Chaos engulfs Cairo; Mubarak points to succession
By HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press Hamza Hendawi, Associated Press – 26 mins ago
CAIRO – Egyptians woke up to a dawn of uncertainty Sunday with several key buildings still smoldering in the capital and thousands of anti-regime
protesters remaining camped out at the city's main square in defiance of an extended nighttime curfew.
President Hosni Mubarak, clinging to power with promises of reform and a new government, had named his intelligence chief as his first-ever vice
president on Saturday, setting the stage for a successor as chaos engulfed Cairo. Soldiers stood by — a few even joining the demonstrators — and
the death toll from five days of anti-government fury rose sharply to 74.
Overnight and as police melted away, residents set up self-styled checkpoints and barricades at street corners and intersections of their
neighborhoods, armed mostly with clubs and sticks to protect their homes. By dawn, the city was eerily quiet, with armored military vehicles
encircling main government buildings in the downtown.
Sunday marks the start of the working week here but banks and the stock market will remain closed, as will schools.
Saturday's fast-moving developments across the north African nation marked a sharp turning point in Mubarak's three-decade rule of Egypt. Residents
and shopkeepers in affluent neighborhoods boarded up their houses and stores against looters, who roamed the streets with knives and sticks, stealing
what they could and destroying cars, windows and street signs. Gunfire rang out in some neighborhoods.
Mubarak fires his cabinet and in a cheap ploy to try and appease the people he appoints a vice-president? this to me shows just how stupid our
"elected leaders." really think we are and just how delusional they are,A few cosmetic changes and that's going to satisfy them? The Egyptian
Revolution has made it very clear they want him and his cronies gone NOW.I truly believe that by Monday it's gonna be clear to Obama and Mubarak that
his situation is dire and no successor (who in reality will be a puppet for him and the US.) will save his regime.My major concern is if he somehow
hangs on he will begin a crackdown that will be harsh and sadly the US and MSM will declare it's support for this because it's in the name of
"fighting terrorism."
PS:I have decided to use the thread to post articles that have slipped through.
Chaos engulfs Cairoedit on 123131p://3326 by mike dangerously because: had to add a PS
and fix the link.