American Morning
Egypt a 'heartwrenching' and 'complex' diplomacy issue for U.S.
(CNN) - Heavy gunfire reverberated in central Cairo before dawn Thursday as supporters and foes of embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak continued to face off at Tahrir Square, where chunks of concretes and Molotov cocktails were employed as weapons in the escalating crisis. CNN personnel saw wounded people being carried into Tahrir Square, largely held by anti-regime demonstrators, through an entrance that leads to the nearby Egyptian Museum. Several ambulances entered and left the square shortly before 4 a.m. Thursday. Sustained automatic weapons fire, including from what sounded like a heavy machine gun, echoed around the square, the epicenter of nine days of protests calling for Mubarak's ouster. Anti-government demonstrators hunkered down behind makeshift barricades in the square and outside the nearby national museum against the onslaught, which demonstrators said included plainclothes police officers.
With unrest still happening throughout Egypt this morning between anti-Mubarak and pro-Mubarak protesters, what options does Mubarak have, and how should President Obama approach the situation?
Today on American morning, Mona Eltahawy, a columnist who was born in Egypt, and Nicholas Burns, former Under Secretary of State and now professor of diplomacy and international politics at Harvard, discuss Egypt and America's next diplomatic steps with T.J. Holmes.
Treasures at risk: Damages to King Tut statues, mummies 'a tragedy'
Egyptologists and archaeologists have been at unease since late last week when the unrest in Egypt led to damages to some of the nation's priceless treasures. Last Friday, looters at the Cairo Museum damaged two statues of King Tutankhamun, broke 13 glass showcases and damaged 70 other antiquities. There have also been reports of looting at dig sites around the country.
This morning, Dr. Bob Brier, Egyptologist, tells AM’s Kiran Chetry and T.J. Holmes what damage has been done, how it can be repaired, and how some Egyptians are banding together to protect the museums.
Brier says the entire country of Egypt is a "vast outdoor museum," and that the monuments are certainly not safe.
Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil defies his odds, proclaims early spring
Most of the country is waking up to snow this morning, but sunny weather is on the mind of at least one this morning. Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil granted early springtime wishes today. He did not see his shadow, a sign that spring is near. Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow nine times out of 10, meaning six more weeks of winter, so rejoice that there was no shadow today!
Watch American Morning's live coverage:
Sen. Dick Durbin: Mubarak should leave 'the sooner the better'
Today on American Morning Sen. Dick Durbin, D, Illinois, responds to the role the Obama Administration is taking with Egypt. Tuesday President Barack Obama warned Tuesday of "difficult days ahead" for Egypt following President Hosni Mubarak's announcement that he won't run for re-election. Has the United States done enough in responding to Egypt?
Watch the full interview:
Mubarak in 'state of denial,' pro-Mubarak protests 'insignificant'
(CNN) - Egypt woke up to a day of uncertainty Wednesday as opposition groups and protesters dismissed President Hosni Mubarak's pledge to not seek office again after his current term - and continued their demand for him to step down immediately. Shortly after sunrise Wednesday, Cairo's Tahrir Square was already packed with demonstrators - including families with young children - for a ninth day of protests against the ruler. But the same morning, some demonstrators chanted in favor of Mubarak, saying the press are "traitors" and "agents." Mubarak said Tuesday he will not seek office again in elections scheduled for September, but vowed to stay in the country and finish his term.
Today on American Morning, AM’s Kiran Chetry talks to Emad Shahin, associate professor of religion at the University of Notre Dame who has taught at American University in Cairo, about Egyptians' reactions to Mubarak's announcement.
Shahin says Mubarak fell short of the people’s demands and is in a state of denial. He explains to Chetry why protesters are fed up with Mubarak and breaks down Obama's Tuesday statement about the United States' role.
CNN Heroes: Israeli extends helping hand to sick Palestinians
Jerusalem (CNN) - Aya Abu Mouwais, a 3-year-old who lives in the West Bank, can barely walk or talk because of a failing kidney and liver. For much of her life, the Palestinian child has needed dialysis to survive.
Thankfully, an Israeli man has been able to help her get the treatment she so desperately requires.
More than 500 times in the past two years, Yuval Roth and his volunteers have driven Aya and her mother roundtrip from a checkpoint near the West Bank border to Rambam Medical Center, which is an hour away in Haifa, Israel.
"What Yuval has done, no one else has done," said Aya's mother, Suhair. "He is day by day helping us to get her to the hospital. I'm not allowed to drive an Israeli car, so if not for Yuval, we wouldn't be able to transport her. I thank him."
Leaving the West Bank is the only way Aya's family can get dialysis. For one thing, medical facilities are limited in the territory.
"In the Palestinian Authority, it's very expensive to get health care, and most of the people cannot afford it," Roth said.
It's also expensive to make the trip to Israeli hospitals. Although the Palestinian Authority allows sick children and adults to leave the West Bank for treatment, Palestinians are not allowed to drive past the checkpoints. To get to Israeli hospitals, they'd have to take a taxi, which would cost at least $90 each way.
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