Egypt: Parliament speaker announces matters are in Mubarak’s ‘safe hands’

Coming across on Fox right now. Mubarak was supposed to speak a few hours ago now, but as of yet hasn’t been seen or heard from.

Update: Egypt’s parliament speaker, Fathi Sorour, is live on the BBC now addressing the unrest and promising that Mubarak “will act.” He has also promised that parliament will meet on Sunday.  Constitutionally, Sorour is next in line for the presidency should such a succession issue come up; Mubarak never appointed a vice president.

Update: My mistake, that’s Mubarak addressing the Egyptian people live on the Beeb.

Update: Mubarak is discussing the unrest and his responsibility to protect the people, and pledging to move forward with “political, economic and social” reforms. He called the protests a “plot to destabilize” Egypt, while noting the people’s suffering.  So he’s staying put.

Update: At the end of his speech: “I have requested the government to step down today, and I will designate a new government tomorrow.”  That doesn’t seem likely to mollify the real democrats in Egypt, nor should it, but it does give his critics an opening to once again slam his dictatorial rule.  Will this be a case of “meet the new boss, same as the old boss?”  Probably.

Update: Reports on the ground indicate that so far Mubarak’s speech didn’t change anything.  Protests continue.

Update: One big question in all this was which way would the Egyptian army go?  They seem to have cast their die, and have taken over the main square in Cairo on behalf of Mubarak.

Update: Axelrod‘s claiming that Obama has been directly pressing Mubarak on human rights “for two years.”  I’m dubious.  This isn’t exactly an Oscar “let’s thank the little people” moment.  Egypt can still go south in a hurry, and I’d rate it as slightly less than even that it does.