Tomorrow is Friday, the Muslim day of prayer and the day we are most likely to see collective expressions of outrage. Obviously, the tone and content of sermons will bear close watching, and will play a major role in setting the tone for how the aftermath of today’s massive buildup and anticlimax will proceed.
ElBaradei also said “the army must save the country now,” but for Mubarak to end the day with such a massive “one-finger salute” to the opposition — allowing expectations to build all day over a late-night presidential address and then utterly defying them — suggests he is confident (for the moment) in whatever arrangement he has made with the upper levels of the military to continue supporting him.
One thing is certain. The Muslim Brotherhood is waiting and watching for its moment. “Mohamed ElBaradei: ‘Egypt will explode’,” from CNN, February 10:
Cairo, Egypt (CNN) — Major Egyptian opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei warned of potential violent unrest after President Hosni Mubarak announced late Thursday he would not step down before September elections.
Mubarak “is gambling with his country” in order to stay at the helm, ElBaradei told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.
He reiterated the message of his Twitter account, which read, “Egypt will explode. Army must save the country now.”
Major clashes between the people and the army, which Egyptians traditionally believe has been on their side, would be devastating, said ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and former director of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
ElBaradei’s outlook had changed since hours before, when Egyptians, including thousands packed in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, expected Mubarak to step down rather than delegate powers to Vice President Omar Suleiman.
The arrangement failed to mollify opposition leaders or those who have rallied in Tahrir Square for more than two weeks. Another mass protest is planned again Friday after prayer services….