After Mubarak's Thursday-night address Egyptian military leaders, anticipating the anger of the protesters, told Mubarak that if he did not step down voluntarily the army would force him out.
HAARETZBy Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel
The Egyptian media were celebrating yesterday after it was announced Friday night that President Hosni Mubarak was stepping down, after what appears to have been a quiet military coup. For the first time in decades, newspapers came out uncensored. The headlines, befitting the day after the fall of a dictator who ruled for 30 years, were dramatic: "The people are victorious" (Al Shorouk ); "The people brought down the regime" (Al-Ahram ); "The January 25 revolution was victorious" (Al Gomhuria ).
On Thursday night Mubarak announced he was transfering his powers to Vice President Omar Suleiman but would not resign. Senior U.S. and Egyptian officials yesterday said that was the turning point for the army. According to sources in Washington, agreement was reached in the middle of last week that the army would take over, but not on whether Mubarak would step down or merely cede his authority.
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