Hosni Mubarak Again Refuses to Step Down

Protesters are newly enraged, despite his transfer of more power to VP
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 10, 2011 3:22 PM CST
Hosni Mubarak Again Refuses to Step Down
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in a Feb. 8 file photo.   (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)

Egypt's Hosni Mubarak defied expectations today and again refused to resign as president. His televised address instantly turned the mood of the expectant throngs in Tahrir Square from jubilant to incensed, and violence is expected through the night and into tomorrow. Protesters are expected to try to march on the presidential palace for the first time. Mubarak did transfer more authority to VP Omar Suleiman, but the concession did nothing to appease demonstrators, reports the New York Times.

Mubarak said he would "shoulder my responsibilities" to the nation and ensure a safe handoff of power in the September elections. “We will not accept or listen to any foreign interventions or dictations,” he said. Mubarak also maintained that the unrest "was not against my personality, against Hosni Mubarak" and vowed not to leave Egyptian soil until he was "buried under it," reports al-Jazeera.
(More Hosni Mubarak stories.)

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