Ikhwanweb Publishes Details of Mubarak’s Final Hours

Ikhwanweb Publishes Details of Mubarak’s Final Hours

 Hosni Mubarak was supposed to announce his resignation on Thursday and the Egyptian military expected it. The new head of his ruling party pleaded to him face-to-face to do it. Mubarak said in the address that he was handing over most of his powers to Suleiman but again rejected calls for his resignation. He vowed to introduce genuine reforms, prosecute those behind the violence that left scores of protesters dead and offered his condolences to the victims’ families. He said he was hurting over calls for his removal and, in his defense, recounted his record in public service. He was not going anywhere until his term ended in September, he said.

 

Mubarak’s top aides and family — including his son Gamal, widely viewed as his intended successor — told him he could still ride out the turmoil. So the televised resignation speech the rest of Egypt had expected became a stubborn — and ultimately humiliating — effort to cling to power. The whole process only enraged protesters. On Friday, the military moved decisively.

 

The military, meanwhile, was becoming increasingly impatient with the failure of Mubarak and Omar Suleiman, his newly-appointed vice president, to end the protests. The unrest spiraled out of control Thursday and Friday, with demonstrations, strikes, sit-ins and even gun-battles engulfing almost the entire nation.

 

The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces met without its chairman, Commander-in-chief Mubarak, and the military leaders insisted on Mubarak’s departure and in recognition of his error, in return for guarantees to save his life, said they will not insult him, and he could step down with dignity as commander-in-chief of the army.

 

"Outgoing Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman, who has long stood by Mubarak, Defense Minister Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi (who oversees the Republican Guard) and Egypt’s chief-of-staff of the armed forces, Lt. Gen. Sami Annan were likely managing the political process behind the scenes and disagreed on Mubarak handing over his powers to Omar Suleiman as the Higher Military Council unanimously agreed not to consent powers to the vice present because the public refused any dialogue with Suleiman, demanding the dismissal of the government of Ahmed Shafik and forming a military junta who would be in charge and run the country for six months, or until the new parliament is elected," the sources said.

 

Senior military leaders have expressed their dissatisfaction to Tantawi about what might be construed as they still insist on not resorting to force, and are determined to meet people’s legitimate demands in order to avoid a possible bloody showdown.

 

Mubarak rejected the army’s demand for an immediate transference of power, where he is known for his extreme stubbornness. This disagreement, in turn, would have led to a bloody showdown between the army and the Republican Guard, and even the Air Force.

 

Tantawi took over negotiations between the parties and reached a compromise formula to meet the demands of army leaders, in return for agreeing to delegate powers to the vice president, and to keep the government of Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq in place.

 

Disagreement compelled Gamal to rewrite the speech several times before the recording. Millions of viewers noticed the address was clearly prepared in a rush. It had rough cuts, and Mubarak was caught at least once acting like he was between takes, fixing his tie and looking away from the camera. Furthermore, Air Marshal Reda Mahmoud read the Armed Forces’ statement," sources added.

 

Informed sources told the Kuwait daily Al-Qabas that in the final hours before Mubarak announced his resignation there was a sharp debate taking place between him and his wife Susan and his son Gamal, blaming them for the overall state of deterioration. Some newspapers report of a fight taking place between Gamal and his older brother,Alaa Mubarak, with Alaa accusing him of ruining his father’s last days, and humiliating him.

 

Sources explained that the whole family met for breakfast  Friday morning, and immediately Susan ordered to pack the president’s suitcases with valuable and precious personal belongings that he received from Arab and foreign presidents and kings and there were eight full bags.

 

"You got me into this, you and your mother,” Mubarak reportedly told Gamal. “You have ruined my history in Egypt". Unconfirmed reports are circulating that former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak has fallen into a coma in Sharm al-Sheikh.