This is just a quick update–this possible development just in (h/t twolf1):
Might be a hint of departure, might be more dancing, but thought you should know. We will keep an eye on this and post updates throughout the day.
Update: From Amanpour’s ABC interview:
I’ve just left the presidential palace in Cairo where I met for about 30 minutes with president Mubarak. He told me that he is troubled by the violence we have seen in Tahrir Square over the last few days but that his government is not responsible for it. Instead, he blamed the Muslim Brotherhood, a banned political party here in Egypt.
He said he’s fed up with being president and would like to leave office now, but cannot, he says, for fear that the country would sink into chaos.
I asked President Mubarak about the violence that his supporters launched against the anti-government protestors in Liberation Square.
He told me, “I was very unhappy about yesterday. I do not want to see Egyptians fighting each other.”
. . .
For now, Mubarak remains in the presidential palace with his family, heavily guarded by armed troops, tanks and barbed wire. We were joined by his son Gamal, who was once widely considered to be his successor. Mubarak told me it was never his intention to have his son follow him into office.
And he pledged his loyalty to Egypt. I would never run away, he said, I will die on this soil. He also defended his legacy, recounting the many years he has spent leading his country.
While he described President Obama as a very good man, he wavered when I asked him if hour felt the U.S. had betrayed him. When I asked him how he responded to the United States’ veiled calls for him to step aside sooner rather than later, he said he told President Obama “you don’t understand the Egyptian culture and what would happen if I step down now.”
Update 2: David now has a great rundown of the interview.






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This is one of the funniest things in the whole sordid mess.
Gregg, did you see the Suleiman interview earlier. Patted the youth movement patronizingly on the head & told them to go home.
So which part does he not understand” The “buh” or the “bye”?
Hey. It’s mutual.
This would mean a positive sum.
Mubarak leaves because he is fed up. Protesters get their request for democracy due to his leaving.
Win-win.
That’s the kind of diplomacy I like to talk about!
Mutuality of concern is a great conflict management approach.
AJ just covering this matter.
Guest responds that Mubarak’s following Tunisian model of 3 denials then departure, with language changing at each stage.
I can see the headlines now:
CNN brokers deal with Hosni Karzai next
Hey Hosni ain’t no one stopping yer a** that I can see.
I’m very impressed by how articulate the anti-Mubarak Egyptians are, at least the ones I’ve heard on AJ. They’ve had no public outlet to practice, but they’re up to the task immediately at their debuts.
One problem is that it’s not just Mubarak who needs to go, it’s the whole lot of them, the whole regime.
Granted, that will take time, as it is in Tunisia. The departure of Mubarak is the necessary first step. Necessary but not sufficient.
Accompanied by a map labeling Afghanistan as Egypt.
OK. I’m going to tear myself away to do a few other things. Give me a shout if Mubie resigns.
Great maybe our Right Wing Nuts can take notes its sad that Egyptian thugs are more articulate than us. It also suggests that our Right Wing is much more driven by hate.
For the Egyptian Secret Police its about protecting their jobs. For the American Right is a Crusade.
Meanwhile, MSNBC is doing a story on a Hawaiian restaurant that automatically adds gratuities to checks.
Why can’t he? No! Just give us the reason why…No! Silence! why Muby…why….whaaaaaaaaa..No! I can not.
Well… that’s important! Pffft!
Later eCAHN. Give CAHNstance kitty scratches.
Did you miss MSNBC’s follow-up report on the “rogue turkey” that attacked the mail truck? Apparently it belongs to Ethel Kennedy.
Before they let this guy go anywhere his funds need to be frozen. Someone on AJ said his assets are in the area of $62 billion… that’s our money that we gave to the Egyptian people, they should at least get a taste of it before this thug escapes.
Well shit, we can’t let the real news slip through the cracks.
At least that could help stabilize the income of the wait staff, depending on how the gratuity is paid out by the restaurant.
It’s way more “incremental change” than “revolution,” though, but at least it’s not a report on some kind of new pedicure or celebrity divorce, etc.
A Guide: How Not To Say Stupid Stuff About Egypt
Well we need to know that. For example, does Ethel own the turkey or the mail truck? These things are important! They are part of the freedoms “they” hate us for.
Good point, but that’s not going to happen. A person who wields $62B is not a person that you sieze assets from. He’s got too many friends in too many low (and high) places for anyone to be stupid enough to fuck with his money. Think of all the skeletons in the closet that Moobie could expose.
She has never been able to control her brood, IMHO
Meanwhile, overheard later at a large gathering of American citizens, more folks were discussing the restaurant story than were discussing Egypt, unemployment, or civil rights combined.
Hosni Mubarak sure is learning from the best criminals in the world…. Fast. Well over two years after Hank Paulson told Congress that the world would end unless he was given unlimited power to give the banks however much money the needed, Egypt’s despotic president has done exactly the same, and in an interview with ABC’s Christiane Amanpour, “said he’s fed up with being president and would like to leave office now, but cannot, he says, for fear that the country would sink into chaos.” And there you have it: the same mutual assured destruction strategy used by bankster and by despotic tyrant alike. One wonders – is there really any difference between the two. Zero hedge
AJ: Liberation Square is in “tense calm”, but it could be “the calm before the storm”, as tomorrow the anti-government forces are planning to march on the Presidential residence for “The Day of Departure.”
On edit: 9pm in Cairo.
We’ll see what the rest of today and tomorrow will bring!!
Could it be that tomorrow’s demonstration was too much for TPTB to deal with? BBC Intl. showed the street crowds in Yemen. The genie is out.
Sure would be nice to hear some of the nominal Democrats talking about it at least. No matter how impolitic, maybe someone like Sanders, who holds himself out to be a Democratic Socialist, could give a speech or make a suggestion.
This is going to make a bad situation worse … I demand the freedom to set my own gratuity !
Even if he is fed up, it does not appear that he plans to leave. Good for Amanpour getting the interview, but her tweet does not reflect the meat of the rest of what she said.
LOL. He blamed the MB for the death dealing the the Square?
Ba ha ha.
So he would like to go, but can’t – since the people are causing violence. When in fact it is he and his new VP causing the violence – in the exact same manner they have for 30 years.
He reminds me of Bush and Obama and all these hack leaders – they just spoout bullshit no matter what & do what they want. The shit that comes out of their mouth does not even have to make sense.
Leave it to RWNJ media like Fox & Limbaugh, to whip up fears of extremist Islam takeovers ala the Taliban.
The Egypt uprising is hardly about that. Like the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, Egyptians have seen the modern world with it’s freedoms and prosperity, and they want in. These rebellions are positive for global progress, not something to be afraid of.
– Balkingpoints / www
Did Hosni just break the Guiness world record for the most lies recited during a 30 minute interview?
I think what Paulson threatened was implementation of Bush’s Executive Order that gave the president the power to declare martial law in the event of anything, anywhere, including financial meltdown anywhere in the world, that threatened national security. It was a veiled threat to cancel the elections, I believe.
Of course, the way things turned out, we would have been better off with the Bush we knew instead of the faux Bush we received in place of Hope&Change.
I hope he is stupid enough to stay in his palace. I recommend that he deliver a speech on the balcony on Friday.
One thing the “interview” does is state where he is, who he is with, and under what circumstances. I’m not so sure I believe this interview…I’m not too crazy about the interviewer.
NA NA NA NA
NA NA NA NA
NA NA NA – HEY a HEY – GOOD-BYE.
they found “common ground” as opposed to compromise.
BREAKING
“He said he’s fed up with being president and would like to leave office now, but cannot, he says, for fear that the country would sink into chaos.”
Typical authoritarian control freak who arrogantly overstates his importance and ability to prop up his massive ego.
this is good news,he is a foool to go down the bloodshed path
So, that explains the US and their new and improved call for him to step down now.
I believe that has to be the third call.
Wow! Sounds like a guilty conscience….
He wants to go as long as these unmentioned things can be assured
1) he gets to hold on to the billions he has stolen from Egypt, without repurcusions
2) his son gets to run in the election
3) the election is suitably rigged
If these aren’t assured, this is what Mubarak considers chaos
Isn’t that the network that KO used to work for? I don’t watch, but I seem to recall that.
Seems they may have gotten rid of him 2 years late (JAN-2009) or “just in time”.
Right. And you can build a city on a sand bar that will last for thousands of years. Just ask Dubai!
He, his family, and anyone around him. Heck, that could pay for a tax cut for the rich in the US for a year.
30 years * 1.5B/year = 45B
Of course not counting for inflation – but the fucker took more money than we gave to the entire country of 80 million people.
Just got back from a trip involving airplanes, so I well understand your point. Not only are the other topics not being discussed, if you interrupted and starting talking about one of them, the audience wouldn’t have a clue what you were talking about.
Actually, he was just responding to National Review insanity. Why bother?
The money gets frozen, and the person does at the same time.
Then just blame the doc releases to be fakes from Mubaraks goons via Wikileak traitors.
Kidding aside, I do believe all of these people have their bribe file. Must be some way to offer some other stooge 1B to take care of that, still net more than 60B
To paraphrase an old song;
“The people are revolting? You’re pretty revolting yourself.”
Sung about Luis XIV of France.
Hey, as long as you’ve got Brownie on your team. Why, he knows the difference between an Arabian Horse and a category 5 hurricane (now).
Because the National Review is a very serious publication with very serious journalists who ask very serious questions.
Got off AJ to check on US news channels.
Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, Gabby Giffords.
I think he will leave Sunday morning as soon as the banks open again. He will step down tomorrow, but will stay until those Egyptian/US banks are open.
Yep. Doper, thief and victim of right wing extremism. Well Giffords deserves some mention. Couldn’t care less about Sheen and Lohan. As far as I’m concerned it’s astonishing they haven’t hooked up yet. Think of the
tabloidsb cable talking heads’ reaction.(in airport – so rushed) Remember that even if he leaves, his regime apparatus must go too. And remember that so far there are:
- 300 dead (UN estimate yesterday before last night) who were just asking for democracy – this only counts the last week and not all the others over the years
- uncounted wounded, many with serious head wounds (1500 yesterday)
- uncounted missing including at least one of the prime organizers of the youth revolt
He thinks he can’t leave the government…because exactly why? What governing is he doing, if he’s locked up in a palace? It all stinks.
Wow! Just saw a short clip from AJE and the guy was standing up next to a wall of Texas pink granite. I had no idea it went so far abroad.
That pretty girl is missing! Oh NO!
hahahahahaha
I like Letterman’s comment about Hosni’s idiot son
Gamal W. Mubarak.
oh no…have a safe trip
hahahasahahahaha
And several hundred steamed Israeli officials.
Oops. They’ve upped the chances of snow here. Glad I don’t have to go anywhere.
Special Book Salon up with Greg Mitchell’s The Age of Wikileaks hosted by emptywheel
The PTB need to get that global warming thing going. Stay warm and dry.
Who is Roger Murdoch?
Andy Borowitz: Obama Says He Will Resend Message to Mubarak, This Time in All Caps
Obama Says He Will Resend Message to Mubarak, This Time in All Caps
White House Mulls Change in Font
Wow. Impossible to get on the AJ liveblog. Jane, Marcy, you guys should be very proud of that thing you created back during the Libby trial.
It’s a play on “Hosni Karzai”. See nomolos@5.
you have to hand it to Hannity, I am sure the increased traffic on AJ today is people going there out of curiosity after what he did last night.
Rupert’s evil twin.
Including Amnesty International staff. Bet the administration loved that one.
Actually nomolos said “Hosni Karzai” which is a cross between Hosni Mubarak and Hamid Karzai so I responded with the addition of “Roger Murdoch”, which hybridizes Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes. It’s not as funny since I had to explain it though. We were poking fun at the ridiculousness that is CNN.
Clinton speaking now. Waffle or substance?
She looks like she’s been awake for days….
Ugh! Waffle it is.
CIA covering thou buttocks
http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/02/03/5983045-obama-was-warned-about-egypt
The stench from this Administration gets worse by the day.
How can it be that in May 2009, Hosni Mubarak was an esteemed president whom Barack Obama respected, and in January 2011, Mubarak is a dictator whom even Obama is casting aside? But he is not really casting him aside, it changes day by day, even hour by hour.
How can it be that in June 2009, Obama didn’t support the masses who came out against the zealot Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran, while now he stands by the masses who are coming out against the “moderate” Mubarak in Egypt?
The stupidity, the hypocricy and above all, the narcissism of Zero and his crew are going to bring disaster upon us and the world.
Totally unprepared, totally amoral, and everything is focused on Zero’s image and his reelection campaign. No doubt, he is focus-grouping and polling right now on what he should do.
Oh good… Hillary saying not OK to to abuse press. Still saying FU to the protesters, and clinging to her transition with Suly as leader til Sept when their planned elections with diebold machines will be used.
Fixed it for ya.
It always has been, at least since the Civil War.
2/3/11 Afghan held at Guantanamo since 2002 without being charged dies ‘while exercising’.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12361834
Oh, so it’s all decided then./s
{ LMAO } We the apparently evergreening in our ugly American-ness.
yea its terrible when they jump rope,and it catches around their neck
These must be those whacky, out of control kids Suleiman was talking about.
Kids these days! Cool do-rag, though.
that is what they have been saying for days.
Yep. That has a tendency to happen when you work somebody out on an elliptical machine for hours on end. Rank speculation of course but not unreasonable.
Hmm…methinks he doth protest too much…
Mubarak is using Obama logic
Mubarak if you stay there will be chaos
Obama expanded the wars in Iraq and Afghan and the tea party still hates him
Like Obama, Mubarak must consider retirement, it has got to be better than here and now
Unlike Obama, there is probably some politician who values freedom who can take over for Mubarak.
Yes, the meaning is that it has been decided by them, not by the people.
Hillary is off the plantation she is clearly working for Israel
Israel would love for Mubarak to stay in power until Sept.
knowing that in the mean time, Israel would help prop up another Puppet Dictator in Egypt to work with Israel and the USG
Gibbs is telling Mubarak to leave now, and Hillary is telling him to stay
this is the OBAMA WH in a nutshell.
Mubarak is correct. Leaving office while the country is in this state will simply create a power-vacuum and violence on the other end . . . You tell me of a country in the last 200 yrs that emerged from violent revolution to a successful democracy? I say announce a month long search to place an interim government in power and elections six months out. Realistically, the only thing I see coming out of this is another autocracy.
———-
Glenn Beck is saying Code Pink is starting the world wide revolution and working in Egypt.
I think the the other 79 million people can figure it out.
I can name a country easily – Ireland in the south. You well know America did it 220 years ago.
Folks,what we are seeing in Egypt,the beating & murder of peaceful protesters is American Foreign policy.That’s it in a nutshell.If we are not invading countries we are colluding with their dictators and it’s all done for the corporations.
Just like these fools like Beck are cover to brainwash 10 or 20% of the population, preferably the ones who are more willing to shoot anyone not known to them.
Good old Obama, he think Solomon literally cut the baby in two and that was the solution.
Obama is likely a well spoken person who is great at memorization. It does not make sense, he must be able to argue points – but he has never shown it to the US public.
in a way the cia had to say something like that after the wikileaks cables – many of these cables are now being sidelined as the traditional media outlets are still focused on their old way of doing things and are not geared up to handle the contextual narrative structure they require but i understand the nyt recently admitted they should have paid more attention to the cables relating to egypt
but wikileaks has started to release them to media beyond the initial five and on its website but that latter requires indexation
they are attracting attention in the countries they relate to even if ignored by the initial five media outlets