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CNN Saturday Morning News

Revolution in Egypt: Profile of Mohammed Hussein Tantawi; Some Egyptians Trust Their Army, Others Have Some Doubt; Hamas Declares Mubarak's Departure 'Victory for Palestinian People'; Israel Remains Mum on Mubarak's Departure; Anti-Mubarak Demonstrators Celebrate in London; U.S. and World Waits to See Next Step in Leadership in Egypt

Aired February 12, 2011 - 07:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: The winds of change have blown in new direction of Egypt, sweeping out longtime leader Hosni Mubarak in his place. New hope for Egypt's future.

JONATHAN MANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: But the road ahead may be bumpy. The leaders of the revolution aren't actually in charge. Instead, it's the old guard, literally, the Egyptian military. They are the focus for the rest of the world. All of us wondering, what's next?

KAYE: From the CNN Center, this is CNN. It is February 12th. I'm Randi Kaye.

MANN: And I'm Jonathan Mann. We'd like to welcome our viewers in United States and around the world to our continuing coverage of "Revolution in Egypt."

KAYE: Historic change happening right now in Egypt. In fact, the protesters are still celebrating. And we are waiting to get a special statement from Egypt's military. We will, of course, bring that to you as soon as we can.

But, first, let's get you caught up on what's happening. There are still tanks and troops in Cairo's main square, but, of course, a very different mood. People are now gathering again to celebrate victory and, of course, to clean up a little bit. MANN: Have a look at the scene just last night, though, elation and celebration. You can imagine why. Thousands crowding into Tahrir Square yet again, but this time to cheer the end of the Mubarak regime, waving flags, honking horns, throwing their hands in the air.

President Mubarak himself, well, out of office. No longer president. And not out of Egypt, either. He is now in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. But his possible fallback plan may be falling flat.

The Swiss government in particular is moving to freeze any assets in Swiss banks that may belong to Mubarak or his family. And once again a reminder, his successors, the Egyptian military, is expected to issue some kind of statement any moment now.

KAYE: The last act of President Mubarak was to put military in charge of Egypt's future. So, who is leading Egypt right now?

His name is Mohammed Hussein Tantawi. That's him on the right meeting with U.S. Joint Chiefs chairman, Admiral Mike Mullen. He heads the country's military council as defense minister and commander in chief of the armed forces. It's a post that he has held for two decades.

During the protest, he was also appointed deputy prime minister. He was the first member of the government to visit Tahrir Square where he encouraged protesters to go home.

MANN: The military presence is still there on the streets of Cairo, in Tahrir Square in particular. But, now, people are looking at the military with hope, not fear.

CNN's Frederik Pleitgen has been watching the scene in Tahrir Square and joins us.

Fred, what's going on?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, hope is exactly the right word, Jonathan. And I'm seeing a lot of protesters down there, I guess, revolutionaries, you must call them on this day now. They are milling around with the military. They're patting the military on the back. They're giving food to the soldiers.

It is really a very cheerful scene. If we look at it right now, you can see that the square is just getting more and more packed. And you keep checking in with me every half hour. And every half hour, it seems as though that crowd down there has increased by several thousands, and we're still seeing many, many people go to that square -- of course, now, in celebration of what happened here last night when Hosni Mubarak stepped down. And you just could hear a cheer erupt over that square.

Now, this morning, I was able to speak to a couple of people on what their hopes now, what their expectations are now. And here's what they had to tell me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We left our work, our studies, our homes and we stay here. For one position: Mubarak to get down, to go away. Finally, he makes the decision yesterday and left. We are so happy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We trust our army, yes. I know this is a foreign concept for you guys, but we trust our army.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PLEITGEN: A foreign concept, indeed to many people for many nations. However, here, it is indeed the case that many people who've been speaking to are very happy with the fact that the military has taken over here. It is, of course, a very trusted institution. Very unlike the police force which, of course, vanished from the streets here about two weeks ago, Jonathan.

However, there are some people who told me that they were quite nervous about the situation. They're saying that they have still be -- that there are still demands that have not been met yet. And they say they're keeping a very close eye on the situation to ensure that indeed the military will install civilian leadership as fast as possible, Jonathan.

MANN: I'm just curious about whether you notice any change literally on the ground with the military. The tanks are still in the square. I guess, the soldiers are still around. Does it feel like suddenly Liberation Square has been liberated?

PLEITGEN: Well, I mean, Liberation Square was always considered by the people who are occupying it as sort of a liberated zone. There are people who are calling it the free republic of Tahrir Square, of Liberation Square. The mood has become more cheerful, of course, overnight as that announcement came.

And I think that the soldiers' mood has changed somewhat as well. They were quite reserved during large parts of what happened because, of course, the army was taking that neutral stance and said we're going to be bystanders on the sidelines. We're going to make sure that all of this is orderly, that there's no violence anymore, that there's no chaos on Tahrir Square.

And then, of course, once Mubarak resigned, there were the scenes of jubilation with soldiers and the civilians. And the big difference there, of course, was that, before, they weren't letting people go on the tanks. They were asking people to get off the tanks once they went.

After the announcement, there were a lot of people on the tanks. People are taking pictures on the tanks. Kids on the tanks, kids getting their pictures taken on the tanks.

It was a whole different mood where you could see that the weight of the responsibility for all this had fallen off their shoulders. And many of the soldiers were then able to show the emotions that obviously they would have to hold back having been on the sidelines before, Jonathan.

MANN: An enormous weight has been lifted. Fred Pleitgen in Tahrir Square, thanks very much.

KAYE: Revolution in Egypt after a political uprising. The neighbors can sometimes be on guard. Neighbors like Israel, Jordan, Yemen -- they're all watching what's happening. We'll get reaction live from Jerusalem, next.

Plus, he was in the middle of it all -- one reporter's incredible story about his night as a witness to history.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(VIDEO CLIP) KAYE: Those are some of the sights and sounds last night on the streets of Gaza City as Hamas loyalists fire guns, honk car horns and celebrate the ouster of Egyptian Hosni Mubarak.

A spokesman for Hamas called Mubarak's departure a victory for the Palestinian people. He also "calls on the new Egyptian leadership to lift the siege of Gaza and to open the Rafah crossing and assure the free movement between Egypt and Palestine and to start the development process construction process of Gaza."

MANN: The headline in Israel's largest newspaper reads "Masses Elated." But it's a far more tempered reaction from the Israeli government about Mubarak's departure.

CNN's Jerusalem bureau chief Kevin Flower joins us now live with more on the story.

Kevin, what are they saying?

KEVIN FLOWER, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Jonathan, not much at this point. We're waiting for an official from the government, which wasn't forthcoming last night. Possibly later today, we could hear that, or tomorrow in the cabinet meeting that the Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds.

But it seems like that that just saw those mass militants in the streets of Gaza, Hamas militants. It's -- pictures like that that have Israelis here worried -- worried about what the future Egyptian government will do in terms of the southern border Israel shares with Egypt. Will it continue to be a party to the economic blockade of the Gaza Strip that prevents lots of goods coming in? And from Israel's point of view, weapons going into the Gaza Strip.

It's concerns like that that are really front and center to Israelis as they look forward to what sort of Egyptian government is there going to be. And will the peace treaty that has been maintained between these two countries for 30 years, will that hold? That is the number one issue for the Israeli government. And that's what officials in Jerusalem were telling us privately last night. That will be the number one talking point for this Israeli government going forward, maintaining that treaty above all else, Jonathan.

MANN: Kevin Flower, thanks very much. We may hear more about that when the Egyptian military speaks. We're expecting a statement shortly. But, for now -- Kevin, thanks.

KAYE: First, Tunisia then Egypt. And now, similar demonstrations are underway in nearby Yemen and Algeria. We're getting reports of clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces in the Algerian capital. Some demonstrators are actually being detained. That's according to sources within the Algerian League for Human Rights.

Here is what it looked and sounded like on the streets of the Yemeni capital Friday night after people got word of Mubarak's decision to step away from the Egyptian presidency. A spokesman for Yemen's biggest opposition coalition, Joint Meeting Parties, said, quote, "Mubarak's fall shows oppression and use of force cannot add life to the current regimes and time for change has come."

The government-run Yemen news agency failed to mention the protest on its Web site. And in a story Friday, the nation's foreign minister is quoted as saying his country does not risk popular uprising such as those in other Arab states like Tunisia and Egypt -- Jon.

MANN: In Egypt, it's the day after the historic announcement. First, it was pure joy for the protesters. As reality sets in, maybe it's like waking up for a dream for some. When we come back, we'll talk again to one of the protesters about where he thinks the country should go now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(VIDEO CLIP)

MANN: The drum beat or change echoing across Cairo's Tahrir Square. The scene last night when Egyptians were cheering, crying. The celebration lasted well into the night and into the morning. It's, what, quarter after 2:00 in Cairo and a lot of people are still there.

But not everyone is cheering the change in Egypt. Many supporters of Hosni Mubarak known as a pro-stability segment of the population are actually worried about what will happen next.

One Egyptian businessman who backed Mubarak spoke on the phone with CNN's John Vause.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WALEED TAWFIK, EGYPTIAN BUSINESSMAN (via telephone): I'm very concerned that -- if we had spoken yesterday, I would have had a lot of different things to say. But after the events have taken place, it's not going to be all peaches and cream. People, the Egyptian, we, as a population needs to understand that it's not going to be a turnkey solution.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what do you think is going to happen? What's your concern?

TAWFIK: My concern is we have a very credible and responsible military and they are among the highest ranking fabric of society. And we need to let the military, as a guarantor, fulfill the changes and the demands that have been requested. Let the military do their job. The people in Tahrir Square need to go home. We need to knuckle down, get back to work and get our country back on the track.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: And speaking of the military, we should probably tell you that we are awaiting a special announcement from the Egyptian military anytime now. And we will bring that to you, of course, as soon as we get it.

Well, just before it was announced that Hosni Mubarak was leaving office, I spoke with one of the protesters in Tahrir Square. Ismaiel Negm was committed to the uprising, excited about being among so many determined to see change.

And we were so curious about how he's feeling since the news broke that Mubarak stepped. So, we asked him to join us again this morning. He's on the phone from Cairo.

Ismaiel, you protested for 18 days straight in Egypt. Yesterday, you were telling me you were so hopeful. Today, I would imagine, you are feeling awfully thankful.

ISMAIEL NEGM, CAIRO PROTESTER (via telephone): Absolutely, just incredible joy at the news yesterday. And I think you saw the images from Tahrir last night. It was -- went on late into the night. And, you know, I guess when the Egyptian people are happy and they got -- it's quite a party. And others, definitely, definitely a good mood and a good feeling here.

KAYE: I mean, this just happened really, you know, within minutes of us speaking. Where were you when you heard the news? And tell what the celebration was like.

NEGM: Well, we were actually just in -- we were just coming down like you said from speaking with you. So, we were about 200 meters away from the actual square. And a flood of people rushed out into the streets.

We didn't quite know what happened yet. We're just asking people, what happened? What happened? And, you know, the answer was Mubarak left.

And, you know, I didn't get the news right away of the military taking control, didn't know exactly what had happened. But that was enough, basically, to throw everyone into jubilation. And, you know, news came out and everything -- you know, I think all the news was good. And --

KAYE: And how do you feel -- how do you feel about the military now being in charge of the country's affairs? Do you fear another regime taking hold or do you trust the military?

NEGM: The history of Egypt. You know, 60 years of military indirectly, or, you know, (INAUDIBLE), and the people do love the military. I mean, they're of the people. We just hope this transition period will be quick and, you know, it will not be a military rule.

We do not want the military rule. We want the army to help us into a transition period, represents the government coming in after a fair election. That's the role of the military now.

We're not interested in military rule. And, you know, that's a bit of the fear of the few people in Tahrir that they might want to stay there until they're sure that it goes back into, you know, the hands of the people, not the army.

KAYE: Sure. Ismaiel Negm, thank you so much. As you play witness to history, we're watching it along with you. Thank you.

NEGM: Thank you.

MANN: Don't go away. We'll be back in a moment with more of our extensive coverage of the revolution in Egypt.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: It is a historic new day in Egypt. So, let's get you caught up on everything that's happening right now.

People are gathering in Cairo's main square again today, but they are there to celebrate and sightsee this time. They are also cleaning up a little bit.

MANN: Have a look at the scene there last night. Thousands crowding into the square to cheer the end of the Mubarak regime -- I would love to be there -- waving flags, honking horns, throwing their hands in the air. The country is now counting on military to take them to the next step.

Moments ago, we heard a statement from Egypt's military council saying they are considering momentous and possibly dangerous new directions and they'll announce more concrete decisions on that direction in statements to come.

Well, now that the Mubarak government has been toppled, the hard work of establishing a new system in its place begins. Opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei tells CNN the changes won't happen overnight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMED ELBARADEI, EGYPTIAN OPPOSITION LEADER (via telephone): I'd like to see a year, a period of a year. I think that's what we need at least to help get parties established, get people to get engaged, build an institution. We have to start from scratch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: It's interesting because the military has said that they -- I know ElBaradei saying that he wants a year. He needs time to get things in order. But the military is saying maybe we'll try and move it up and do away with this emergency rule and make this happen sooner. Of course, the protesters would like that, but --

MANN: Some of them want it yesterday and some of them wanted six months to give a politics a chance to develop. There isn't a lot of consensus.

KAYE: One thing they agree on though is that Mubarak is out of power and they are happy about that.

MANN: They are happy. The celebration stretched all the way from Egypt to here in the United States. We'll show you how some Americans celebrated, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MANN: We watched protests for 18 days, and then we watched a party -- a party all-night in Tahrir Square where it's now past 2:00 in the afternoon. People are still there.

KAYE: They're not giving up.

MANN: And, in fact, the celebrations over Mubarak's ouster aren't just limited to the cities of Egypt. The sentiments are the same in England, in fact, where anti-Mubarak supporters took to the streets of London.

That's where we find Nima Elbagir with the latest from the British capital -- Nima.

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Jonathan, it's not just a celebration today in Trafalgar Square in the center of London. It's also a consolidation. Organizations have told us that this is actually the most important time for Egypt. It is a time when the international spotlight needs to remain on Egypt to ensure that the gains that the protesters have won by fighting so terribly hard are not lost.

I spoke to Amir Hamzawi (ph) down the line from Cairo. And he said to me that the Egyptians now need the world more than ever.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMIR HAMZAWI, EGYPTIAN PROTESTOR: We have a mobilized citizenry of Egypt. We want to democratically reengineer Egyptian politics. We want to establish a socially just society which we haven't had in a very long time.

And we need international solidarity with us. We need the spotlight to continue to be on Egypt. International solidarity is key in keeping us -- in keeping us on that track and keeping us ahead of any games, power games, which might be played behind closed doors.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELBAGIR: And today in Egypt, they are still celebrating not just the downfall of Mubarak, but also the fact that so far, the army seems to be sticking to its promises. Amir Hamzawi also told me he had just been in a constitutional reform meeting with members of the government, that the army has decided not to bring in martial law.

So, further cause for celebration today in Cairo, Jonathan.

MANN: Nima Elbagir in London, thanks very much.

KAYE: The crowds are back on the streets of Cairo this morning. And, so, of course, are our CNN crews. We take you there live, next.

Plus, who's really in charge right this very minute? Is it the vice president or perhaps the military? Some thoughts from an expert on Mideast politics.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MANN: Welcome back. We have some live pictures from Cairo we'd like to show you where it is half past the hour practically in Tahrir Square. And the crowds continue to gather.

This is day 19, if you're counting. But the big number is this, the number one. Hosni Mubarak is out of power, replaced by a supreme military council which has announced in its intentions in a series of communiques. The most recent one just a short time ago as best we gauge.

But the people in the streets don't feel like they have inherited a military junta. They feel like they have fought for and won their freedom.

KAYE: It's amazing when you think about how this all happened yesterday when the news came that Hosni Mubarak has resigned, has officially stepped down.

From what I understand, there were some protesters who apparently who had fainted. Others, they believe, had heart attacks. This is the impact that this news had -- this historic news had on these people. And others -- other Egyptians said that they felt like this was the first day they were born. That is what it had been like to them living under Mubarak's rule.

MANN: Who's really running the country now? Well, it's not entirely clear. Hosni Mubarak ruled for nearly 30 years until just a few days ago under pressure from these people. He created the post of vice president and named his longtime intelligence chief and confidante, Omar Suleiman, to that role.

Well, the immediate future of Vice President Suleiman remains to be seen. But it's hard to dismiss how he steered the country during the final days of the Mubarak regime.

CNN's Brian Todd takes a hard look at Egypt's political pivot now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He's the man who broke the news to Egyptians that their lives were forever changed.

OMAR SULEIMAN, VICE PRESIDENT OF EGYPT (through translator): President Muhammad Hosni Mubarak has decided to step down as president of Egypt.

TODD: As a hastily appointed vice president, Omar Suleiman was perhaps the most pivotal figure in Egypt's historic transition from dictatorship. But that transition is far from over. And Suleiman's rule in it is unclear. Along with Hosni Mubarak, he, too, may be getting phased out.

Despite his concessions to the protesters, analysts say Suleiman's association with Mubarak is simply too close.

PROF. FOUAD AJAMI, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY: He comes from the same world. These are autocrats. They are dictators. They are people who have never had any political experience. They have the politics of command. They have never been in the streets.

TODD: Omar Suleiman's roots are in the Egyptian military. But he made his reputation as head of the intelligence service, which is widely feared among Egyptians for infiltration and torture.

(on camera): Has he had a hand in the atrocities during this crisis and in the past?

AJAMI: Look, first, he's man, he's the head of intelligence. And for the dirty tricks of the regime, for the severities (ph) of the regime, the head of intelligence is doing it all. I mean, this is the man at the center of all this.

TODD (voice-over): But Fouad Ajami of Johns Hopkins and other analysts say there's a flip side to Omar Suleiman.

EDWARD GNEHM, FMR. U.S. AMB. TO JORDAN AND KUWAIT: He's been the main Egyptian negotiator trying to work out between Hamas and the Palestinian National Authority some rapprochement. He has certainly been the one who's worked with the Israelis and others, including the United States over issues of terrorism.

TODD: The solid picture we're getting of Omar Suleiman from U.S. and Egyptian officials and analysts is that he may not have been the best person to lead Egypt through the crisis, but there may not have been many other alternatives.

(on camera): One State Department official told me no one thinks he's a nice guy. But some key leaders from the U.S., Israel and their allies were comfortable with Suleiman because of their past dealings with him. And he was trusted by a large segment of the Egyptian population, feared but trusted.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MANN: So, Omar Suleiman, Hosni Mubarak, Anwar Sadat, all of them came from the military.

This morning, the government of Egypt is back in the hands of the military. So, what's changed? Who's in charge?

Let's talk about that with Bahgat Korany, the author of "The Changing Middle East and Foreign Policies of Arab States."

Thanks so much for talking with us.

Let me ask you. First of all, we know that all these men wear uniforms. But beyond that, how much do we really know about them and where they plan to lead the country?

BAHGAT KORANY, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY, CAIRO: Which one are you talking about, about the military or the (INAUDIBLE)?

MANN: The supreme council of the armed forces which now governs Egypt.

KORANY: OK. The council is headed by the minister of defense, Tantawi, about 75 years old, is being there as minister of defense for two decades. (INAUDIBLE) part of the regime.

Then you have below him the chief of staff who is much younger, about 63 years old. And, in fact, he has lots of close contact with the U.S. Indeed when the problem started, he was in the U.S. and was summoned back very quickly.

We don't know much about what they are up to. I think they are still thinking, the army has always being (INAUDIBLE) in the Egyptian political system almost for the last six years. But now, it is in the front seat. And I think they are making up their mind how to run the country and how to deal not only with the civilians, but with the young people who still in the street.

KAYE: And, Professor, how quickly do you think the military will take action? I mean, what are your thoughts on will they -- will they dissolve parliament? Will they create some type of transitional government to lead if we don't have the elections anytime soon?

KORANY: I think -- and these are the good questions. They say they are going to just represent the will of the people. They are going to be in transition.

How long will the transition be? How will they be governed? How many civilians will cooperate with them? What is the agenda, and the priority on the agenda?

All these questions, I think, are now discussed. We are waiting for statement number four from the military which is supposed to answer some, at least, of these questions.

MANN: Should we trust any statement from the military? The people in Tahrir Square clearly do. But they are expecting the military will give them, the people of Egypt, power. The military seized power in 1952 and never really gave it up. Are the soldiers going to give it up now, do you think?

KORANY: I mean, you are really touching on my word (ph). I usually mistrust any army takeover. But this time, it is not really a coup d'etat. In 1952, the military finished it, a coup d'etat. This time, there were invited to be the stabilizing factor. So, it is rather different.

Number two, I think there is a lot of pressure from civil society. These can come back at anytime.

Number three, I think the outside world is alert that this transition shouldn't just turn into a military dictatorship.

With these factors I am hopeful that the transition condition stage would not be deterred (ph).

KAYE: And, Professor, why do you think Mubarak changed his mind after saying he wasn't going to resign, and then he did resign? How much do you think the military had to do that? Was he pushed by the military, do you think?

KORANY: I -- there are lots of rumors in Egypt at the moment, but I think the idea that the military has just pushed to him because this was the only way to stabilize the situation.

MANN: Bahgat Korany of the American University of Cairo -- thanks so much for talking with us.

KORANY: Thank you.

KAYE: The winds of change -- the winds of change are being felt across the Middle East. And one country in particular is watching Egypt very carefully. Iran's leader supported the Egyptian demonstrators to an extent, but it wasn't long that Iran brutally ended protest in its own country. The fears of a domino effect when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: And welcome back, everyone. We are continuing to bring you live pictures from Tahrir Square in Cairo. You can see those flags are still wagging.

Thousands of people are still there. The protesters, Jon, hadn't gone home. In fact, they are saying that until the People's Assembly steps down, until the emergency rule is removed, until we have a civilian government -- is what they are saying -- they will keep protesting until their demands are fully met.

MANN: This is a country with 6,000 years of history where people are tasting something for the very first time, people power. They have pushed out their long-ruling dictator. And they expect they will be fully in charge when it comes time to choose Egypt's next leader.

For the time being, if you missed yesterday's excitement, we can tell you Hosni Mubarak is now in Sharm el-Sheikh, his vacation resort in the south of the country. A military supreme council now says it is in charge and will lead the country towards democracy.

Most of the protesters we've heard from said that's fine with them. The military should have a central role. But they want to see reform. They want to see democracy, and they want a chance to choose the next leader of their country.

KAYE: It is really a new dawn in Egypt. A lot of people waking up this morning saying, "Egypt, I have truly missed you." One of the -- one of the key faces of the revolution is saying, "I have missed you for the past 30 years." It's been so interesting for all of us to watch it along with you for the last 18 days.

And we want to look back at how we got here.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOHAMMED JAMJOOM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The demonstrators seem to have one basic demand. They are demanding the ouster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak who's been in power now since 1981.

(CHANTING)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The army has come out into the streets. This was an armored personnel carrier full of army soldiers just up there. This is the first time we've seen that the army has become involved. The army has stayed out of any civil disturbances since 1985.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Everyone here wants to speak to us -- everyone. I'm sorry. Everyone has an opinion.

And as you can see, some people would like to push to get their voices out and to get themselves on camera. But despite that, it is quite relaxed and it is quite friendly.

The demonstrations getting much closer to one of the army posts, and the gunfire we can hear rocketing through the air. The demonstrators say that's the army firing to warn them to stay away. It's long gun shots. It's long after curfew now. And if the government was controlling the situation, people trace of fire flying in the air. These people wouldn't be out on the streets if the government was in control.

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's no question that after days and nights of protests here in Tahrir Square, this is the biggest gathering we have seen yet.

(CHANTING)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Let me just set the scene for you right here. The Egyptian regime was behind me. That is now kind of ground zero for the confrontation between the pro-Mubarak and anti-Mubarak forces.

I have been hit now like 10 times.

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I am being told, walk, walk, don't stay. OK. OK.

This is a little chaotic. I have someone helping me out here. This is the scene.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People on horseback charging in. Oh, my God.

WEDEMAN: First, there was the day of rage, then the one million Egyptian march. And today is the "day of departure" or farewell where Egyptians say farewell to their president of 30 years, President Hosni Mubarak.

WATSON: Thirty-year-old Wael Ghonim is one of a group of young Egyptian activists who helped organize the first several protests here and he was released on Monday after spending a week and a half in solitary confinement.

WAEL GHONIM, EGYPTIAN ACTIVIST (through translator): I'm not a hero. I slept for 12 days. The heroes were in the streets. The heroes were the ones who went to the demonstrations. The heroes were the ones that sacrificed their lives.

WEDEMAN: I just got off the phone with a senior Egyptian official who told me there's a lot of speculation going on at the moment. But the decision to force President Mubarak to resign is his and his alone.

HOSNI MUBARAK, FORMER EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): So I thought that I would delegate powers to the vice president, according to the constitution.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: These are angry people because of the Egyptian leader, Hosni Mubarak, who did not say he was stepping down.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They are very, very angry. I have a couple folks with me. You guys speak English as well, right? What did you think of the Mubarak speech? What do you think of all this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mubarak, game over.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm here to support this and (INAUDIBLE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And you'll keep it up?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course. Look at all these people. No one is going home. No one is going home.

We are in this until the end. Even if it means we're going to die because people have died for this. And all of us are prepared to die for this. We are on this until the end.

SULEIMAN (through translator): I, President Muhammad Hosni Mubarak, has decided to step down as president of Egypt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Moments ago, the crowd just exploded into cheering and flag waving and chanting the word "freedom."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAYE: Incredible to watch how it all unfolded. And for all of our reporters on the ground, our crews on the ground, they had special moments. They are getting jostled by the protesters yesterday during the celebrations.

But things do continue to improve there, even at this hour. We are learning the military has now reduced the curfew hours from midnight to 6:00 a.m., and also the stock market is expected to resume on Wednesday.

MANN: Mubarak, game over, as we heard.

Our coverage of the revolution in Egypt continues after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Welcome back. About 10 minutes before the hour.

It is an historic day in Egypt. We're glad you're with us to witness all of this, along with us.

It is a different mood in Cairo's main square. People are gathering there again, but they are there not to protest but to celebrate and sightsee.

MANN: Have a look at the scene last night and you'll really see celebration -- thousands crowding into Tahrir Square to mark the end of the Mubarak regime.

President Hosni Mubarak is now out of office. He's not out of Egypt, though. He's now in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el- Sheikh. The Swiss government is moving to freeze any assets in Swiss banks that might belong to Mubarak, who reportedly has millions salted away. So, his money -- his family's money is frozen in Switzerland.

KAYE: Egypt's military is officially in charge of the country's affairs now. They are responsible for setting the country's new direction towards true democracy. But their role opens up new questions about diplomacy.

CNN senior State Department producer Elise Labott joins me now from Washington.

Elise, good morning to you. Who does the U.S. deal with now? Who do they actually talk to? I understand communication has been a bit difficult.

ELISE LABOTT, CNN SR. STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: That's right. Well, that's the whole question, Randi. They're not sure who they're going to be dealing with. They know who the players are on this military supreme council, but they really don't know who their point people are going to be.

Communications over the last 48 hours really with the Egyptians have been kind of blocked because the Egyptians have kind of been preoccupied. But basically, officials are telling me the Egyptians really need to clarify who is in charge of this government, the people that they're going to be dealing with. Obviously, the U.S. will be looking for the Egyptian military to be making specific steps such as lifting that emergency law, including some more people in the political process and also some constitutional reforms.

But immediately, as the military takes over and starts ruling the country, the U.S. knows who the players are, doesn't know exactly who they're going to be dealing with.

KAYE: And what is the relationship like between the United States and the leaders of the Egyptian military? I mean, the U.S. gives them more than $1 billion in aid. But do they have any relationship at all?

LABOTT: Actually, the relationship is a pretty good one -- obviously because of the aid, but also, many members of the Egyptian military have trained here in the United States. There's a very big military-to-military relationship between the U.S. and Egypt. So, these military contacts are very important right now.

If you see in the last 24 hours, obviously, U.S. Ambassador Margaret Scobey has been on the ground dealing with people in the foreign ministry and stuff, but if you see who the real point person now is in the U.S. government, it's Defense Secretary Gates, it's Admiral Mike Mullen, because these are the people that have the contacts with the head of -- the commander of the armed forces, Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, and other senior leaders of the military.

Those military contacts in the next weeks ahead are going to be very important in terms of reaching out to the Egyptian military, Randi.

KAYE: Elise Labott for us live in Washington, D.C. -- Elise, thank you.

MANN: Well, the generals and the diplomats may be talking. Everybody else is tweeting. Social media played a really big role in Egypt's revolution. Will it be a model for other countries as well? We'll take a look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: And glad you're with us.

Social media may have been what helped bring protesters in Egypt together, but that doesn't mean they've signed off now that Mubarak is gone.

MANN: Not at all.

CNN's Jessica Ellis joins us now.

Jessica, Wael Ghonim, he's becoming a household name I guess for at least households that are following all of this. He's an activist. People are calling him a hero and he's still tweeting.

What's he saying?

JESSICA ELLIS, CNN PRODUCER: Absolutely. Well, one of the most recent tweets, he says, "Good morning, Egypt. I truly missed you in the past 30 years."

He also has this Facebook page. This is the Facebook page that he created -- 735,000 followers are on this page right now. And some of the most recent comments he's saying is, "May God bless the martyrs of the revolution. They are the revolution's real heroes and only today, their rights has returned to them."

And he also updated the profile picture on this page and it's the military spokesman that stood at attention yesterday on the air saluting the victims of this online revolution. And then Wael Ghonim posted this image of him and his friends doing the same thing, saluting those victims that were killed, those protesters that were killed.

The other comments that they're making is about Khaled Said. He's the Egyptian blogger that was killed last year by officers who wanted to search him under the emergency law. This is the reason why they created this Facebook page and the reason for this online revolution. And they're saying that today, he will be remembered. He will be immortal.

Some of the other comments that people are making are about the clean-up effort. So, Sand Monkey is a blogger that we've been following. And he's posting images showing the clean-up efforts. He's saying everybody is out there. They're still excited and they're joining in on the clean-up.

Now, we've been following this at a global perspective as well. Millions of people are following Egypt. And this is a trends map that shows you how many people and where they are around the world tweeting about Egypt.

Desmond Tutu tweeted today -- just want to read one comment. He says, "Brothers and sisters of Egypt, you have given the world the most precious gift, the belief that ultimately, right will prevail."

So, that's some perspective of what's being said online.

MANN: Jessica Ellis watching the cyber world and the tweet verse for us. Thanks very much.

You know, I've been following all of this while we've been watching on television. Wael Ghonim, you can follow him on Twitter. You got a Twitter account, it's fascinating. All this people.

KAYE: That's right. He has so many followers. I mean, he's created, as you said, a real name for himself.

MANN: People have never heard of him before. And if you're wondering who he is, this is the man who's on the leave of absence from Google, and he was detained actually for, what, six or eight days? He disappeared.

But let's bring people up to date on what we're seeing now.