Israel Matzav

Mubarak announces he won't run for re-election

Under pressure from the Obama administration, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has announced that he will not stand for re-election in September.

There were few signs that Mubarak’s concession would quell the Egyptian insurrection. “I will die on the soil of Egypt,” he vowed in his announcement — greeted by screams of “leave, leave” and “get out” by protesters. “I will say with all honesty … that I was not intent on standing for the next election because I have spent enough time in serving Egypt and I am now careful to conclude my work for Egypt by presenting Egypt to the next government in a constitutional way.’

In another sign of Washington’s carefully calibrated exit strategy, the United States also said Tuesday that it had reached out to Mohammed ElBaradei the former International Atomic Energy Agency chief who has emerged as the leader of Egypt’s currently united opposition political movement.

“As part of our public outreach to convey support for orderly transition in Egypt, Amb. [Margaret] Scobey spoke today with Mohammed ElBaradei,” State Department PJ Crowley said in a tweet Tuesday.

The acknowledgement of opposition contact came a day after the administration dispatched Wisner to Cairo as its envoy, and as the Egyptian unrest appeared to be at a pivotal tipping point, with a few glimmers of optimism that with the army agreeing not to fire on protesters and the Egyptian opposition uniting behind a single leader, the Egyptian street revolt might shift towards the post-Mubarak era without enormous bloodshed.

The Egyptian people aren't buying it. And there have been shots fired on Tuesday night in Alexandria. Mubarak's announcement is too little too late for many Egyptians. The Obama administration is stuck playing catch-up.

What could go wrong?

Labels: Egyptian elections, Egyptian regime change, Hosni Mubarak, Politics, World Politics

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:14 AM