Mubarak steps down as president, army takes over

Egypt’s embattled President Hosni Mubarak abruptly stepped down as president, ending his 30-year-reign, and Egyptian armed forces will take over the leadership of the country, Vice President Omar Suleiman announced today.

 

Crowds gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square erupted into loud cheers, chanting “Egypt is free, Egypt is free,” as the historic announcement was made.

 

“My fellow citizens. In this difficult time that the country is going through, President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak has decided to relieve himself of his position as president and the Supreme military council has taken control of the state’s affairs. May God protect us,” Suleiman said during his somber one-minute announcement on TV.

 

The surprise statement brought to an end Mubarak’s 30-year rule, making him the second Arab leader forced to quit by a remarkable populist and largely peaceful uprising. Last month, Tunisia’s president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali resigned and left the country in the face of massive street protests against his regime.

 

Mubarak’s resignation comes 18 days since the beginning of protests that have left 300 dead, according to the United Nations, and rocked the region.

 

“Welcome back Egypt,” tweeted Google executive Wael Ghonim, who has become the face of protests since he was detained by security forces last month.

 

Men, women and children alike -- many with tears in their eyes -- flooded into Cairo’s streets as the atmosphere turned from one of determination to pure ecstasy.

 

“This is the greatest day of my life,” Nobel Laureate and opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei said. “The country has been liberated.”

 

As protesters in Cairo’s streets celebrated with joy, some demanded that Mubarak be tried.

 

The news has significant implications for the world and the United States. Egypt is one of the United States’ closest allies in the region, a key economic partner and only one of two Arab states that recognize Israel.

 

Though the White House has distanced itself from Mubarak’s administration over recent weeks, Mubarak was a close partner to the U.S., helping broker peace deals between Israel and Palestine and supporting the U.S. in its wars against Iraq.

 

President Obama was informed of Mubarak’s decision to step down during a meeting in the Oval Office, and he watched TV coverage of the scene in Cairo for several minutes in the outer Oval office. He is scheduled to make a statement on camera at 1:30 p.m. ET.

 

The 82-year-old president left the presidential palace in Cairo earlier today as protesters kept the pressure on the government to force Mubarak out of office.

 

Sources told ABC News that Mubarak had gone to an estate he owns in Sharm el-Sheikh, a resort town on the Red Sea about 250 miles from the protests in Cairo. Mubarak told ABC News last week he may eventually retire to the resort town, but vowed never to leave Egypt.

 

In a sign of the regime’s collapse, Hossam Badrawi -- who was appointed head of the ruling party just days ago -- announced just hours ago that he will resign from his post. Badrawi was widely cited by news outlets on Thursday as saying that Mubarak would step down.

 

The military earlier today announced on state television that the regime’s much hated emergency law will be lifted when the security situation allows. Egypt’s controversial emergency laws have been in place since the assassination of President Anwar Sadat in 1967 and give the government far-reaching powers at the expense of judicial review and civil liberties. The army also encouraged protesters to leave the streets and return to their homes.

 

But demonstrators were defiant, filling Tahrir Square again to demand Mubarak’s ouster. Thousands more marched toward the state television building, a prime new target for today’s protests.

 

Others converged on the presidential palace, blocking roads leading up to the president’s residence. The mood was largely peaceful and celebratory, yet determined, as soldiers and protesters cheered and waved at each other. There were no signs of pro-Mubarak demonstrators in the crowd, as had been the case earlier in the day.

 

The side streets around Tahrir, or Liberation, Square were packed as crowds streamed toward what has become the heart of the nearly three weeks of anti-government demonstrations. Instead of the rage felt Thursday night when Mubarak went on national television and said he would not leave office, there appeared to be a new energy and determination in the crowd.

 

The health ministry doubled the number of ambulances parked outside the square, and there was a mobile hospital present. But soldiers seemed relaxed, smiling at the crowds, and there was a collective commitment by protesters to keep the demonstrations non-violent.

 

Similar scenes played out in the port cities of Alexandria and Mansoura.

 

The turmoil in Egypt, preceded by a similar uprising in Tunisia, has rocked the Arab world. Many are concerned about the government falling into the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood, an outlawed group, and the outbreak of violence.

 

“The role of the rest of the world is to tell them honestly but behind closed doors on secure lines, ‘We are ready to be there beside you if you move concretely and coherently toward change. We respect your need to avoid it falling into the hands of extremists. We understand that you need some time,” Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak told ABC News Thursday.

 

The United States is keenly watching developments in Egypt, one of its closest partners and allies in the region. Late Thursday, President Obama issued a stern written statement telling Mubarak he needs to do more to outline concrete steps for reform.

 

“The Egyptian people have been told that there was a transition of authority, but it is not yet clear that this transition is immediate, meaningful or sufficient,” Obama said. “The Egyptian government must put forward a credible, concrete and unequivocal path toward genuine democracy, and they have not yet seized that opportunity.”

 

Obama also pushed the Egyptian leadership to be clearer about its intentions and how it will address the demands of the Egyptian people.

 

“We therefore urge the Egyptian government to move swiftly to explain the changes that have been made, and to spell out in clear and unambiguous language the step-by-step process that will lead to democracy and the representative government that the Egyptian people seek,” he said.

 

 

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Tahrir Square Thursday expecting to hear Mubarak say he was leaving, but were disappointed when the president only said he was transferring more powers to Vice President Omar Suleiman.

 

In an address directed to the youth of Egypt, Mubarak said he was pained by the deaths that have occurred since protests began on Jan. 25.

 

“The blood of the martyrs and the injured will not go in vain,” he said. “I will not hesitate to fiercely punish those who are responsible. I will hold those in charge who have violated the rights of our youth with the harshest punishment stipulated in the law.”

 

The United Nations and Human Rights Watch estimates that 300 people have been killed in Egypt’s protests, ABC News reports.