BREAKING: Mubarak resigns as head of his party

Per Al Jazeera (h/t FDL):

6:08pm Egyptian TV reports that Hosni Mubarak resigns as head of the ruling NDP party - he is still the president though.

6:00pm General Hassan El-Rawani, the head of the army's central command, speaks to the masses in Tahrir Square urging them to leave the square, they chant back at him "We are not leaving, He [Mubarak] is leaving". ...

5:36pm The leadership of Egypt's ruling National Democratic Party resigns, including Gamal Mubarak, the son of Hosni Mubarak. The new secretary general of the party is Hossam Badrawi, seen as a member of the liberal wing of the party.

Looks like the transition has begun, but perhaps not all the negotiations are complete. (And if you like following closely, that Al Jazeera blog site is worth a bookmark.)

Note the middle item, about the military. I'll have something soon about the forces within the military. They are not monolithic; they are both powerful and corrupt; there's a difference between the rank and file and the generals in culture; and never forget, they are the recipients, for the most part, of those billions in military aid.

That's a lot of Wheeties to give up if the protesters end up on the wrong side of Washington (and Israel). As always, stay tuned.

UPDATE: CBS News confirms.

GP