REPORT: Egypt President Mubarak's Family Flees for UK

Barely two weeks after a series of protests toppled the government of Ben Ali in Tunisia, reports are circulating that Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak's son has fled the country amid escalating clashes between thousands of protesters and police in Cairo.

This would be a significant development, as Gamal Mubarak was being groomed as Hosni's heir apparent. A report in a US-based Arabic language website said that Gamal, along with his wife and daughter departed for London from an airport in Western Cairo on Tuesday.

The escalating demonstrations in Egypt have been largely inspired by the Tunisian protests and riots earlier this month that chased autocratic ruler Ben Ali into exile in Saudi Arabia. Much of the organizing for the Tunisia protests was done through online social networking sites like Twitter or Facebook. Twitter confirmed on Tuesday night that the online messaging site had been blocked in Egypt.

Hosni Mubarak assumed power in 1981 after Egyptian army officers assassinated president Anwar Al Sadat and has declared an ongoing state of emergency since Sadat's assassination. The emergency declaration gives Mubarak and his cabinet sweeping powers, such as outlawing political parties or detaining people indefinitely without trial. Since then, the Mubarak regime has been increasingly unpopular with Egyptians and his cabinet and family members have been implicated in a number of bribery and kickback scandals.

However, the 82 year old Mubarak's health has been deteriorating over the last few years and he had flown to Germany last year for gallbladder surgery.

Elections were already scheduled for September of this year- most candidates or parties opposing the Mubarak regime are typically left off the ballot. Many observers say that while technically outlawed, the Muslim Brotherhood is among the better organized opposition parties that would attempt to fill in the void in a post-Mubarak Egypt. The Muslim Brotherhood is unambiguous about their plans for Islamicizing Egypt and compelling governments in other Egyptian countries to adhere to shari'a law.

[As an aside, I pretty much view the Mubarak regime much the same way I viewed Chile's Augusto Pinochet- very bad but keeping something worse and and far more destabilizing in check. I know that's not much more enlightened than the Cold War era mindset of 'he's a bastard, but he's our bastard', but don't expect me to break out the pom poms and start shouting 'Yay Muslim Brotherhood!' anytime soon- NANESB!]

[hat tip- Eat it or Wear It, Ace of Spades HQ]