United States Tells Mubarak to Step Down | Teen Ink

United States Tells Mubarak to Step Down

February 14, 2011
By Huzefa D SILVER, Roslyn Heights, New York
Huzefa D SILVER, Roslyn Heights, New York
6 articles 0 photos 0 comments

On Friday, a day known as the Day of Anger in Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak received a phone call. Already stressed, the news he was about to receive would only make the stress worse. He received a phone call from US President Barack Obama. After watching the protest, the United States took action, and told Mubarak, his time was up. The president ordered a peaceful transition of government in Egypt, implying that Mubarak should step down from power, to avoid further violence. Now Mubarak has lost his greatest supporter, the one that put him in power in the first place.

Jake Tapper, ABC News Senior White House Correspondent, said that the President outlined a plan for how President Hosni Mubarak can possibly make amends. First, President Mubarak must open up conversations with other political parties and human rights organizations. Next, he must open up the media, including access to the internet, and reopening Al-Jazeera. And lastly, would be to repeal the 1967 Emergency Law. This law had allowed Mubarak to limit personal freedoms and took away the powers of the Egyptian Judicial branch.

Although the United States, and more specifically President Obama, was not trying to force Mubarak out of office just yet, many politicians did call Mubarak out. Arizona Senator John McCain told Mubarak, “It’s time to go.”

Mubarak, however, is not to thrilled about US advice. Like others, he believed the United States had backstabbed him, for he had been one of the United States’ greatest allies. He realized that the message sent by America, was indeed, to step down after three decades of power.

Mubarak told Christiane Amanpour, a reporter for ABC News, that “if I resign today there will be chaos.” He said that he would like to step down, but he cannot. He feels that it is his job as President to care for all of Egypt. In an interview with Reuters, he says that “My first responsibility now is to restore the security and stability of the nation to achieve a peaceful transition.” Vice President Omar Suleiman says “To step down would be a call to chaos.” That is why Mubarak has stated he will not run for re-election in September.
However many anti-government protesters wish that he step down now. In an interview with Bloomberg BusinessWeek, unknown protester says his presidency “did not live up to the people’s demands.”

And their wishes would come true. On Friday the 11th, President Hosni Mubarak formally resigned. Mubarak is now in the resort town of Sharm El Sheikh. The High Council of Armed Forces is now in charge of the Egyptian government.



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This article has 1 comment.


on Feb. 20 2011 at 2:08 am
Treefiddy BRONZE, Tarzana, California
1 article 0 photos 158 comments

I tend to be a pessimest in regards to the humanistic elements of mankind. My guess is that Egypt in about two years time will be known as the "I.slamic Republic of Egypt". I just hope to God that this isn't going to be another Iranian Revolution. Just because they lived under a dictatorship before doesn't mean that it can't or won't manifest itself into somemore more ruthless and oppressive.

Despite all the rhetoric that this is a "democracy movement", if the M.uslim Brotherhood organizes a candidate to become the next Egyptian President, there is going to be a serious problem.