Eyes on Egypt’s Decisive “Friday of Departure”

04/02/2011 Today is a fateful day for the future of the Egyptian revolution and the regime. The crime was great yesterday, and it’s feared to be greater during the night. The protesters are gathering for the eleventh consecutive day in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and millions of Egyptians are expected to take part in the “Day of Departure” rally to force President Hosni Mubarak to step down.

Organizers are hoping for even larger numbers on Friday, despite the potential for violence from Mubarak supporters who have been staging counter demonstrations in Cairo that have led to bloody clashes in which at least eight people have been killed and more than 800 hurt.

Media reports said pro-government vigilantes are trying to prevent demonstrators from reaching Tahrir Square. They have reportedly been throwing rocks at protesters from roof-tops.

The army has taken little action while the fighting has raged and police have been nowhere near Tahrir Square since on Friday last week they tried to end the demonstrations with tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons.

The US military's top officer said in Washington Egyptian army leaders have "reassured" him their forces will not fire on protesters.

Mubarak warned of the Muslim Brotherhood’s danger and the possibility that they may control the revolution. He blamed them for yesterday’s violence. Mubarak was “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,” ABC television's Christiane Amanpour, he said reported after an interview in Cairo.

Meanwhile, The New York Times has reported that the US is discussing a plan with Egypt for Mubarak to resign immediately.

Sayyed Khamenei: Egypt Uprising Sign of Islamic Awakening

04/02/2011 Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei said during the Friday prayer sermons in Tehran that Embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is a “servant” of Israel and the United States.

“For 30 years this country (Egypt) has been in the hands of someone who is not seeking freedom and is the enemy of those seeking freedom,” Imam Khamenei said. “Not only he is not anti-Zionist, but he is the companion, colleague, confidant and servant of Zionists. It is a fact that Hosni Mubarak's servitude to America has been unable to take Egypt one step towards prosperity.”

Sayyed Khamenei said Israel was the most concerned about the Arab revolts as they know if Egypt stops being their ally and take its rightful place, it would be a great event in the region. Ayatollah Khamenei said their plots however will have no effect on the Iranian nation.

His eminence said the Iranian nation's voice is echoed in the countries of the Muslim world, pointing to the Tunisia revolution and Egypt uprising. “Today, developments in North Africa, [including] Egypt, Tunisia and some other countries have a special meaning for the Iranian nation,” the Leader stated.

“This is what was always referred to as the Islamic awakening created by the victory of the great revolution of the Iranian nation,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in his comments during the Friday prayer sermons in Tehran.

Ayatollah Khamenei noted that Tunisia's former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was dependent on the US and even the CIA.
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