The mission of the special U.S. envoy to Egypt during the massive protests was made clear Tuesday.
Retired American diplomat Frank G. Wisner delivered to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak a message from President Obama: that he should not run for re-election in September.
The New York Times cites diplomats in Cairo and Washington as the sources of this information.
The Obama administration has publicly been tight-lipped on the Egyptian crisis. Government spokesmen have declined to say if the longtime autocrat should leave office.
Mubarak said in a televised speech on Tuesday that he will not run for a new term as president in September.
“I did not intend to run for a new presidential term,” said Mubarak, “I was never interested in being a dictator….Now I am completely keen on concluding my work for the nation.”
Mubarak said that he would work to revise the nation’s constitution and restore order before leaving office.
