US advises Americans to leave Egypt

The US Embassy on Sunday advised American citizens to leave Egypt even as the continuing unrest following
anti-government protests shown no signs of let up.

The US Embassy, issuing the travel warning Sunday morning, said it will update Americans on departure assistance as soon as possible.

The warning said US citizens should avoid travel to Egypt because of unrest, violence, and ongoing demonstrations against President Hosni Mubarak’s government.

Meanwhile, chaos reined supreme in Cario streets as anti-government protests continued.

Media reports, quoting state-run Nile TV, said looting and planer was reported from across the capital city.

Besides commercial establishments and private homes, abandoned police stations were also looted.

Artifacts at the Egyptian Museum, including mummies, were damaged by looters, the Nile TV reported.

Thousands of prisoners have also fled in wake of the chaos.

Embattled president Hosni Mubarak had on Saturday named Omar Suleiman, Egypt?s military intelligence chief, as his deputy in a move that has so far failed to incite a positive response from the frenetic protesters on the streets demanding reforms.

The country continued to be engulfed in violence and riots as Mubarak?s move to dismiss his cabinet and call out the army to control
the situation was not taken very well by the people who took to the streets defying the curfew orders.

“Go, Mubarak go” chants rent the air in the Egyptian cities as the country joins the other Arab nations like Tunisia and Yemen in anti-government protests.

For the first time in his 30-year rule, Mubarak named a Vice President and state media reports suggest that Egypt?s air force chief Ahmed Shafik is likely to be sworn in as the new Prime Minister.

But anti-government demonstrators continue clashing with police in several cities demanding the resignation of 82-year-old President
Hosni Mubarak.

An estimated 50 people have been killed so far in the insurgency.

Cell phone services, blocked by the government since Friday, were partially restored on Saturday even as reports said the Internet was
still cut off.

The army had to be called to the Cairo International Airport as thousands flocked in to leave the country.

The appointment of Omar Suleiman as the country?s Vice President came following American State Department spokesman P J Crowley saying that the U.S. wanted to see Mubarak fulfill his pledges of reform.