tantawi, the head of the military council.uest: it is a difficult situation after three weeks of complete interruption of industry. he is facing a major challenge. but heavily the would do the best in my view. he learned the lesson. it will be different and i trust that they will try to protect democracy in the future of the country. they will try to keep their power as military and let the affairs of other people in the country be free. host: president mubarak fled to his rescue palace and told that he had asked the military council to administer the affairs of the country, ending his 30-year presidency. have we seen the last of hosni mubarak? or will there be turmoil? guest: i do not think he will try to do much. i think he realizes this is the will of the world, not just egypt. it is the will of the world that he cannot do this anymore. even his vice-president does not have any power. the vice president is now really have power. he is more interested now in internal security and this is where the united states can play a ma

the council chief mohamed hussein tantawi gave the order to the eight committee members on tuesday who met for the first time. the military council said it plans to put a draft constitution to a referendum within six months this. would establish a democratic election system before holding presidential and parliamentary elections. the committee members had begun discussions on six matters to be revised in the constitution. these include qualifications for running in presidential and parliamentary polls, the term of the president and the process for amending the constitution. the military council has limited the number of articles to be revised so that it can complete the process in a short time. the move is apparently aimed at showing the council wants to make a quick transition to a democratic government. >>> hundreds of tour guides in egypt have made a worldwide plea for travelers to come and visit the country now that anti-government protests are over. people associated with the tourism industry rallied at the great pyramid of giza near cairo on monday. they sang the egyptian nationa

. >> the head of the military general tantawi is supposed to be close to the united states and he was recently on a visit to the pentagon. does that make you happy or do you feel completely the reverse about that? >> i don't know -- i don't know what -- i don't know what to make of it. i know the military takes a lot of aid from the u.s. i hope that the military is not being -- is not being 100% told what to do by the u.s. i don't think that's what's happening here. if the u.s. is just simply advising and strictly advisory compast,-- capacity, and maybe to support democracy, then their advice is well pult. but -- is well put. but i don't see a complication regarding that matter. >> the military has said that it will stay in power for six months or until elections are held. but who's timetable is it? who is going to organize the elections? >> well, this is what -- this is what a bunch -- this is what most of the protesters tomorrow who are going to demand things. that's one of the principal demands. we want a clear-cut timetable. we want a timetable that is suitable to our demands. we

well i think the people in tahrir square certainly don't want to see field marshal tantawi and. vice president if they don't want these people in power people like el baradei who do have close ties with international institutions such as the international monetary fund and those kinds of globalized institutions how far these people can really play a part egypt's economy is in the doldrums it's in chaos a lot of the companies that are stationed there have been stealing the money so a lot of the egyptian people might see the companies can be named b.p. shell trans ocean the masses of companies there that are enjoying huge privileges tony blair is really a reverse barometers if he says that they could be a breakthrough of democracy in the magreb would probably have to be a bit pessimistic for the peoples of north africa i think algeria is the one to watch the french are certainly watching it with is because their oil interests there the people have suffered have not benefited from masses of money masses of exports we'll have to see what happens in algeria and i think that's the cou

well i think the people in tahrir square certainly don't want to see field marshal tantawi and. vice president they don't want these people in power the media outside of your channel and a few other satellite channels the media here in london or say in new york because a very different impression of events through that excellent report that it was just join your screens as far as they're concerned this is an american victory but of course it is not an american victory and the people in tahrir square want to see the back of the army that was trained in the united states and we must remember more than three hundred dead thousand still disappeared and the egyptians will remember who trained the people that tortured killed so many of their relatives an american victory but certainly american influence over this outcome surely how much because many people are saying of course that that final push came from washington so just how much influence has the pentagon over egypt's military would you say. well they they own it and they fund the whole thing it's not exactly a final push by was

council that replaces him is a group of people hardly younger than he is with people like field marshal tantawi and general enone who are continuing to oversee the transition so the transition, which is a series of conversations between the military and intelligence forces on the one hand and the street forces of the revolution on the other is going to determine whether or not they can shape the next six months into political parties, a civic infrastructure, that allows them to have meaningful elections. we've seen again and again elections in the middle east that have no meaning because they're rigged and the people who participate in them are not really citizens so the next six to nine months will be absolutely telling and as you say, that's the hard part. as hard as the first part was, the next part is much harder because it will take time, patience and there will not be cameras on the protagonists at every moment. tavis: given the back story of all of egypt's previous leaders, tell me why it is you believe that we can or should trust the military. >> i don't think anybody can trust the mili

well i think the people in tahrir square certainly don't want to see field marshal tantawi and. vice president they don't want these people in power people in tahrir square want to see the back of the army that was trained in the united states and we must remember more than three hundred dead thousand still disappeared and the egyptians will remember who trained the people that tortured killed so many of their relatives egypt's economy is in the doldrums it's in chaos a lot of those companies that are stationed there have been stealing the money so a lot of the egyptian people might see their masses of companies there that are enjoying huge privileges i wonder how long it'll take before remember the idea of nationalization this is a failure of u.s. and european powers they will remember that they don't embrace democracy and see the united states as any part of their liberation journalist action. the events in egypt are reverberating throughout the middle east on monday anti-government demonstrators clashed with police in terror on police fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrat

american triumph but i think the people in tahrir square certainly don't want to see field marshal tantawi and. vice president that they don't want these people in power but of course it is not an american victory and the people in tahrir square to see the back of the army that was strange in the united states and we must remember more than three hundred thousand still disappeared. will remember who trained the people that tortured killed so many of their relatives egypt's economy is in. chaos a lot of those companies that are stationed there have been stealing the money so a lot of people might see as well as the muslim brotherhood is one party to watch because they do have social programs and grassroots movements whether they have been you school whether they've been clever in the past three weeks is a different matter because their leadership some might say maybe out of step with those in the grassroots organizations of the muslim brotherhood runs which creates housing and food distribution so on to to the poor of egypt. meantime u.s. congressman ron paul says washington always tries to

the defense minister, mohammed hussein tantawi, heads the high military council which is in charge. it's expected to dissolve both houses of parliament soon, and manage a transition to elections with a civilian head of the constitutional court. the timing of all this remains unclear. in a televised statement tonight a spokesman promised a legitimate government and then saluted those mostly young people killed in the uprising. it's easy to forget how uncertain things looked just 24 hours ago, when the protesters were stunned by the president's announcement that he would not resign. but this morning, they rallied again, emboldened by a week's worth of grudging concessions for mubarak. >> i'm sure we are gaining. he will not go easily but we are definitely gaining. >> reporter: one group marched on the presidential palace, another blockaded state television. behind me is state television, which has been waging a sustained propaganda war against the demonstrators. well, today they've had enough. they've blockaded it so nobody can get in or out. the army is occupying it. the goal, of cou

for some time well i think the people in tahrir square certainly don't want to see field marshal tantawi and. vice president they don't want these people in power people like moment el baradei who do have close ties with international institutions such as the international monetary fund and those kinds of globalized institutions how far these people can really play a part egypt's economy is in the doldrums it's in chaos a lot of those companies that are stationed there have been stealing the money so a lot of the egyptian people might see the companies can be named b.p. shell trans ocean they're masses of companies there that are enjoying huge privileges you mentioned a little earlier the implications this could have on other countries and you mentioned saudi arabia but bearing in mind what we're seeing at the moment happening in yemen algeria even a few stirrings in morocco what is your prediction on what's going to happen i mean tony blair is saying the egyptian revolt could help spread democracy throughout the middle east would you say democracy or could we see further chaos. tony bla

you can look at -- google a man by the name of hitler tantawi. he's just an ordinary civil servant in egypt in charge of efficiency. his name is hitler. they had a theory that hitler was not born in australia, his name was muhammad hadar. he was an egyptian boy. he had visited all of the mosques of egypt. he was the new savior of the arab people. the poster in the marketplace said in heaven your master is ali, on earth your master is adolf hitler. so in 1941, in june,, -- just before june 1, there was a decision to totally exterminate the jews. they were told to go into their homes, shut the homes, stay off of the phone, turn off the radio, and pack their bags for three days. you all know the scenario. due to a last minute -- i'll use the word rescue, by one the arab leaders who was in good relation with the jewish people there. he expelled the cheap arab nazi who was doing this, and at that point, because the extermination affect had failed, there was a mass riot of iraqi military men, iraqi police, and arab nazis running all over the streets fr

tantawi -- dr. hamid talks about what may be next for egypt. later, discusses federal funding for abortions. "washington journal" is next. "washington journal" is next.

head of the council is field of defense, tant town which. -- tantawi. you have the second army command ear and third army. northern commander, southern commander, western commander, central commander. those people are there. in addition you have the hid of military intelligence. he is on the council. you also have the head of the operations authority. the head of the amas authority and head of financial authority and legal guide from justice. to those people you add two advisors to the minister who are special assistance to the minister. they're on council. that is who the islamic council. the field marshall is in charge. there is no question about that. this is not a democratic group where the generals sit around and discuss stuff. they are making decisions. things are being assigned to people. there are of course at thats and responsibilities. and i assume, so-and-so general so and so is good meeting with people. have him talk to the protersers because he is good with that. you're the lawyer, you're sit with the constitutional council. they have respo

what can you tell us, if anything, about your role in dealing with field marshal tantawi over the last many days? people are extremely curious because you may be the only person in the administration to our knowledge that has spoken to him. and believe it or not, this is a budget question. but it's still with the operational uncertainty that your troops face around the world, the middle east, a great uncertainty. it all comes together. what is in this budget that now deals with the middle east? what can you tell us about what you have been up to over the last many days? >> i would simply say the budget affects our operations and maintenance all over the world. and our activities. certainly the overseas contingency operations funds our efforts in iraq and afghanistan. but i will wait until wednesday to talk about egypt. >> one more budgetary question, please. the overseas contingency budget increases this year. i was wondering how much of that forecasts the u.s. will in fact draw down in july in afghanistan. is this what this budget is trying to do with the mark or was this supposed to