ElBaradei Says Egypt Army Should Act to Prevent `Carnage' at Protest Site

Egyptian opposition campaigner Mohamed ElBaradei, former head of the United Nations atomic agency, said the army should be deployed to end clashes in central Cairo’s Tahrir Square between anti-government protesters and people loyal to President Hosni Mubarak.

ElBaradei, speaking in an interview on BBC Radio 4’s “The World at One” program, said today’s outbreak of violence in the capital was the result of a “criminal regime” that “has to go immediately.” He said the inaction of police was irresponsible and that “thugs” were allowed by authorities to disrupt a peaceful protest.

The 2005 Nobel Peace Prize winner said the status quo in Egypt is “unsustainable” and that Mubarak must resign. He said Mubarak’s concessions yesterday were “crumbs,” referring to the president’s televised address in which he said he would step down from his post in September rather than seeking re-election in polling scheduled for then.

ElBaradei, 68, said he has no interest in holding any political office in Egypt, though he “won’t let the people down” if he is asked to take a public role.

To contact the reporters on this story: Heather Langan in London at hlangan@bloomberg.net; Andrew Atkinson in London at a.atkinson@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew J. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net

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Egyptian Opposition Campaigner Mohamed ElBaradei

Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

Egyptian opposition campaigner Mohamed ElBaradei.

Egyptian opposition campaigner Mohamed ElBaradei. Photographer: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

Feb. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Mohamed El-Erian, chief executive officer at Pacific Investment Management Co., Barton Biggs, managing partner at Traxis Partners LP, and Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris, chairman of Orascom Telecom Holding SAE, talk about Egypt's political unrest and the impact on global financial markets. This report also contains comments from Wayne Atwell, a managing director at Casimir Capital LP; Hank Smith, chief investment officer at Haverford Trust Co.; Hans Humes, president of Greylock Capital Management; Saud Masud, chief executive officer of SM Advisory Group; Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group; Thomas Petrie, vice chairman of Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, and Jason Schenker, president of Prestige Economics LLC. (Source: Bloomberg)

Feb. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Bloomberg's Lara Setrakian reports from Cairo on today's protests aimed at forcing President Hosni Mubarak to quit after 30 years in power. She speaks with Andrea Catherwood on Bloomberg Television's "The Pulse." (Source: Bloomberg)