Page 5 - Michael Sing News Today

Middle east, when they look at this, they see change happening in the country, not because of a crew or some external force but they see change happening because of people on the streets and for the middle east and frankly, the same thing happened in tunisia, which inspired this, maybe, for people in the middle east, this is sort of a brand new thing for them and i think it will prove very inspirational to people there, in the the same way that the berlin wall was inspirational to people in euro...

A democracy of people being elected to positions by the people themselves. >> well, to step down and transfer power to the military means theyre not operating now under the constitution in egypt. -- in egypt. so the question is how long will this transitional period when the military is dominant last, what will follow it and what will the transition look like, whos going to be writing the new constitution, what voice will the opposition have. so i think now the united states is going to be press...

The barriers are set up by signs. we saw the mubarak supporters rush forward and rush forward and taking an extra 200 yards. then the barricades set on fire and they retreat back. all the while, they have occupied the high buildings and dropping boxes on fire on top of them. its primitive in a way and almost like they are dropping lead off of a castle. they are fighting for territory meter by meter in tahrir square. >> we can hear the sirens in the background there. thank you, richard, for that....

Which has lasted, so far, for 30 years. >> michael, when with you see the kind of chaos unfolding there. i was just talking to richard engel about mubarak going on television last night saying he doesnt intend to run for another term but he is not going to step down immediately. he says we have to have stability here. you have a choice between stability and chaos. the people on the ground are complaining to reporters, yeah, he is the one creating the chaos and gives him cover to stay in office a...

Him to step aside and someone else in his cabinet to take over w with regard to an orderly transition for free and fair elections. this is a leader whose international support is declining, i think, very rapidly and by using these tactics of violence against protesters on the streets, he is really, i think, dig is his own political grave. >> its interesting, though, it may be he loses some international support for doing so, but at this point, it looks like the tactic is working. it has disburse...

Director of middle east affairs. michael, it seems like a difficult choice for these anti-government demonstrators. they can seek refuge and safety but if they disperse, it seems like you give up the momentum youve earned by being out there in protest. >> thats right. i think what youre seeing now is terrible and is the outcome that the united states feared most, which is violence in the streets of cairo and will really implicate the situation. obviously, these protesters were not satisfied with...

Mcenroe?! mcenroe?! mcenroe?! i thought you retired? this isnt the end! ♪ sprb grappling with the biggest foreign policy crisis to his presidency, 3re7ing for the loss of a key arab ally in 3rd mubarak bracing for a possible domino effect. david sanger is chief washington correspondent and michael sing served as director of international favors and currently with the washington institute. how do you assess the way hes managed it so far? >> youre scrambling for information, trying to figure o...

He seems to be talking about baby steps towards organizing something that would be a broader base than just the muslim brotherhood or this leadershipless protest on the streets. >> i think he recognizes as you say leaderless does not work. hes been live ing in vienna. so the question is could he get people to settle on him as the negotiator and it looks like hes making some progress. but it takes two to tank go and it wou at the moment the president does deal with him, i suspect thats the beginn...

So on the one hand, they all recognize as michael just said that this is end game for mubarak. they dont know if thats a matter of day, weeks or month, but clearly its the end. so you then the question is if you throw him under the bus too quickly, you lose all your leverage in dealing with him. >> and you scare your other allies. >> to say nothing of maybe the markets and maybe prompt similar protests in other parts of the world where people think that president obama might also walk away from ...

Manufacturing by a french company. the french company denies it. all this as the u is is presses china and other u.n. security council members to impose new sanctions on the iranian government. >> the iranian president vowing to move forward with his countrys nuclear program. in a speech today mahmoud ahmadinejad saying new sanctions would only strengthen the country making it more self-sufficient. what can the west do to deep tehran from developing a nuclear weapon? joining us michael sing. it�...