As the “Day of Departure” dawns in Cairo, many thousands are gathering in Tahrir Square, and the crowd swells by the minute. Rumors of secret negotiations behind the scenes, with various factions of the opposition trying to make a deal with Mubarak regime, amid news of a split in the Egyptian government, swirl around the Square. Excitement and a certain amount of fear pervade the air: excitement that this could be it, the tipping point that drives the dictator into exile, and fear that yesterday’s violence will return with a vengeance.
UPDATE: Ya Libnan reports:
“On Friday morning Secretary-General of the Arab League Amr Moussa was reported to be with protesters demanding the resignation of president Hosni Mubarak at Cairo’s Tahrir Square.”
From a BBC profile:
“The Arab League’s secretary-general may not be popular with Israel or the US, but Egyptians like him so much they literally sing his praises.
“Egypt’s former Foreign Minister Amr Moussa was appointed to the top position in May of [2001].
“Shortly before that, Egyptian crooner Shaaban Abdel Rahim released a hit song with the lyrics ‘I hate Israel and I love Amr Moussa.’Â “The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs – produced by former US diplomats – described him as ‘no ordinary Egyptian Government official.’ It notes that he has frequently been cited as the civilian figure Egyptians would elect as president if they had a real choice.
“Time magazine described the 65-year-old as ‘perhaps the most adored public servant in the Arab world.'”
And it looks like he’s running for office ….