Posted By David Kenner 
Tuesday, February 1, 2011 - 8:11 AM
Tuesday, February 1, 2011 - 8:11 AM 
Top story: Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians flooded the streets of Cairo on Tuesday in a new attempt to end the three decade reign of President Hosni Mubarak. They were encouraged by two political developments: A statement released by the army promising to not use force against the protesters, and a brief, televised statement by Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman announcing his intention to open a dialogue with the opposition forces.
The military continued its efforts to maintain order during the Tuesday protests. Soldiers set up checkpoints outside Tahrir Square, where the protesters gathered, to pat down people for hidden weapons before they entered.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders, buoyed by the massive protests, remained firm with regards to the movement's central demands. Potential presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei told al-Arabiya television that Mubarak had to first leave Egypt before the opposition would open a dialogue with the regime. "I hope to see Egypt peaceful and that's going to require as a first step the departure of President Mubarak," he said.
There were also signs of high-level diplomacy meant to resolve the week-long revolt in Egypt. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Mubarak in a televised address to "satisfy the people's desire for change." Meanwhile, the State Department dispatched Frank Wisner, a former U.S. ambassador to Cairo, to meet with Mubarak and other top official in his regime.
Egypt's economy at a standstill: As foreign tourists left the country and international businesses closed factories, Egypt's economic paralysis presents another challenge to Mubarak's regime.
The military continued its efforts to maintain order during the Tuesday protests. Soldiers set up checkpoints outside Tahrir Square, where the protesters gathered, to pat down people for hidden weapons before they entered.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders, buoyed by the massive protests, remained firm with regards to the movement's central demands. Potential presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei told al-Arabiya television that Mubarak had to first leave Egypt before the opposition would open a dialogue with the regime. "I hope to see Egypt peaceful and that's going to require as a first step the departure of President Mubarak," he said.
There were also signs of high-level diplomacy meant to resolve the week-long revolt in Egypt. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Mubarak in a televised address to "satisfy the people's desire for change." Meanwhile, the State Department dispatched Frank Wisner, a former U.S. ambassador to Cairo, to meet with Mubarak and other top official in his regime.
Egypt's economy at a standstill: As foreign tourists left the country and international businesses closed factories, Egypt's economic paralysis presents another challenge to Mubarak's regime.
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