Egyptian Army Chief Tells Protesters: 'All Your Demands will be Met'

When Asked by ABC News if Hosni Mubarak Steps Down, General Says, 'It Ends Tonight'

ABC News, by JIM SCUITTO, TERRY MORAN, ANDREW MORSE and HUMA KHAN, Cairo, Egypt Feb. 10, 201

Egypt's Army Chief of Staff waded into the jubilant crowd of protesters in Egypt's Tahrir Square today and told them cryptically, "All your demands will be met tonight."

When asked by ABC News whether that meant that President Hosni Mubarak would leave office, Army Chief of Staff Sami Eman replied, "It ends tonight."

The crowd around Eman erupted in a roar of cheers and began singing the nation anthem.

In one makeshift hospital near the square, as rumors of Mubarak's departure spread, the injured and healthy literally jumped for joy, hugging and kissing each other.

In Tahrir Square, soldiers who had been screening everyone coming in appeared to be standing down and people streamed in from all directions uninterrupted.

Egypt's armed forces issued a statement broadcast on state radio, saying they will protect the people and will support the demands of the people. The state television reported that the council of armed forces met today to discuss the current situation, and resolved to convene regularly. "We will ensure the protection of the people and that their legitimate demands are met," the army said.

The protests, in their 17th day, gained momentum today as protesters and labor unions across the country went on strike today, adding more fuel to the revolutionary fire.

Factory workers, textile workers, laborers on the Suez Canal, all stopped working. On Tahrir Square, doctors and bus drivers joined the protests today, in a sign of solidarity. The transport strike brought traffic in a city famous for its congestion, to a standstill.

Before the euphoria of Mubarak's rumored departure, there clearly was tension in the air as rumors of a crackdown, fueled on Facebook, spread through the crowd. Tanks surrounded key government buildings and federal employees were advised to stay at home.

In a move to appease protesters, the state prosecutor launched a corruption investigation against three former government ministers and a steel tycoon turned parliament member who was a key figure in Mubarak's ruling party, according to Egyptian state TV.

The embattled Egyptian government also announced today, with much fanfare, the formation of a "fact-finding committee" on the "youth uprising" and that will investigate the "unfortunate events" that took place in Tahrir Square on Feb. 2, the day the square turned into a battleground between protesters and pro-Mubarak supporters. The government, however, didn't make it clear if they are investigating people on camel-backs who stormed the square, the protesters, or both.

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