.

Today, and everyday henceforth, I am proud to be an Egyptian.

Nadia El-Awady is the president of the World Federation of Science Journalists. She has written for a variety of Egyptian and international media organizations. She has also managed training programs for Egyptian journalists for the International Center for Journalists.

[SunisinuS]

This is the song that never ends....it just goes on and on my friends...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_successful_coups_d%27%C3%A9tat

Hope they raise a toast to Jefferson instead of Pol Pot.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110211/ap_on_an/ml_egypt_the_coup_analysis