Dubai: On the sixth day of massive protests against the regime, the US on Sunday called for the first time for an "orderly transition to democracy" in Egypt, as the Egyptian opposition said it had authorised Nobel laureate Mohammad Al Baradei to "form a transitional government."
"I want the Egyptian people to have a chance to chart a new future," US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Sunday. Her comments came as Egyptians took to the streets in the thousands, following an attempt by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Saturday to make concessions by appointing Intelligence Chief Omar Sulaiman as Vice- President.
Change in position
The move seemed to do nothing but further anger the protesters who saw it as a stalling tactic. "It's not a question of who retains power. ... It's how are we going to respond to the legitimate needs and grievances expressed by the Egyptian people and chart a new path," Clinton said in an apparent change of American position, which has been careful not to criticise Mubarak in the first few days of the massive popular protests.
The US has been struggling between supporting a long time ally and promoting democracy in Egypt.
Meanwhile, a coalition of opposition groups including the Muslim Brotherhood issued a statement asking Al Baradei to form a transitional government. "If the Egyptian people want me to serve as a bridge from an authoritarian system into democracy, I will not let them down," Al Baradei said adding that Mubarak would have to leave the country "within days".
More than 10 people were killed in fresh clashes putting the current death toll at just over 150 according to various media reports. Cairo airport was flooded with tourists trying to flee the country.
Egyptian authorities also banned Al Jazeera television operations, prompting a sharp rebuke from the Qatar-based channel. "Al Jazeera sees this as an act designed to stifle and repress the freedom of reporting by the network and its journalists," an official statement from the channel read.
