Egypt: "Its not over till the fat lady sings" - Mubarack hangs on by his fingernails

In this case "the fat lady" will be the military in Egypt. As Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak refused to step down or leave the country tonight and instead handed his powers to his vice president Thursday, remaining president and ensuring regime control over the reform process.When they heard his speech stunned protesters in central Cairo went crazy and demanded his ouster waving  their shoes in contempt and shouted, "Leave, leave, leave." 

The rapidly moving events  in Egypt have now raised the question of whether a rift had opened between Mubarak and the military command. Hours earlier, a council of the military's top generals announced it had stepped in to secure the country, and a senior commander announced to protesters in Tahrir Square that all their demands would soon be met, raising cries of victory that Mubarak was on his way out.

Prominent reform advocate, Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, whose supporters were among the organizers of the 17-day-old wave of protests, issued a Tweet calling on the military to act.
"The army must save the country now," he said. "I call on the Egyptian army to immediately interfere to rescue Egypt. The credibility of the army is on the line." 

As to the US influence in the Middle East and their effectiveness  in dealing with the Egyptian crises. The question the US should probably should pose itself is if they actually have any reliable  intelligence capacity in the Middle East or if they are just winging it?  During the day Leon Panetta, the CIA's director made a statement he believed there was a "strong likelihood" that Egyptian President Mubarak would step down this evening but said he did not have a confirmation he would leave office.

It can be expected that the next 49 hours will be crucial in defining what role if any the Egyptian military will play to topple Mubarack.

EU-Digest

Egyptian reform leader ElBaradei calls for Mubarak to resign - by HAMZA HENDAWI and MAGGIE MICHAEL

Egypt's most prominent democracy advocate took up a bullhorn Sunday and called for President Hosni Mubarak to resign, speaking to thousands of protesters who defied a curfew for a third night. Fighter jets streaked low overhead and police returned to the capital's streets — high-profile displays of authority over a situation spiraling out of control.

Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei's appearance in Tahrir, or Liberation, Square underscored the jockeying for leadership of the mass protest movement that erupted seemingly out of nowhere in the past week to shake the Arab world's most populous nation.

"You are the owners of this revolution. You are the future," ElBaradei told the crowd after nightfall. "Our essential demand is the departure of the regime and the beginning of a new Egypt in which every Egyptian lives in virtue, freedom and dignity."

For more: Egyptian reform leader calls for Mubarak to resign - Yahoo! News

Egyptian uprising: ElBaradei trapped inside a mosque as protesters clash with police after prayers - by SARAH EL DEEB and MAGGIE MICHAEL

Thousands of Egyptian anti-government protesters clashed Friday with police in Cairo, who fired rubber bullets into the crowds and used tear gas and water cannons to disperse them. It was a major escalation in what was already the biggest challenge to President Hosni Mubarak's 30 year-rule.

Police also used water cannons against Egypt's pro-democracy leader ElBaradei and his supporters as they joined the latest wave of protests after noon prayers. Police also used batons to beat some of ElBaradei's supporters, who surrounded him to protect him.

A soaking wet ElBaradei was trapped inside a mosque nearly an hour after him and his supporters were water cannoned. Hundreds of riot police laid siege to the mosque, firing tear gas in the streets surrounding it so no one could leave. The tear gas canisters set several cars ablaze outside the mosque. Several people fainted and suffered

For more: Egypt protesters clash with police after prayers - Yahoo! News