US in Talks With Egypt for Mubarak to Resign Immediately .S. officials say the Obama administration is in talks with Egyptian officials on a proposal for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to resign immediately, and turn power over to a transitional government headed by Vice President Omar Suleiman with the support of the Egyptian military.
The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, say the proposal calls for the transitional government to invite members from a broad range of opposition groups, including the banned Muslim Brotherhood, to begin work to open up the country's electoral system in an effort to bring about free and fair elections in September. On American television Friday, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, cautioned against cutting aid to Egypt and said he has been assured by his Egyptian counterpart that troops will not fire on protesters. Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters. More: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/US-in-Talks-With-Egypt-for-Mubarak-to-Resign-Immediately-115271139.html Thousands Attending Egypt’s ‘Day of Departure’ Rally Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters have crowded in Cairo's Tahrir Square, chanting and waving flags as they rally for President Hosni Mubarak's immediate resignation. Protesters are calling Friday the “day of departure” for Mr. Mubarak, although the president vowed to finish his term in a speech earlier this week. Al Jazeera television says anti-government protesters are holding a similar rally in Alexandria. The Arab broadcaster also says a small group of Mubarak supporters have gathered near Tahrir Square. Egyptian Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi was seen visiting the square Friday for the first time since the start of the protests. Friday's protests end the second week of anti-Mubarak rallies. On Wednesday, a violent clash erupted in Tahrir Square between government opponents and supporters. President Mubarak said earlier this week that he will not seek reelection when his term ends. In a Thursday interview with the U.S. broadcasterABC, he said he would like to leave office now, but fears Egypt would sink deeper into chaos if he did. Mr. Mubarak has ruled Egypt for nearly 30 years. Mr. Mubarak blamed the Muslim Brotherhood – Egypt's largest and best organized opposition group – for the violence in the capital over the past few days. Protesters say Mr. Mubarak's supporters sparked the violence by attacking anti-government demonstrators on Wednesday. At least eight people have died and nearly 900 have been injured in two days of fighting around Tahrir Square. Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq apologized for the clashes that broke out Wednesday. He called the violence a “disaster” and said it would not happen again. More: http://blogs.voanews.com/breaking-news/2011/02/04/thousands-attending-egypts-day-of-departure-rally/ -- Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. Have a great day, Tommy -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
