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International News Title: Egypt Crisis: Mohamed ElBaradei Edging Closer To Being Named Interim President; Talks To US Ambassador Reports from sources close to the former UN nuclear agency chief said he met senior figures from the army on Tuesday morning as protesters gathered in major cities calling for Mr Mubarak to go. He also held a meeting with Omar Suleiman, the new vice-president, and representative of a number of opposition parties. Mr Suleiman also talked to other opposition figures. The US ambassador, was another caller, by telephone – the United States had not confirmed any direct contact with Mr ElBaradeias as late as Monday afternoon. There was still no direct sign of Mr Mubarak stepping down, and Mr ElBaradei is not personally popular. But the lack of an alternative future for Egypt after a regime change that looks increasingly likely has made the former UN nuclear agency chief the most credible candidate to maintain stable government. He said in interviews he would serve "if called upon" though he has also said he does not seek office long term. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered peacefully in Tahrir Square in the centre of Cairo during the day. There was a light military presence, and volunteers checked identity papers and frisked protesters for weapons. They said they feared police and agent provocateurs would infiltrate the square with weapons. There was a noticeable presence by the Muslim Brotherhood – but also a large number of clerics from al-Azhar University, the main Islamic University which has been loyal to the government until now. But most people claimed to have no political allegiance. "I am 26 and have never had a proper opportunity to vote," said Noha Suweilam, an engineer who had come with her two sisters. She said she thought the Muslim Brotherhood would benefit from Mr Mubarak's departure but that she did not think they could be elected. She said Mr ElBaradei was an "opportunist", a judgement shared by others. But Ismael Asab Nasar, a factory purchasing manager, added: "He should be president at least for an interim period. "Then there should be elections in 60 days. People will hopefully choose then for themselves." Mr Baradei is a familiar face to Washington, even if it does not like him. Other western allies of Egypt actively approve of him. Israel is likely to be the only country – albeit an important one – actively to oppose him. Distrust in Washington stems from his refusal to criticise Iran more strongly over its uranium enrichment programme and defiance of the West. He in return has been sharply critical of President George Bush and was particularly hostile to the invasion of Iraq. By contrast until recent events in his home country he has been effusive in his praise of President Barack Obama. He describes himself as politically "liberal" and is keen to present himself as a man with whom the West – apart from the neo-conservative part of it – can do business. Nevertheless, his public positions over Israel, such as his condemnation of the blockade of Gaza, will cause trepidation in western countries. Egypt is still relied on to enforce that blockade, and the alliance with the Jewish state, which is still at best distrusted and mostly hated by much of the Egyptian population extends beyond that, to intelligence and anti-terror work. Moreover, while his backing from the Muslim Brotherhood is preferable, from the West's point of view, to the Brotherhood's putting forward its own agenda for regime change, it will still be feared as a Trojan horse. Western officials are keen to stress the word "secular" when they talk of the political forces which they are keen to see being part of any new Egypt that emerges. Mr ElBaradei may indeed view it as his first task to persuade the West that the reality of the Brotherhood's popularity with a large section of the Egyptian population, if not a majority, is a reality that has to be acknowledged. US ambassador talks to Egypt's ElBaradei By Stephen Collinson (AFP) – 2 hours ago WASHINGTON — The US ambassador to Egypt spoke to the country's top dissident Mohamed ElBaradei Tuesday as mass protests built in Cairo, in another apparent sign Washington is looking to the post-Mubarak era. Ambassador Margaret Scobey spoke to the former globe-trotting diplomat for the first time since he flew back to Egypt as public unrest and demonstrations mounted against the 30-year strongman rule of President Hosni Mubarak. Scobey's conversation with ElBaradei, who has become the leading public critic of the Mubarak government, came as part of her outreach to various opposition groups, a US official told AFP on condition of anonymity. The official said she delivered a similar message to ElBaradei on the crisis that US officials have made clear in public: namely that Washington wants a political transition but will not seek to dictate Egypt's political future. The US ambassador's conversation with ElBaradei came a day after Washington said it sent a veteran former US diplomat and envoy to Egypt, Frank Wisner, to meet top Egyptian officials and report back on the situation. The New York Times reported Tuesday that Wisner would meet Mubarak directly, as President Barack Obama's administration believed it would be "useful" to get the president's perspective. The daily said officials would not say whether Wisner would be urging Mubarak to leave office or bringing a specific message from the United States. But one senior official told the paper, "When you have old friends get together, it's a two-way conversation." On Monday, Washington has shied away from billing Wisner as an American "envoy." But on Tuesday morning the State Department confirmed the Obama administration had asked him to go. Scobey's move also coincided with the strongest show of support yet from anti-government protesters in Egypt, as massive crowds flooded Cairo and Egypt's second city Alexandria, pouring relentless pressure on Mubarak to quit. On Sunday, ElBaradei had sharp criticism for the carefully calibrated US stance on the protests rocking a government which has been a stalwart US ally for decades and at the center of its Middle East diplomacy. "You are losing credibility by the day. On one hand you're talking about democracy, rule of law and human rights, and on the other hand you're lending still your support to a dictator that continues to oppress his people," ElBaradei told CBS from Cairo. The United States has warned the Egyptian government not to use force against demonstrators and stressed their right to express their universal aspirations for freedom of expression. But it has insisted that it is not up to Washington to dictate the country's political system or government -- an apparent attempt to guard against a backlash in a country where polls show US policy is unpopular. "That is not for our government to determine. That is for the people of Egypt to determine," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Monday. In the recent past, Scobey met ElBaradei in June 2010, while Obama had a meeting with him at the UN Security Council Summit on Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Disarmament in September 2009. The United States, meanwhile, Tuesday ordered the departure of all non-emergency US government staff from Egypt amid days of protests against Mubarak, the State Department said. "The Department of State will continue to facilitate the evacuation of US citizens who require assistance," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said in announcing the move. He said the departure of all non-emergency US government personnel was ordered Tuesday "in light of recent events."
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#1. To: Brian S (#0)
there are reports that Mubarak is getting ready to address the country and tell them he won't run again for President in upcoming elections.
Since January 3, 2011, Republicans have controlled the power of the purse.
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