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Mubarak has deputy for first time
US seeks immediate release of diplomat detained in Pak
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Mubarak has deputy for first time
Cairo, January 29 Hosni Mubarak's decision to pick Omar Suleiman, his intelligence chief and confidant, as his No. 2 is the first time the 82-year-old leader has hinted at a succession plan and may suggest he will not run in an election scheduled for September. Whether he can hold on to power until then, however, remained in question. Many believe the army holds the key. Until five days of unprecedented scenes of popular defiance and chaos across the country, officials had suggested Mubarak would run again. If not him, many Egyptians believed, his son, Gamal, 47, could be lined up to run. This now seems impossible. Suleiman, 74, has long been central in key policy areas, including the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, an issue vital to Egypt's relationship with key aid donor the United States. Some protesters, whose actions forced Mubarak to send the army onto the streets of the biggest Arab nation, were not happy with a decision that looks set to ensure power stays in the hands of military and security institutions. "He is just like Mubarak, there is no change," a protester told Reuters outside the Interior Ministry, where thousands were protesting, moments after the appointment. The appointment as prime minister of Ahmad Shafiq, who is, like Mubarak himself, a former commander of the air force, also indicated a preference for responding to public demands for change with limited changes in personnel. Mubarak's decision on Friday to sack the government failed to impress protesters. The speaker of parliament was later quoted as saying that there were no plans to meet demands for early elections. For some, however, naming Suleiman at the formal right-hand of Mubarak was a relief after millions had looked on in panic as security in Egypt disintegrated with protesters ripping up pictures of Mubarak and torching government buildings. Army holds back
On the streets of Cairo, soldiers repelled protesters who attacked a central government building. But elsewhere in the city, troops took no action as people stayed on the streets despite warnings to stay indoors after 4 pm. A group of 50 people approached a military cordon carrying a sign reading "Army and People Together". Soldiers pulled back a barrier and let the group through: "There is a curfew," one lieutenant said. "But the army isn't going to shoot anyone." The scene contrasted with Friday, when police fired teargas and rubber bullets and protesters hurled stones in running battles. Death toll 74
In Alexandria, the police used teargas and live ammunition against demonstrators earlier on Saturday. Protests continued in the port city after curfew, witnesses said. According to a Reuters tally, at least 74 people have been killed during the week. Medical sources said at least 1,030 people were injured in Cairo. Clashes have also occurred in Suez, near the eastern terminal of the canal linking Europe and Asia. Mubarak, has held power since the 1981 assassination of Sadat by Islamist soldiers. He promised to address Egyptians' grievances in a televised speech on Friday. — Reuters
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Obama calls up Egyptian Prez
Washington: US President Barack Obama on Saturday asked his embattled ally Hosni Mubarak to rein in his security forces and stop crackdown on peaceful protesters, as he spoke to the Egyptian President for 30 minutes after the latter sacked his government.
Obama telephoned Mubarak as ranks of protesters continued to swell in Cairo and other Egyptian cities. Obama, who spoke to Mubarak for 30 minutes, asked the Egyptian authorities to refrain from any violence against peaceful protesters.
Saudi King Abdullah supports Mubarak
Riyadh: Saudi King Abdullah has expressed his support for embattled President Hosni Mubarak and slammed those "tampering" with Egypt's security and stability, state news agency SPA reported on Saturday. The Saudi ruler, in Morocco recovering from back surgery performed in the US, telephoned Mubarak early Saturday, the report said.
During the conversation, Abdullah condemned "intruders" he said were "tampering with Egypt's security and stability ... in the name of freedom of expression." Saudi Arabia, he added, "stands with all its means with the government and people of Egypt."
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US seeks immediate release of diplomat detained in Pak
Islamabad, January 29 "The US embassy in Pakistan calls for the immediate release of a US diplomat unlawfully detained by authorities in Lahore," a statement issued by the American mission said. The arrest and remanding into custody of the diplomat violated "international norms and the Vienna Convention," the statement said. The US national — identified as Raymond Davis — has contended that he acted in self-defence after two youths allegedly tried to rob him in Lahore on Thursday. — PTI
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Also names Ahmad Shafiq as Prime Minister
