Egyptian foreign minister sounds defiant note as protests continue
Top story: Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit warned that the immediate resignation of Hosni Mubarak would bring "chaos" to Egypt, and criticized the Obama administration for calling for a faster transition to democracy in the country. His remarks, coupled with recent statements issued by Vice President Omar Suleiman, suggest that the Egyptian regime remains defiant in the face of the anti-government protesters that still occupy Cairo's Tahrir Square.
Aboul Gheit said that the government refused to lift the emergency law, as the Obama administration has demanded, while the country was still unstable. "We have 17,000 prisoners loose in the streets out of jails that have been destroyed," he said to justify the decision.
The government's hardening stance comes as labor strikes and protests have placed increasing pressure on the Mubarak regime. The state owned al-Ahram newspaper, which has witnessed demonstrations by employees calling for more editorial freedom, published a front page article on Wednesday that described attacks by pro-Mubarak groups as an "offense to the whole nation."
Workers have also launched strikes across Egypt, seemingly energized by the anti-Mubarak demonstrations. Most significantly, around 6,000 workers staged a sit-in at the Suez Canal Authority, a vital economic conduit for Egypt and the international trade system.
Iran hardliners nix Egypt protest: Iran's chief prosecutor criticized a request by opposition leaders to hold a demonstration in solidarity with the Egypt protesters, suggesting that their request will be rejected.
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-David KennerChip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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