Mubarak Leaves Cairo (for his summer home) as Military Asserts Control

UPDATE:  (9:14 cst) While watching CNN, the reporter on the ground in Cairo made the statement that the people (thugs) who were causing all the violence with beatings, injuries and stirring up the protestors  have disappeared into the streets of Cairo and have not been part of this week's demonstrations which have been very peaceful.  The tanks by the military have turned their gun turrents away from the people to shouts of joy.  This is a very relaxed demonstration including demonstrators picking up trash -- totally non-violent. 

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Will this be enough to satisfy the protestors after Mubarack's strange speech last night?  Only time will tell but hopefully with the military assuming most of the power, it will be.  We have to wait for confirmation and hope this time the media got it right as opposed to yesterday where their reports led to CIA Director Panetta saying he was leaving the Country during a hearing.  Let's hope for better results today. 

Egyptian state television is saying there will be an important statement from the President of Egypt shortly.  CNN is waiting for the statement.  We will update as soon as the statement is released. 

According to Fox News:

Thousands of enraged protesters gather in Cairo's Tahrir Square as President Hosni Mubarak leaves for his summer residence in Sharm el-Sheikh, according to Israeli military sources.

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Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Fri, February 11, 2011 -- 8:57 AM ET
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Mubarak Leaves Cairo as Military Asserts Control
The Egyptian military appeared to assert its leadership
Friday amid growing indications that President Hosni Mubarak
was yielding all power. A Western diplomat said that Mr.
Mubarak had left the capital.

As protesters were swarming into the streets Friday morning
for what was expected to be the biggest and most volatile
demonstrations in the three-week revolt here, the Supreme
Council of the Egyptian Armed Forces issued a statement over
state television and radio indicating that the military, not
Mr. Mubarak, was in effective control of the country. It was
unclear whether the military would take meaningful steps
toward democracy or begin a military dictatorship.

Western diplomats said that officials of the Egyptian
government were scrambling to assure that a muddled speech
Mr. Mubarak made on Thursday night that enraged protesters
had in fact signaled his irrevocable handover of presidential
authority.

Read More:  New York Times