Mubarak fears Egypt will sink in chaos after him

Embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has said he is “fed up” and wants to quit but fears that the nation will “sink in chaos” if he steps down.

“He is fed up with being president and would like to leave office now, but cannot, he says, for fear that the country would sink into chaos,” ABC News, which recently interviewed Mr Mubarak, said.

In his first interview after pro-democracy protests gained momentum, the President blamed the Opposition Muslim Brotherhood for the violence in Cairo and said “I was very unhappy about yesterday. I do not want to see Egyptians fighting each other.”

On the US President Mr Barack Obama’s apparent calls for his resignation, Mr Mubarak said he told his American counterpart.

“You don’t understand the Egyptian culture and what would happen if I step down now.” He, however, maintained that Mr Obama is a “very good man’’.

When asked about seeing people shouting insults about him and wanting him gone, Mr Mubarak who has been ruling Egypt for 30 years said, “I don’t care what people say about me.

Right now I care about my country, I care about Egypt.”

The 82-year-old leader said he had never planned to run for presidency during the September election, neither had any plan to pass on the mantle to his son Mr Gamal, who was also present during the interview.

On his feeling after addressing the nation on Monday night when he said he would not run for Presidential election again, Mr Mubarak said he felt “relief’’.

According to the report, he was along with his family and his palace was heavily guarded by armed troops, tanks and barbed wires. Protesters’ Friday deadline for his resignation is ending today.

“I would never run away... I will die on this soil,” he said as the President defended his legacy, recounting the many years he has spent leading his country.