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Egypt's Mubarak Won't Run for Re-election

By Jeralyn, Section Foreign Affairs
Posted on Tue Feb 01, 2011 at 01:01:28 PM EST
Tags: Egypt, Mubarak (all tags)
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Update: Finally Mubarak speaks. New thread for speech here.

Update: (10:50 pm Cairo time): Mubarak sure is drawing this out. Egyptian state TV is still saying "any minute."

Update (10:26 pm Cairo time): Still waiting for Mubarak's statement. Apparently, it will be recorded, not given live. MSNBC reports President Obama may speak afterwards.

Update (10:08 pm Cairo time): The crowd is getting louder. They are chanting "Freedom" and "May it be tonight." The crowd also seems thinned out. (In the crowd I saw a sign from today saying "Yes we can too." ) Here's a live screengrab from al Jazeera's live feed.

Update (10 pm Cairo time): You can watch the release of Mubarak's statement live when it happens here.

Reuters reports, via Al Arabiya TV, that Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak will give a speech today and say he's decided not to run for re-election in September. He also says he has "a solution." [More...]

Isn't it time for him to go now?

Update: President Obama has called Hillary Clinton and other members of his security team to the White House for a meeting this afternoon. It's well past sunset in Cairo and the protesters are still out in force.

Update: New York Times reports President Obama told Mubarak he shouldn't run again.

The message was conveyed to Mr. Mubarak by Frank G. Wisner, a seasoned former diplomat with deep ties to Egypt, these officials said. Mr. Wisner’s message, they said, was not a blunt demand for Mr. Mubarak to step aside now, but firm counsel that he should make way for a reform process that would culminate in free and fair elections in September to elect a new Egyptian leader.

Update (12:44 pm MT): Al Jazeera says he will speak shortly. It's live video feed is here.

Update: Egyptian State TV says it will be a statement, not a speech.

Updates moving to top of thread.

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    Egypt's Mubarak Won't Run for Re-election | 36 comments (36 topical)

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    Don't understand this guy (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by Saul on Tue Feb 01, 2011 at 01:12:54 PM EST
    He is like 83.  Has served for 30 years.  Is probably a multimillionaire if not a billionaire.
    What else do you want out of life.  Come on man. Yet he wants to stick around like he's got another 30 years of life.

    Some people just don't know when to fold them.

    he wants to install his son (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by Capt Howdy on Tue Feb 01, 2011 at 01:14:28 PM EST
    I agree that it will be very interesting to see if he is included in his "solution"

    meanwhile its reported armed thugs are infiltrating the crowd.  this could get very ugly Im afraid.

    Parent

    The son would have to be an idiot (none / 0) (#13)
    by Saul on Tue Feb 01, 2011 at 01:16:07 PM EST
    to stick around.  I would not give 2 cents for his life if he got installed.

    Parent
    That's what many said of (none / 0) (#16)
    by Buckeye on Tue Feb 01, 2011 at 01:36:01 PM EST
    Ahmadinejad.  He is still around.

    Parent
    U.