President Obama to make statement on Mubarak’s decision to step down

PanARMENIAN.Net - President Barack Obama will make a statement today on Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s decision to step down, Tommy Vietor, an administration spokesman said.

Obama will address the situation in Egypt at 1:30 p.m. Washington time, a White House statement said.

The president was informed about Mubarak’s action during a meeting in the Oval Office. He then watched television coverage of the scene in Cairo, Vietor said, according to Bloomberg.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has stepped down and the vice president has named a military council to run the country's affairs, state television said on Friday after 18 days of mass protests against his rule.

A ruling party official said earlier that Mubarak and his family had left Cairo for Sharm el-Sheikh where there is a presidential residence. He added that this proved Mubarak had handed powers to deputy Omar Suleiman, Reuters reported.