(Newser)
–
The sudden ouster of Hosni Mubarak has Egypt celebrating in the streets—and in interviews, and on Twitter. The Global Post rounds up some of the best reactions. From Egypt:
- Mohamed ElBaradei: “This is the greatest day of my life. The country has been liberated,” he told the BBC. “It's a joy, exhilaration, total emancipation for 85 million people. For the first time Egypt has been liberated and has put its feet on the right track.”
- The Muslim Brotherhood: The banned group told the AFP that it thanked the army "which kept its promises." In an interview with MSNBC, ex-leader Mohamed el-Katatni called it "a day of victory for the Egyptian people."
- Wael Ghonim: “The real hero is the young Egyptians in Tahrir square and the rest of Egypt,” tweeted the opposition figure. He then called on "well-educated Egyptians around the world" to "Come back ASAP to build our nation."
- Ayman Nour: “The heart of Egypt beats again,” Nour, another opposition figure, told al-Jazeera.
The rest of the world, meanwhile, reacted thusly:
- Joe Biden: “This is a pivotal moment in history... the transition that's taking place must be an irreversible change." (President Obama speaks later.)
- Nancy Pelosi: Via Twitter: “Young people leading Egypt towards democracy—their energy changed Egypt, their actions are an inspiration to the world.”
- David Cameron: Told the BBC this was "a really precious moment of opportunity ... we stand ready to help in any way we can."
- Angela Merkel: "We are all witness to an historic change," she said according to the BBC. "I share the joy of the people of Egypt."
- Iran: The government hailed the resignation as a “great victory."
