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Anticipation High Among Egypt Protesters Ahead of Expected Announcement

   Elizabeth Arrott | Cairo  February 10, 2011
   A  protester  holds a placard showing Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
   and  reading  "Go out... Just do it" at the continuing anti-government
   demonstration in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo, Feb 10 2011

Photo: AP

   A  protester  holds a placard showing Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
   and  reading  "Go out... Just do it" at the continuing anti-government
   demonstration in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo, Feb 10 2011

   Anticipation   is  high  in  Egypt's  capital  amid  speculation  that
   protesters' demands for the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak may
   be met.
   The  crowd  here  is  absolutely  galvanized  by  the possibility that
   thereās  going  to  be  a  major  announcement.  The  head  of the NDP
   (National Democratic Party) said that Mr. Mubarak is likely to address
   the nation this evening.
   Weāve  had  this  meeting  of the Supreme Council of the armed forces,
   and,  notably,  at least from the pictures, Mr. Mubarak was not there.
   They  said  that  -  they  read  a  statement  over  state  TV,  which
   immediately  went through the crowd that the armed forces are going to
   protect  the  nation.  And,  although it was an ambiguous statement, I
   think many people here just took it to be very, very good news.
   Now,  thereās  wild  speculation  that Mr. Mubarak might actually step
   down  tonight.  Again, that is not anything that can be predicted, but
   in  this  quite  crazy and moving moment-by-moment situation, it seems
   anything is possible.
   What  is  interesting  - some of the people weāve been talking to seem
   toĀ   --  over  the  last few days, officials have been making sort of
   veiled  warnings  that, unless the protests end, that there might be a
   coup.  That  was  what  the vice-president had said, (that) thatās the
   only  alternative  to  dialogue. And, then we had the foreign minister
   also warning that there might be military intervention.
   But,  oddly enough, people here seem to think that that actually would
   be  a  very  good  thing.  They  are  sick  to death of all of the top
   leadership;  itās  not  just  Mr. Mubarak; itās the vice president and
   everybody  associated  with  him that they want gone. So, in fact, the
   army  they see as the guarantor of possible change, not to be actively
   involved  in  the  transition,  but keeping some sense of peace, while
   they  try  and  work out the transition to elections. And what theyāve
   been hoping for is a real say in their government.

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