THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2011
THE WEST, ISLAM AND SHARIA
Saudi Arabia has threatened to prop up President Mubarak if the White House tries to force a swift change of regime in Egypt.
In a testy personal telephone call on January 29, King Abdullah told President Obama not to humiliate Mr Mubarak and warned that he would step in to bankroll Egypt if the US withdrew its aid programme, worth $1.5 billion annually.
America’s closest ally in the Gulf made clear that the Egyptian President must be allowed to stay on to oversee the transition towards peaceful democracy and then leave with dignity.
“Mubarak and King Abdullah are not just allies, they are close friends, and the King is not about to see his friend cast aside and humiliated,” a senior source in the Saudi capital told The Times.
[...]
Note:
See the following "breaking news:
Strong signs that Egypt's Hosni Mubarak will step down tonight
NBC and Al Jazeera are reporting, citing unnamed sources, that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is stepping down tonight.
Anti-government protesters celebrate as a senior army soldier addresses the crowd inside Tahrir Square in Cairo Thursday. New reports say that embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak might step down tonight.
Dylan Martinez/Reuters
