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| Africa North |
| Military moves to take control of parts of Cairo |
| 2011-01-31 |
| Cairo -- Egypt's military moved more aggressively Sunday to take control over parts of the capital, but the sixth day of unrest ended with increasing questions about how much longer President Hosni Mubarak could withstand calls for his resignation. Just hours after fighter jets buzzed overhead and a column of tanks tried to enter Cairo's central Tahrir Square, thousands of protesters defied a government-imposed curfew to gather in a peaceful nighttime demonstration that culminated in the dramatic appearance by ElBaradei. Sunday's show of force by the military was seen as a sign that it could be preparing to crack down on protests to restore calm to Cairo and other cities. In one brief but tense standoff, hundreds of protesters blocked army tanks from the downtown square, some sitting in front of their path and waving them off angrily. Protesters feared the military was preparing to cordon off an area that has become the heart of mass demonstration. The situation was defused when the tanks changed course and left. Thousands of protesters continued to occupy the city center until late Sunday, chanting anti-government slogans while army helicopters periodically flew overhead. In a move applauded by many government critics, the military seized control of the headquarters of the much-reviled Interior Ministry, whose police officers had been recalled from duty since violently clashing with protesters last week. But there were reports late Sunday that the Interior Ministry had begun redeploying police officers in the city. Earlier in the day, state television showed Mubarak meeting with military leaders and newly appointed Vice President Omar Suleiman to discuss the security situation. Many expect the military to play a critical role in the coming days. In Washington, top Pentagon officials spoke by telephone with their Egyptian counterparts on the crisis. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates spoke to Egyptian Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, said Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell, who would not provide details of their conversation. Adm. Michael G. Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also spoke with Lt. Gen. Sami Hafez Enan, the chief of staff of the Egyptian armed forces. In the 10-minute call, "both men reaffirmed their desire to see the partnership between our two militaries continue," said Capt. John Kirby, Mullen's spokesman. Egypt receives more than $1 billion in U.S. aid annually. |
| Posted by:Steve White |