EGYPT – AT 8:28 A.M. ET:  The crowds are massing in Egypt.  It's Friday, the start of the weekend, and a big prayer day.  In the Arab world, people on Friday gather in mosques to hear the peaceful words of the Prophet, then go out and smash things.  Who are we to judge?

At the same time, Fox and other outlets are reporting that Hosni Mubarak has left Cairo:

As protesters fill Tahrir Square in another day of demonstrations, an Israeli military intelligence official told Fox News that President Mubarak has left Cairo via helicopter, and was headed to his residence in Sharem a-Sheikh, a resort town in Egypt.

This comes a day after the embattled leader told protesters he planned to stay in office until the country’s upcoming elections in September.

Many opponents have made it clear that they want Mubarak and his authoritarian regime to step down immediately.

The statement by the Armed Forces Supreme Council -- its second in two days -- was a blow to many protesters who had called on the military to take action to push out Mubarak after his latest refusal to step down, reported the AP.

But soldiers also took no action to stop demonstrators from massing outside the palace and the headquarters of state television, indicating they were trying to avoid another outbreak of violence.

COMMENT:  It is logical for Mubarak to have left Cairo, where he could easily be trapped by crowds.  We wonder whether his trip to the summer house may be brief – just long enough to pick up the sunglasses and digital camera – and is the first leg of a longer journey to, say, Saudi Arabia. 

We'll be monitoring all day, maybe with a little more caution than yesterday, when we were royally misled by "authoritative" reports that Mubarak was ready to resign.

February 11, 2011