Egypt situation very fluid: US
By IANSThursday, February 10, 2011
WASHINGTON/CAIRO - Amid mounting speculation of Hosni Mubarak likely to quit as president Thursday night, the US described the situation in Egypt as “very fluid”.
“We’re watching a very fluid situation” on the ground in Egypt, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was quoted as saying by The Atlantic website.
US President Barack Obama took a cautious approach to the reports, saying the world will “have to wait and see” what happens.
“We’re going to have to wait and see what’s going on,” Obama said when asked for a comment while in Marquette, Michigan, according to DPA.
President Mubarak, who has ruled Egypt since 1981, is under pressure to leave following growing protests across the country against him. The defiant protesters have continued their demonstrations at Cairo’s Tahrir square and refused to budge till their demand for Mubarak’s ouster was met.
The embattled president has said he is ready to step down in September when his term ends, but not now.
CIA Director Leon Panetta has told the US Congress that there is a strong likelihood that the Egyptian embattled president will step down Thursday night.
The Barack Obama administration has been working on a proposal for Mubarak to quit now and turn over power to a transitional government headed by Vice President Omar Suleiman with the support of the Egyptian military.
Egypt receives about $1.3 billion in military aid from Washington every year, second only to Israel, and has received nearly $30 billion in economic aid since 1975, according to State Department figures.
