Tension Rises In Egypt's Capital

Tension is mounting in the Egyptian capital Cairo after the military staged an apparent show of strength during a sixth day of anti-government protests.

Two air force jets and a helicopter repeatedly flew low over Tahrir (Liberation) Square, the main gathering point for demonstrators.

A column of tanks arrived there only to have its path blocked by protesters.

Amid the stand-off, leading opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei arrived in Tahrir Square to address protesters.

"You have taken back your rights and what we have begun cannot go back," he said, quoted by Reuters news agency.

"I bow to the people of Egypt in respect. I ask of you patience, change is coming in the next few days."

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for an "orderly transition" of power in Egypt.

She told ABC News that Washington wanted to see change that would bring about a democratic government.

"We want to see restraint, we do not want to see violence by any security forces," she added.

Defiance
The demonstrators are defying a curfew that began at 1600 (1400 GMT).

The BBC's Jeremy Bowen, in Tahrir Square, says there is a mood of defiance among protesters, who are accusing the military of trying to intimidate them.

The arrival of the tanks and the buzzing of the square by the jets significantly raised the tension among the thousands gathered.

Earlier, despite the presence of armoured vehicles, protesters appeared to have free rein in the city centre, with no sign of the riot police with whom they have clashed violently in recent days.

At one point, an army officer was carried aloft on the shoulders of cheering protesters.

The police have largely disappeared from the streets.

Clashes are reported to have left at least 100 people dead since rallies began on Tuesday in cities including Cairo, Suez and Alexandria. Thousands have been injured.

Meanwhile, al-Jazeera's broadcasts via an Egyptian satellite have been halted. The Egyptian government earlier ordered the Arabic TV channel, which has been showing blanket coverage of the protests, to shut down its operations in the country.

Sunday is the start of the working week in the Middle East, but many businesses in the capital are closed. Internet access remains intermittent.

Source: BBC