Egypt: A “fluid” situation; Obama filibusters; DNI James Clapper calls Muslim Brotherhood “largely secular;” Mubarak’s not going anywhere

By Michelle Malkin  •  February 10, 2011 11:58 AM


Screen grab of crowd at Tahrir square


Straight to voice mail: Hello? Can someone tell me what’s going on? Hello?

Twitter is hoot this past hour, with BIG-CAPITAL-LETTER BREAKING NEWS flying about Hosni Mubarak possibly stepping down. Or maybe not. Or maybe so.

CIA director Leon Panetta leaped forward to proclaim a “strong likelihood” that Mubarak would be out today.

And then, a CIA spokesman quickly retracted the statement because Panetta was basing his assessment on cable news reports — not independent US intel.

And now, Panetta’s office assures us they are “monitoring the situation.”

From White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, we learn that it’s a “fluid situation.”

I’ll let you decide what kind of fluid.

***

Sky News says Mubarak is expected to address the nation at approx. 6:30pm GMT.

Via Allahpundit:

Given that the crowds in Tahrir Square have grown since Ghonim’s release a few days ago, it stands to reason that tomorrow’s monster protest would have finally forced some sort of bloody confrontation between Suleiman/the army and the demonstrators. Suleiman, under U.S. pressure not to use violence, probably figured that the only way to avert that was to present Mubarak’s scalp to the people, hoping that that would placate them enough to take the edge off tomorrow and finally restore some normalcy. (The BBC’s correspondent thinks demonstrators will indeed see it as a great triumph.) The regime blinked, in other words — but probably only because the White House has guaranteed Suleiman its support in a “soft coup” but not a hard, violent one. And what choice does Obama have, really? If he doesn’t prop up the military regime, the Saudis will.

Mubarak’s set to speak at any moment; if he really was forced out, I’m not sure why he’d bless his overthrow by agreeing to a televised farewell address — unless, of course, there are troops standing behind the camera with their fingers on the trigger. Stand by for updates.

***

Update: 1:39pm Eastern Obama makes brief remarks at a Michigan campaign stop. Yes, he’s always campaigning.

“What is absolutely clear is that we are witnessing history unfold.”

Just asking: When are we not “witnessing history?”

***

BOHICA. The Muslim Brotherhood reinvention is here:

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told House lawmakers that the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is “largely secular” and has rejected violence and decried al-Qaida as a perversion of Islam, NJ’s Chris Strohm reports.

Let the Clapperisms begin:

Obama’s intelligence team? Largely intelligent.

Andrew McCarthy weighs in: “There’s willful blindness, and then there’s willful stupidity.”

Vid here.

***

Update: After rumors flying high all day that Mubarak was leaving, he finally addressed Egypt at around 3:50pm ET to let them know…he’s not really going anywhere. He reiterated his promise to hold free and fair elections in September, and added a special kick in President Obama’s pants…

“I will never listen to foreign interventions or dictations.”

***

Not everyone believed the Western media-driven rumor mill today: See Kirsten Powers.

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Posted in: Islam,Politics

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Comments


  1. #101
    On February 10th, 2011 at 5:14 pm, Hangfire said:

    At one time or another, Greece, Italy, France, and the Turks have been responsible for Egypt. Let THEM fix the problem.

  2. #102
    On February 10th, 2011 at 5:15 pm, Hangfire said:

    Reagan would sell arms to Nubian Contras!

  3. #103
    On February 10th, 2011 at 5:35 pm, 24Klady said:

    Prez. Obama, what does one do with your azz that’s just been handed back to you by a 3rd world dictator? You jumped the shark this morning so as to get it on record that Mubarak was going to follow your orders (even though his own speech was hours off – boy were you puffed up with pride and a snarky grin), lecturing to our own young people about how the young people of Egypt and their resistance was going to work out because they rioted – everything you’ve said the past few days has been wrong. That’ll teach you to listen to Clappy for your intelligence briefings. Amateur night.

  4. #104
    On February 10th, 2011 at 5:46 pm, flmom said:

    24Klady

    That’s exactly how I see it. The myth that GW was the impetus for the hate for the US by the Muslims, is about to be shattered.

  5. #105
    On February 10th, 2011 at 5:51 pm, KCK said:

    Obama, Clapper and Panetta. Can we get a break, here? This is your national leadership. America. Complete fail.

  6. #106
    On February 10th, 2011 at 5:57 pm, AlohaGuy said:

    and added a special kick in President Obama’s pants…

    “I will never listen to foreign interventions or dictations.”

    A guess..Obama tells him to leave…Saudia Arabia calls Obama and reminds him that his place is prostrate…Obama gets his water carriers in the media to announce that Mubarak is leaving, hoping the lie will force him out but the King of Saudi Arabia will still let him visit Mecca…Mubarak laughs, tells everyone he’s staying…Obama gets so mad he eats Wagyu beef and smokes a cigarette…

  7. #107
    On February 10th, 2011 at 6:06 pm, flmom said:

    Alohaguy

    That’s what you get for bowing. I’m a dog lover, and I’ve observed when an alpha dog comes up against a beta dog, the beta dog knows to lower their body in deference to the alpha dog. This is what Obama did when he bowed to the Saudi king.

  8. #108
    On February 10th, 2011 at 6:09 pm, right_on said:

    Can we please now start drilling for our own oil in the U.S.A., or must we wait until the Sewer-ez Canal is blockaded, and the Middle East is on fire in the midst of a maelstrom?

    And, while we’re at it, can we please stop shipping our natural gas to foreign countries?

    To quote the President;

    “If not now, when?”

  9. #109
    On February 10th, 2011 at 6:18 pm, cheapseat said:

    Yo Obama, Butt out of Egypt’s problems and start worrying about America’s problems. If the media paid half as much attention to last years tea party meetings and gatherings on the Washington mall as they are over in Egypt, and had half as much empathy with our citizens as they do with the rabble in the square, perhaps we wouldn’t be on the brink of our own revolt.

  10. #110
    On February 10th, 2011 at 6:32 pm, Regulus said:

    “I will never listen to foreign interventions or dictations.”

    Now, if we could only get the current occupant of the White House to grow a similar spine…

  11. #111
    On February 10th, 2011 at 6:43 pm, love2rumba said:

    The irony of this situation that it will probably be recorded that the Saudis, who do NOT want a Muslim Brotherhood/Shiite headlock on their power in the middle east, will be the ones who saved our bacon-not President Smart Power.

  12. #112
    On February 10th, 2011 at 7:17 pm, ArizonaNeanderthal said:

    Saudi Arabia? They do not want to be overthrown by radicals but they fund terrorist and such all over the world.

  13. #113
    On February 10th, 2011 at 7:36 pm, Virginia Patriot said:

    On February 10th, 2011 at 7:17 pm, ArizonaNeanderthal said:
    Saudi Arabia? They do not want to be overthrown by radicals but they fund terrorist and such all over the world.

    As long as it’s not in their neighborhood. They like the stability of tyranny.

  14. #114
    On February 10th, 2011 at 7:52 pm, Ron said:

    Ok, Clapper is either an idiot or a liar.

    But has anybody seen VP Biden lately? I understand he’s being held in the basement of the White House with duct tape over his mouth. True?

  15. #115
    On February 10th, 2011 at 7:54 pm, love2rumba said:

    Saudi Arabia? They do not want to be overthrown by radicals but they fund terrorist and such all over the world.

    Very true, Arizona Neanderthal. This is why it so ironic.

  16. #116
    On February 10th, 2011 at 7:56 pm, AlohaGuy said:

    Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told House lawmakers that the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is

    …largely Methodist and is busy building a Zen rock garden in lower Manhattan. Then he took a nap.

  17. #117
    On February 10th, 2011 at 8:17 pm, in_awe said:

    On February 10th, 2011 at 6:32 pm, Regulus said:

    “I will never listen to foreign interventions or dictations.”
    ======================================
    Now, if we could only get the current occupant of the White House to grow a similar spine…

    Actually, Obama and his minions have been following a modified version of this:

    “I will never listen to foreignvoters’ interventions or dictations.”

  18. #118
    On February 10th, 2011 at 8:52 pm, Rogue Cheddar said:

    Obowmao the Scorpion King will fix this, all you disbelievers, just you wait and see!

  19. #119
    On February 10th, 2011 at 9:39 pm, granite said:

    On February 10th, 2011 at 5:51 pm, KCK said:

    ObamaMo, ClapperCurly and PanettaLarry. Can we get a break, here? This is your national leadership. America. Complete fail.

  20. #120
    On February 10th, 2011 at 10:00 pm, Republicanvet said:

    And then, a CIA spokesman quickly retracted the statement because Panetta was basing his assessment on cable news reports — not independent US intel.

    Are members of Oblahblah’s administration competing with each other for who the most incompetent is?

    I remember Clinton’s administration and he had a few over his terms, but sheesh this entire crew takes it to a whole new level.

    …and if they aren’t incompetent, they’re crooks!

  21. #121
    On February 10th, 2011 at 10:00 pm, Virginia Patriot said:

    Joe Biden would obviously be Joe, who would Shemp be?

  22. #122
    On February 10th, 2011 at 10:01 pm, prendad said:

    Ah hello, is this Leader-For-Rent? Ah yeah, we need one really top-notch leader to finish out a presidency please, well versed in economic stabilization, immigration problem-solving, domestic and international decision making, budget balancing, well, everything a president does.
    Will you take trade-ins? Yes? Ok, we have a really great guy who takes credit for everybody else’s work, gives great speeches, and is a top-notch community organizer, and who runs down aircraft ladders fearlessly without touching the handrails. Can we get any credit for all of that?
    No?

  23. #123
    On February 10th, 2011 at 10:02 pm, Rogue Cheddar said:

    On February 10th, 2011 at 10:00 pm, Virginia Patriot said:
    Joe Biden would obviously be Joe, who would Shemp be?

    Napolitano.

  24. #124
    On February 10th, 2011 at 10:31 pm, frontierguy said:

    America looks so weak and unorganized right now. Iran must be thinking that the United States is headed by a bigger dope than the useful idiot Carter and if it is not just pure stupidity on the leadership’s part, then they are more than happy to hand us Egypt.

    If they are stupid enough to believe the Muslim Brotherhood is really just a good deed organization like the boy scouts, then they surely will believe anything we spoon feed them. Just in case the American people actually wake up, we have 2 years left to oversee the destruction of the great satan. That about sums it up, I feel so safe. Geesh!

  25. #125
    On February 10th, 2011 at 10:33 pm, frontierguy said:

    “more than happy to purposefully hand us Egypt”.

    That sounds better.

  26. #126
    On February 10th, 2011 at 11:32 pm, Flyoverman said:

    Watching the media attempt to provide cover and spin for this regime of incompetent idiots if truly something to behold.

  27. #127
    On February 11th, 2011 at 1:43 am, love2rumba said:

    If they are stupid enough to believe the Muslim Brotherhood is really just a good deed organization like the boy scouts, then they surely will believe anything we spoon feed them.

    The problem is that they’d be WAY HARDER on the Boy Scouts than they ever would be on the Muslim Brotherhood (for alleged threats).

  28. #128
    On February 11th, 2011 at 3:09 am, Alan K. Henderson said:

    Is there any prominent voice in Egypt that opposes both the incumbent democracy-in-name-only tyrant and the Muslim Brotherhood totalitarians?

    Have any Islamic leaders (in Egypt or elsewhere) figured out the dangers inherent in state religion – that the state will inevitably spin the religion for its own purposes, the way judicial activists have taken a machete to the United States constitution? The church is always the junior partner in such an arrangement. If the church tries to throw around too much weight…well, look what happened to Thomas Becket.

  29. #129
    On February 11th, 2011 at 8:21 am, cabrerski said:

    Let’s see…
    In the eyes of our President and the media, all it takes to change a government is to have tens of thousands of unhappy people protesting in the streets.
    Hmmmmmmmm…..

  30. #130
    On February 11th, 2011 at 9:11 am, Lindsay said:

    Message from Dear Leader: Let me be clear, this is a fluid situation. Lighter fluid, windshield wiper fluid, silly goo…whatever.It is not like tea leaves, folks, they can’t read it yet in the WH (where the wind is blowing with the radical Muslim ‘hood). The wee-wee has to be toned down a notch: that fluid we know. Chill.

  31. #131
    On February 11th, 2011 at 9:44 am, TigerLady said:

    Obowmoa is finding out how hard it is for POTUS to vote “present”.

  32. #132
    On February 11th, 2011 at 9:45 am, Rogue Cheddar said:

    I imagine Israel is girding it’s loins!

  33. #133
    On February 11th, 2011 at 10:11 am, ITookTheRedPill said:

    Muslim Brotherhood “largely secular”

    Yeah, and Barack Hussein Obama is “largely Christian”.

  34. #134
    On February 11th, 2011 at 10:44 am, spaceycakes said:

    Rogue Cheddar said:
    I imagine Israel is girding it’s loins!

    since 1948!

  35. #135
    On February 11th, 2011 at 12:50 pm, oldcollegeguy1980 said:

    Tomorrows headline

    “Mubarak Exits –

    Muslim Brotherhood crowns

    “BARACK THE FIRST”

    as Pharoah”

    ….. “Peace be upon him”…..

    Welcome to the brsve new world

  36. #136
    On February 11th, 2011 at 1:02 pm, ITookTheRedPill said:

    On February 11th, 2011 at 12:50 pm, oldcollegeguy1980 said:

    Tomorrows headline

    “Mubarak Exits –

    Muslim Brotherhood crowns

    “BARACK THE FIRST”

    as Pharoah”

    Not a laughing matter.

    Muslim Brotherhood’s Goals Uncovered: Global Islamic Conquest & Caliphate

    —–
    Posted by Pamela Geller on Friday, September 03, 2010 at 01:28 PM

    Muslim Ideological Council:
    Obama should be named “Caliph of Muslims” “Mullah Barack Hussain Obama” “Allama Obama”

    —-

    Many people don’t know that don’t know that Barack Hussein Obama took Shahada. By doing so, he told the Muslim Brotherhood that he is one of them.

  37. #137
    On February 11th, 2011 at 1:45 pm, Rogue Cheddar said:

    Headline: Egypt takes a dump, situation no longer fluid!

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