Mubarak remains: Washington powerless. Who is manipulating whom?

peter.reardon on Opinion: Middle East

Mubarak's most recent speech to the people of Egypt did not address the call of the people for him to leave office. He will, he says his  government will make changes to the constitution, commonly said by national journalists and ordinary people as being too little too late.

The protester's were collectively unprepared for Mubarak to remain in power so there is a lull in the public reaction to Mubarak's speech. There seems be no contingency plan for any action to be implemented by the protesters if Mubarak does not step down.

He didn't step-down of course, and the protesters have now to consider a ' next step'. This period of indecision gives the repressive state time to reposition its armed police and military pro-government force to shepherd the unarmed [?] protesters out of Tahrir Square, in Cairo.

It seems that there are groups moving from Tahir Square to  the Presidential Palace a distance of about 15 -20 kilometers from the centre of Cairo and it is uncertain how close to the Palace the protesters will be permitted to establish another centre for democratic protest against President Mubarak. 

Meanwhile, the American government,which has paid the Egyptian army more than one billion dollars a year to buy US manufactured weapons of war, which would be turned on the pro-democratic demonstrations.

Another example of America, a so-called democratic country, in support of a totalitarian regime in its suppression of ordinary people.

The protest continues.

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