Egyptian President Mubarek Disbands Government, Protests Continue
After thousands of protesters took to the streets of major cities in Egypt, President Hosni Mubarek finally made a public address to the nation. Mubarek
said that he stands by the poor and believes in freedom for the individual. He announced that he has asked his entire government to resign and planning to commission a new government. Mubarek appealed to Egyptians not to use violence which only hurts their fellow Egyptians. He said he would work on getting more jobs and to improving the economy. But the protests are so broad-based, it may too late for Mubarek to appease his critics.
Video footage of the protests show demonstrators taking over a tank, rushing police and setting fire to party headquarters of President Mubarek. In a dramatic twist, Nobel Laureate and former United Nations weapons inspector Mohammed ElBaradei returned to his home country to help lead the protests. He is reportedly under house arrest now.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called on the government of Egypt to use restraint when dealing with protesters and has called on protesters to forgo violence. It's unclear what will happen next. So long as Mubarek has the support of the military, he will hold the country. But the country is on the edge of a full-blown revolution. Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab countries that have treaties with Israel and recognize its right to exist, so Israel is certainly concerned with who is running Egypt. Here is Mubarek's speech:
