After gently nudging steadfast ally Hosni Mubarak out of power, US President Barack Obama rolled out the road map for the military, which is now in charge in Egypt: amend constitution, lift emergency and begin poll process.
The military "will now have to ensure a transition that is credible in the eyes of the Egyptian people", Obama said in an address within hours of the announcement of Mubarak's exit in Egypt. A theory going around in Washington of the events on Thursday goes like this: In a series of scenes scripted by the military Mubarak was to announce he was transferring all his powers to Suleiman.
But it didn't quite happen that way. Though Suleiman did come out to say he has been transferred all the presidential powers, but Mubarak declined to say he was stepping down.
The next morning, on Friday, a furious military had Suleiman make a one-line statement that Mubarak was stepping down. After that, Obama compared the development to "Germans tearing down a wall, Indonesian students taking to the streets, Gandhi leading his people down the path of justice".
It is the military's responsibility to ensure this change is irreversible, he said.
{{/usCountry}}It is the military's responsibility to ensure this change is irreversible, he said.
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