CNN news 2011-02-03
The nearly three decades he's spent in power, thousands of Egyptians are calling for President Mubarak to step down. In the U.S., presidents can only serve two terms. But in Egypt, there are no term limits. That's one reason why Mubarak has been president for so long. But protests in the African nation are taking aim at President Mubarak and his government. This YouTube video shows a crowd of protesters moving through the streets in the Egyptian capital of Cairo. The people who organized the protests said they're trying to catch some of the momentum for political change that they saw in the nearby country of Tunisia. That nation's longtime leader was recently removed from power. During yesterday's demonstrations in Egypt, protesters fought with police. Both sides were throwing rocks and tear-gas canisters at each other. Other countries, including the United States, said they were keeping a close eye on the situation.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says that whoever is behind Monday's suicide bombing at Moscow's busiest airport will be found and will be punished. The attack killed dozens of people, injured more than 150 others. And sadly, this bombing isn't an isolated incident. Over the last decade, trains and planes around Moscow have been bombed at least four times. President Medvedev said that part of the blame for Monday's attack is on the people who were responsible for the airport's security.
What happened at Domodedovo shows that the airport lacked security. It's unbelievable that such a huge amount of explosives was brought into the terminal. Those officials responsible for security at Domodedovo must be punished for their decisions. This is a terror attack, a grief, a tragedy.
President Obama called President Medvedev yesterday to offer his condolences about the bombing. During that same call, he congratulated the Russian president on the progress toward a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START. This would reduce the number of nuclear weapons in both the U.S. and Russia. Presidents Medvedev and Obama signed the treaty last April. Part of Russia's parliament approved that treaty yesterday. The U.S. Senate did the same thing last month. President Obama calls the START "the most significant arms control agreement in nearly two decades."