Hosni Mubarak did not appear before Egyptians until late on Friday, a day of escalating chaos and massive protests across the country calling on him to step down, and American pressure that seemed to be growing by the hour.
Sombre and visibly tired, Egypt’s president for the past 30 years did nothing to quell the fury unleashed on the streets of the nation since Tuesday’s first day of rage. His main, in fact only, concession was to dismiss his government, led by a technocrat charged with economic management and with little influence over politics.
No doubt Mr Mubarak believed that making a scapegoat of the government would buy him time. He is probably trying to hold on until the presidential elections in September.