home and allow the state to do what it needs to do. >> he's president and his address has said that we should punish those who have called this crisis that egypt is going through and this is also a necessity. the government has to take on the measures for an immediate investigation into those who have caused this crisis. and although who would be prove on to have been negligent or would be accused in those actions will have their harsh punishment. this is a commitment by the government. >> the defiant egyptian vice president coming up. heightened fear in cairo as scores of journalists become prime targets in the chaos. new arrests, the tensions, even a second attack on our own anderson cooper. and why u.s. officials now believe it could be part of an organized effort. stand by for that. the secretary of state hillary clinton is issuing a stern warning to the egyptian government. >> we condemn in the strongest terms attacks on reporters covering the ongoing situation in egypt. this is a violation of international norms that guarantee freedom of the press and it is unacceptable under any circumstances. >> all right, let's go straight to our ivan he's joining us on the phone right now, ivan, i know people are bracing for huge demonstrations, tomorrow could get really ugly, but today was a day that it got ugly for you and our colleagues in the press. >> reporter: there were egyptian, swedish, american, tirkish, canadian and arab journalists who were arrests, who were beaten, some of them hospitalized, had their equipment snatched or stolen, in some cases it was even the egyptian army that was purported to have remain eed neutral throughout the clashes that we have seen taking film away from photographers here. the committee to protect journalists is calling this a, quote, government orchestrated effort to target the media and suppress the news, saying that egypt is seeking an information vacuum, countries such as bermuda berma, iran and it's also human rights workers. there were two officers of the shaw mubarak law center in the egyptian center for economic and social rights. they were surrounded by a group of pro mubarak demonstrate fors, the likes of which we have seen clashing for now approaching 48 hours now. and then security officers went into those officers, put at least a dozen human rights workers flat on their stomachs and then interrogated them and then took them away to an undisclosed location in a minivan, among them representatives of amnesty international as well as human rights watch, and all this as the vice president of egypt as well as the prime minister have come out calling on the egyptian youth that have been fighting so fiercely against the egyptian security forces and the anti-government demonstrators now so mixed messages coming from this regime during the biggest challenge, perhaps the biggest challenge yet in recent history to its authority. >> and the president hosni mubarak has now been telling abc news that he's not leaving. he says, sure, he would like to step down, but he says if he were to step down before the scheduled elections in september, there would be chaos in egypt. it's getting close to chaos, i think, right now, but he's making it clear and his vice president is making it clear, he was on egyptian television today, that the egyptian president is going to stay. i assume that is going to further anger so many of these dmen traitors. >> the government of people inside the square -- i talked to some of the protesters who were able to get re-enforcements, people coming in with fresh medical supplies, for example, food, water, actors and intellectuals coming in to keep their morale up. one of the dmemonstrate fors hae sa been speaking in nicer tones to us. the new vice president said he needed more time to set up national elections and that is something that opposition leaders as well have rejected. they said okay we could have gone into negotiations with this new government. but after what they described as this vicious attack on what had been a peaceful protest, they say they will not sit down for negotiations with the embattled government of hosni mubarak who seems very focussed on punishing its critics right now. >> and i want to be transparent with our viewers, ivan, it's now after midnight in cairo, we're not showing our viewers live pictures from egypt right now. these are pictures that were taken earlier today. tell us why our live cameras are now longer available? >> as part of this concerted campaign to shut down images coming from here, nearly all of the international broadcasters operating on the ground here have had to stop filming into the -- were simply not allowed to do our live shots, which is why i'm not coming to you in front of the camera right now. if this is indeed the plan of the mubarak government, it is succeeding, they're succeeding in intimidating the journalists now. several of my colleagues have been attacked earlier today. anderson cooper, joe duran attacked while trying to leave our hotel to a safer hotel, were surrounded by a mob of people who broke the windshield of their vehicle and tried to pull them out of their car. it is a very intimidating atmosphere right now. the amazing thing is that the demonstrators continue to fight back and they seem to have occupied more territory as well. >> stand by, because i want to continue this conversation with the "new york times" pulitzer prize winning columnist nicholas christoph who's joining us on the phone right now. i've been reading your reports and your commentary, where are you now? >> well, actually i would rather now say in case the egyptian officials are watching. i mean, we're getting reports of the security forces raiding hotels, looking for journalists, and so it just seems safer and more dissecret to simply say that i am in cairo. >> you're in cairo and northerly ynortherly -- fortunately you're okay. it's gone from bad to worse from yesterday to today. you heard ivan watson said we can't even show our viewers live pictures right now it's too dangerous to our camera crews. here's what you tweeted among other things earlier in the day. here's one tweet. amazing to hear that mubarak is unhappy about violence when he launched it, and he's -- elaborate on what's behind that tweet. >> reporter: one point we should make, as journalists obviously we're enormously upset when we are attacked. but it's also true that frankly we do have some protection because of our foreign nationality, because of the fact we're going to be leaving the country, we do not live here. it is the egyptians that in many cases make our reporting work. and who are here forever who are at much greater risk and i mean the real fear, that really nags at me and haunts me in the pit of my stomach is why doesn't the government want us around? what is it that it plans to do in the next few days that it really doesn't want cameras to be able to report on? and that is the real fear, is that there's some kind of an even broader crackdown coming which is why they're first trying to get all of the reporters out of the way. >> it's scary, nick, and i also read your column. you said some of these thugs are roaming with razor blades and with screwdrivers and they're clearly going after journalists and they're going after others as well, but journalists are a prime target? >> that's right, when i arrived today, there was a line, a quantity let of these thugs. they looked like central casting's version of thugs, they are big strapping young men. they were each holding these clubs with nails driven in them. and you know, that was pretty intimidating. i was able to find another route in and i must say that a lot of other people found ways in too. i spoke to a doctor who had not been previously involve in these protests and then he watched the scenes on satellite television yesterday of peaceful protesters being attacked by these thugs and he was so outraged that he early this morning, he prepared his will and he's 64 years old, uses a cane, he got in his car and drove 200 kilometers, sneaked into the square and has been treating the injured today. so on the one hand, you have this brutality from the government. on the other hand, you have just an extraordinarily inspiring determination on the part of the people to resist as far as they can. >> i don't know if you heard the interview on egyptian television today, nile tv with the new vice president omar suleiman but i listened to the whole thing. and this section, i'm going to play it for you nick, i'm going to play it for our viewers in the united states and around the world. it's my interpretation to give the green light to a lot of these thugs to go out there and attack journalists. listen to this and i'll get your reaction. >> i actually -- nations who have television channels, they're not friendly at all that have intensified this period of the youth against the nation and the state and they're actually continuing in that. they are continuing. and they have filled in the minds of the youth with wrong doings, with allegations and this is unacceptable. i am really sad for those panels that are affiliated to brotherly nations they should have never done that. we should have never sensed this in any of this period. >> calls this journalist the enemy's spirit. he says i actually blame certain nations that have television channels they're not friendly at all who have intensified the youth against the nation and the state. that sounds like almost a green light to go out there and attack the news media. >> i think that was incitement but i also think it was important to note that it's not just some kind of a general incitement through tv channels. these groups of thugs who are being sent in who are attacking the journalists and attacking the pro democracy si demonstr e demonstratdemonstrat demonstrat demonstrators. they're invariably members of the police or security forces or members of the ruling party. and they arrive in busses, they all have exactly the same talking points, very similar posters. they're organized and in fact this is the standard operating procedure for to the mubarak government for years. i mean this is right now is under the spotlight because there's so many cameras in cairo. but for years, this is exactly how mubarak has intimidated dissidents and those who would criticize his regime while being able to distance himself and create a little bit of plausible deniabilit deniability. >> it's@nick krictoff. be careful over there, thanks very much, nick. >> reporter: thank you, wolf. we're going to have much more on the breaking news coming out of cairo and egypt. could the chaos spread to other parents of egypt in we're going to have another live report from another major city on the edge. the reporting continues right here on "the situation room." ♪ you don't know ♪ hey ♪ what you do to me ♪ what you do to me ♪ hey ♪ all i see ♪ yeah [ male announcer ] you know her. ♪ it's new to me, yeah [ male announcer ] we know diamonds. and with an extra 10% off storewide now through sunday, together we'll find the perfect gift. that's why only zales is the diamond store. i want to fix up old houses. ♪ [ woman ] when i grow up, i want to take him on his first flight. i want to run a marathon. i'm going to work with kids. i'm going to own my own restaurant. when i grow up, i'm going to start a band. 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[ female announcer ] together we can discover the best of what's next at aarp.org. let's get right to jack, he's wondering what's next for egypt and it's president. jack's next with "the cafferty file." >> the egyptian people are not buying what hosni mubarak has offered. it doesn't seem to matter much to mubarak, he says he would like to leave office now but he says he can't for fear of the country slipping into chaos. that's as opposed to what we're seeing in the streets of ki lee right now. as for the people shouts insults at him, mubarak says i don't care what people say about me, i care about my country, i care about egypt, end quote. saying that an orderly transition to a new regime must begin now. u.s. officials say the protests movement isn't going away, it's only getting bigger and they worry that the longer the crisis goes on without a resolution, the worse the economic impact and the violence will become. already there are food and fuel shortages, banks are closed, other world leaders have also called on mubarak to step aside, including the prime minister of turkey who says that mubarak should, quote, satisfy the people's desire for change, unquote, without hesitation. others are suggesting an interim caretaker cover who could oversee upcoming elections. here's the question, should mubarak step down now before the elections in september? >> pressures certainly are mounting. over at the white house, president obama closely monitoring the escalating attacks on journalists in egypt. dan lothian is standing by. dan, what exactly are you hearing? >> wolf, i can tell you that one aid here at the white house told me that there's growing frustration over how this violence is not only targeting just protests but also journalists. as you pointed out, president obama has been briefed on the situation. there's also concern here about what could happen tomorrow after friday prayers, that this violence could even escalate. so the white house again is calling for restraint. >> reporter: at a national prayer breakfast, president obama's stay of spiritual refleck shul -- >> we pray that the violence in egypt will end and that the rights and aspirations of the egyptian people will be realized and that a better day will dawn over egypt and throughout the world. >> this unrest was not completely unexpected. at a senator hearing thursday, it was revealed u.s. intelligence warned the obama administration in 2010. >> we have warned of instability, we didn't know what the triggering mechanism would be for that. and that happened in the last -- end of the last year. >> reporter: now the violence is not only aimed at the protesters. journalists have been beaten or detained. white house spokesman robert gibbs called for restraint and nonviolence. this is completely and totally unacceptable, he said, any journalist who has been detained should be released immediately. a state department official told cnn egypt's interior ministry was behind the detentions. this action targeting journal niss is -- even as u.s. officials turn up the pressure for a transition to happen now, not later. >> and i urge the government and a broad and credible representation of egypt's opposition, civil society and political factions to begin immediately, serious negotiations on a peaceful and orderly transition. >> reporter: but egyptian president hosni mubarak said earlier this week he won't seek re-election in september said that he wanted to step down but feared it would end in kay yot. i don't care what people say about me, right now i care about my country, i care about egypt. first of all reviewing the aid, the more than a billion dollars a year that the u.s. gives to egypt. secondly i'm told by officials here at the white house that there's diplomatic pressure that's ongoing at all levels of government between the u.s. and egypt, again the two focuses making sure they would allow peaceful protests in egypt and secondly that they would allow for a transition of power much sooner than later. >> some officials of the white house, the state department and the pentagon watching the turmoil unfold. egypt's new vice president is warning of dire consequences if protesters don't return home. he says the turmoil has already chased a million tourists out of egypt. could yemen be next? stay with us. wrench? wrench. basic. preferred. at meineke i have options on oil changes. and now i get free roadside assistance with preferred or supreme. my money. my choice. my meineke. just a half a mile from all the chaos in cairo, seemingly a world away from the unrest, egypt's upper crust is wondering what will happen now to their children. >> reporter: in an almost surreal and unnatural setting in today's cairo, the capitol's elite seek refuge. some come craving a sense of normalcy, others just want to catch up with friends before they too join the protests against president mubarak. >> he keeps on disappointing us, he didn't fulfill any of our demands and his speech was very empty, those were empty words, he says he's going to discuss the articles of the constitution, does not mean that he's going the change the articles and the people were very specific about that. >> reporter: they have been actively demonstrating, her front has not. they're talking about the eviolence erupting just across the nile, only a kilometer away. >> yesterday i would be very proud to see everyone in the street together and standing there just peacefully demonstrating in their own way. but through hosni mubarak -- >> reporter: for many, this is the worst-case scenario, clashes between civilians, threatening to rip apart egypt's social fabric. large promubarak groups descended on to the demonstration ground, the scene that unfolded shocked the nation. rania says she's now staunchly against the president and his supporters who she and many others blame for turning peaceful protests violent. they accuse the president of wanting to use unrest to justify remaining in power. >> they were protesting peacefully, everything was done, they just asked for the demands, the way they're hitting themselves out there is a bit -- i mean i'm scared now. >> reporter: beneath the veneer of upper class society, conflicting emotions coupled with a growing fear. stability seems a distant dream. >> i have heard yesterday on the tv that they have 6 million people in egypt that are paid daily. so these people have been ten days no food for their kids. so later on when they cannot feed their kids they will come on us and take our money and our food and become looters and become very aggressive. >> reporter: this woman who downtown want to be named says egypt was sitting on a time bomb, waiting to explode. a mother of a 19-year-old, she blames herself for what her son's generation is going through. >> we as a generation, we did not do our part, we were busy fighting for our living and for stability in the country. >> reporter: her generation never thought to speak out. >> they will win, the people in the street who slept overnight, the youth who led this, they have to win. >> reporter: but as the night grew more violent, it seems that perhaps there will be no winners in this case. the situation is calm never some of the small towns, even some of the smalling cities like alexandria. cnn's senior international correspondent nic robertson is now joining us live from alexandria. >> reporter: the anti-mubarak plans a very big demonstration. the campaigners have been out on the streets here, not in big numbers, waiting on corners, waiting for the anti-mubarak -- heading off in different directions to avoid those confrontations but it seems almost inevitable when they put more people on the streets on friday that you will see the confrontations here that have been avoided so far and it is very tense here. both sides increasingly polarized and really more and more of the population polarized as well, coming to opposite conclusions about what they're seeing happening in cairo, wolf. >> a lot of our colleagues in cairo are being harassed, they're being beaten up, some have been arrested, not just from cnn but from all sorts of other news organizations. what about in alalexandria, wha is is situation like in al kpachbd debrisa? >> the fulcrum, the epicenter of the battle there doesn't quite exist in the same way here in alexandria, which means we can get out and do a little more work. but the pro mubarak crowds are still very vicious, very angry, if they catch journalists they're giving them a roughing up. we were in a situation this morning for example where we were just talking to local fishermen, fishermen in the harbor and they turned against us. they are pro mubarak, they're not demonstrating, they're frustrated and angry they can't make their norm oliving. they blame it, because of what they have seen on state media, they blame it on the foreign agents and international journalists like ourselves so even people that are not demonstrating here will turn against you and it took a couple of soldiers to extricate us from that situation. no blows were thrown, but without the army there, the situation just escalates, one person comes on and another, and another, and another. and that is typical of the crews working here, a number of our colleagues who were in the same location as us have had similar situations, one crew today had knives pulled on them as they were trying to interview a man in his house. that was actually at his house. so it is a very, very volatile and potentially very dangerous situation still, wolf. >> it sounds like they're seeking to intimidate the news media in alexandria and basically deter you from doing your job which is to report the news, especially tomorrow which is going to be a huge day, is that a fair assessment? >> reporter: wolf, it is fair and i think everyone will be using their best judgment on what they can do because there hasn't been this direct confrontation and fights that we have seen in the center of cairo. it gives the impression in alexandria that it is perhaps safer and everyone here, the people in the city as well, are very aware that it's just beneath the surface. we see people standing on the street corners here arguing among themselves, the passions are really heating up, wolf. >> nic robertson is in alexandria, we'll stay in very close touch with you, be careful over there. some americans in egypt say they're simply terrified right now and they want to get out. how easy, how difficult is it? we'll update you, stand by. thanks to the venture card from capital one, we get double miles on every purchase. so we earned a trip to new orleans twice as fast! bebebebebebaaa! we get double miles every time we use our card, no matter what we're buying. i'll take it. and since double miles add up fast, we can bring the whole gang. fire! 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[ male announcer ] get the venture card from capital one. money magazine's best rewards card if you aim to rack up airline miles. what's in your wallet? bebebebebebaaa! there's some other important news we're monitoring right now. lisa sylvester is here with some of these other top stories. federal reserve chairman ben bernanke is urging lawmakers to raise the debt limit and do it now. he says if that doesn't happen, the u.s. could end up default on its debt which he warns would be catastrophic. he expects the u.s. to top its legal borrowing limit of $3 trillion as soon as this spring. they want to know why t-- a parliamentary committee is investigating. the committee chairman says the government's explanation that the catholic church haas done some good work in developing countries is quote, lame. and remember the gunman who stole $1.5 million in casino chips from the bellagio, a man h, 29-year-old anthony carleo is in police custody. we're going back to cairo. embattled egyptian president hosni mubarak insists he's not to blame for the unrest. let's bring in our senior political analyst gloria boringer. referring to president obama he said, you don't understand the egyptian culture and what would happen if i stepped down now. he said the president of the united states doesn't understand what's going on in egypt. >> well, wolf, i think it's apparent to the whole world it was hosni mubarak who didn't understand what his own people wanted. he's out of touch with his own people. president obama is doing the best he can. i do think that president mubarak has got a point, that's why it's so apparent that even as the president stands openly with the demonstrate fors that there be a time for quiet diplomacy by the united states joined with other nations to bring about a very orderly transition that does not lead to chaos, but a good landing. >> you know, wolf, i think it really depends, this is such a fluid situation, as we have all been watching, it really depends on what is happening in the next couple of days and the next week or so. we don't know what the opposition is going to do. we don't know because so many people are afraid for their lives whether they're going to go to ground, if they remain persistent for example, how will this affects the military? will the military split? so i think david is right, the president has to pursue the diplomatic chach iic channels, believe that perhaps with other nations there could be some way for us to say, look, you're going to be isolated, you're going to be alone against all of us. and maybe there's a threat of sanctions if not the threat of the removal of military aid. you know, something has to be out there that we can say you guys have to really understand that this has changed. >> because mubarak also says today, i'm ready to step down, but if i were to do so before the scheduled elections it would lead to chaos. it would be fair to say the country is already in chaos right now, david. >> there is a lot of gl demonstrations and there's a chaotic quality to them. for the muslim brotherhood to come in and exercise a lot of power would be destabilizing throughout the region. but john kerry in his op-ed piece made a good point, how does one find a graceful way out for mubarak, that allows him to go out with some dignity and keep an orderly process that brings the opposition in, gives them full voice, pays full attention to the need for democracy, the aspirations of the people but does not lead to a government that is a muslim brotherhood government? >> and that's perhaps the military comes in and one of the reasons i'm told that the administration is not overtly threatening the military is that perhaps the military can be useful in this kind of a transition. that david is talking about. >> absolutely. absolutely. >> all right, guys, thanks very much, gloria and david will be standing by. we'll have much more on the breaking news out of egypt including a closer look at what could be responsible for all these attacks on journalists. plus the desperate attempt of so many american citizens right now to simply get out of egypt. this part of the crisis is worsening. at purina one, we want your cat to be as healthy as possible. so we set out to discover the nutritional science in some of nature's best ingredients. that's how we created purina one with smartblend. nutritionally optimized with real salmon, wholesome grains, and essential antioxidants for strong muscles, vital energy, a healthy immune system, and a real difference in your cat. purina one with smartblend. discover what one can do. [ male announcer ] not all steel is created equal. not all manufacturing processes are created equal. not all engineering standards are created equal. which is why not all luxury vehicles are created equal. the hard way means never taking short cuts. the hard way is how lexus inspires absolute confidence. this is the pursuit of perfection. see what it takes at lexus.com/thehardway. the state department is tweeting that any americans wanting to leave egypt should get to the airport as soon as the overnight curfew ends, it's now approaching 1:00 a.m. in egypt. lots of nervous people. their loved ones trying to get out, not that easy. >> that is indeed right. and many americans who were waiting it out through the first phase of unrest in egypt, they are now saying that have had enough, it's just too dangerous. i spoke to two americans by phone today as they waited at the airport. one is journalist, the other is a schoolteacher. christopher la coke is an american journalist for daily news egypt, part of the international herald tribune, he was working on a story on gas shortages in cairo when he and his co-worker were surrounded by an angry mob. >> at that point there was probably 20 to 30 people, a mob scene, pushing, the military showed up. they calmed the situation down and got between us and the mob essentially and from what i was told, basically the mob was saying that, you know, that we were zionists and that we were promoting the unrest in the country and if the military didn't kill us, they were going to kill the military and then kill us. >> we will stay in touch and closely monitor, you know, the welfare of any american citizen and where we can be helpful, we of course will dispatch directly assistance or we'll try to work with the host government. >> lindsay mcneill is a first mcgrady teacher in ejicht, her and her husband decided it's too scary to stay. >> some of them went into your house and actually a man on horse back was throwing glass at my husband. and i was just thinking it's really not in our neighborhood anymore and we need to leave. >> do you still have a lot of things left behind? did you just kind of pack a suitcase and what you could carry? >> we packed one suitcase for the both of us. we have cookies out on the table because we're just thinking by the time we made the decision to leave, it was almost getting dark, i was thinking we need to get into the airport before it gets dark because the situation gets bad as soon as the sun goes down. we had problems on the main roads because the army would block off the main roads. we basically travelled in circles to get here, but once we showed up i saw shining faces and i said i was american and my husband is egyptian and we have american papers and they let us through and we're in the airplane right now. >> the officers quickly put him his and team in his -- he's now headed to cypress and then on to france. lindsay mcneal and her husband, they were on the same flight to cypress and they're hoping to get to the united states so he's an egyptian national and so they don't have papers, that's something they will have to work out when they're in cypress. >> should the egyptian president hosni mubarak step down now or wait until after the election in september? the egyptian government is warning things could get a whole wlot worse. [ female announcer ] you use the healing power of touch every day. ♪ now the healing power of touch just got more powerful. introducing precise from the makers of tylenol. precise pain relieving cream works quickly to activate sensory receptors. it helps block pain signals fast for relief you can feel precisely where you need it most. precise. only from the makers of tylenol. question this hour. should mubarak be forced out now rather than waiting until his term expires in september? ralph from orange park, florida. there's no guarantee mubarak would yield power in september no matter what he says now. it would give him more time to rig the elections and determine his own successor. in charlotte, north carolina. the entire world is watching mubarak's evil tactics right now. egypt wants to catch up with the rest of the civilized world. we want our honest, intelligent and capable men and women from all walks of life to stand up and represent our country in fair elections. we can make the world proud of us, but it all begins today by throwing mubarak out. another writes to us from cairo. no, mubarak should stay to the end of his term. not because i like him, but for stability now. he can't reverse the changes that have begun now, but we need stability in order to prevent other groups from harming egypt even more. jerry from oregon. jack, now that mubarak's goon squads have resorted to attacks and detainment of the prominent world journalists, he should be forced out now, as in yesterday. i'm afraid he's planning something seriously brutal as he attempts to throw sand in the eyes of the world. he's the cause of the chaos that he decries. and someone needs to remind him the same u.s. technology that can put a smart bomb down a tiny chimney in iraq can also see tahrir square in full detail even in the dark. he really can't hide the abuse of his own countrymen, whether the press is there or not. david writes, jack, how much money would it take for you to leave cnn today rather than at the end of your contract? it's estimated mubarak's family net worth is between 40 and $70 billion. go figure. i guess that's more than a billion and a half from the u.s. for more than 20 years. if you want to read more on the subject, find it on my blog, cnn.com/caffertyfile. >> will do, jack. thank you. thanks very much. the crackdown, the turmoil in egypt. we're going there live. we're going to cairo. our reporters are standing by with all the latest on the chaotic situation. and an egyptian journalist, a brave one, tells us why she cannot do her job anymore. the tour turmoil is paral e paralyzing the country already suffering economically. mary snow is working this part of the story for us. >> the head of the world bank told loiters that egypt's future is extremely difficult to read, but the lender is ready to support leaders in the middle east. and from win egypt, a word of caution. >> translator: so a million tourists in nine days have left egypt. >> egypt's vice president warned of economic damage to the country in an interview broadcast on egyptian state run television. saying the country lost a billion dollars and blaming outsiders for the unrest. but the turmoil exposed an economy with a deep divide. it's estimated 20% of the country's population lives below poverty, and the unemployment rate is high. ian bremmer runs a consulting firm. >> we have over 800,000 young people coming into the worse force in egypt every year. so the middle class was shrinking, poverty was increasing. 5.5% growth didn't do it in terms of making the egyptians feel like they would have any future. >> egyptians have also been facing soaring food prices, now at record levels. >> it is not the prime cause, initial cause of the rioting in egypt, but it will certainly exacerbate it and make it more malignant. >> dan is a former agriculture secretary who served under president clinton. he now works on a global agriculture development and hunger initiative and is concerned about unrest spreading as supplies tighten and demand grows. >> higher standards of living in countries like india and china that are increasing the consumption of grains and meats, bad weather around the world. >> reporter: adding to egypt's economic woes, businesses forced to shut down as protests heated up. and the government dealt itself a blow after banks and the stock market had to close because of government-restricted internet access. while the suez canal remains open, there's worry it could disrupt the movement of 1.8 billion barrels of oil a day, causing oil prices to go higher. there's a concern in the oil market the unrest will spread through the middle east. some analysts say the fear is overblown since they expect stability in gulf state where is oil is produced. >> mary snow, thank you. to the viewers, you're in "the situation room." happening now, breaking news, a chilling twist in the egyptian up rising. journalists are being attacked in an effort to keep the world from witnessing the historic events unfolding in cairo. some reporters had to be evacuated in armored vehicles. the government effectively shutting down. live pictures from cairo right now. also, one high profile egyptian journalist takes a dramatic stand, resigning her post and deploring what she calls egypt's propaganda machine. we'll hear from her. and echoes of egypt in yemen. discontent is now boiling over there as well. is yemen next in line for a full scale revolt? we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room." we're following the breaking news out of egypt this hour where members of the news media have now come under what appears to be a coordinated attack ranging from harassment and arrest to beatings. some of them severe. targets including reporters and crews for cnn and other international news organizations as well as international human rights workers. the secretary of state hillary clinton here in washington condemned the attacks just a little while ago. >> we condemn in the strongest terms attacks on reporters covering the ongoing situation in egypt. this is a violation of international norms that guarantee freedom of the press, and it is unacceptable under any of those circumstances. we also condemn in the strongest terms attack on peaceful demonstrators, human rights activists, foreigners and diplomats. >> let's go to cairo right now. fred is standing by live. >> reporter: i'm overlooking tahrir square. it's a lot more quiet than it was the past couple of days. i did hear a few gunshots ring out into the night. i'm assuming someone came close to army personnel carrier or possibly also too close to a tank. but right now it's really a lot more quiet. anti-mubarak movements are fortifying their position. they really beat back the pro-mubarak protesters throughout the better part of the day as i was covering this out there live. there were raging battles going on in the streets with people pelting rocks at each other and the anti-mubarak movement making more and more progress, fortifying their positions at some point one of the sides got out flash bangs, which are normally actually used to break up riots, the sort of fireworks you shoot at other people. and those sort of subsided as the evening dragged on. it appears right now to us at least, as though most of the pro-mubarak movements have pretty much dispersed or run away. there's a few of them still left. at this point in time it seems fairly peaceful, at least measured by the standards from what i was telling you last night, wolf. >> and they're expecting a huge day of protests tomorrow. it's already friday in cairo. we're getting ready for huge numbers of people to come out after prayers. tell our viewers here in the united states and around the world why we're not showing live pictures from tahrir square or any place else for that matter right now, how the government or whoever is responsible for intimidating the international news media made it too dangerous, made it impossible for us to show live pictures. >> reporter: they're certainly trying. we're regrouping on our end as. we're not going to be shut down by anyone. you said it before. it appears to be a concerted effort on the part of someone, somewhere, in the egyptian officials. i know of a lot of cases of reporter who is have been beaten, cameras confiscated by security forces. also by hotel staff in certain places. our crews, as you know, have been harassed and in part beaten. i was on a shoot a couple days ago when i was attacked by people. it really gave the impression that most of these were not ordinary protesters. they knew exactly what they were looking for. they knew exactly how to grab the camera. they knew they were looking for a tape inside the camera. they became very, very violent. we had stones thrown at the car we were in. we had people trying to drag us out of the car. other crews have had the same. some of these crews, wolf, have been detained, apparently, by egyptian security forces. by the egyptian military. in part also by regular egyptian people, and their stuff has been deta detained. so this is a dramatic turn of events. certainly one that does not reflect well on the people who are doing this. >> i'm getting a lot of questions on twitter and elsewhere, fred, about our colleagues. everyone knows that anderson cooper was beaten yesterday. hala gorani was threatened, intimidated yesterday as well. some of our other producers and camera crews were. today anderson had another incident. tell our viewers what happened to him today. >> well, hoo he was moving around in a car. he may have been with hala. the car was attacked as well. from what i heard t window was smashed. the driver was able to take off. obviously sometimes when you get into traffic or a place where you have to slow down, you are something like a sitting target, especially if you're in the wrong place. the pro-mubarak demonstrators come around. i've had a similar incident happen to myself. immediately, guys descended on us. guys who we were pretty sure was security forces or plain clothed security forces. immediately started to get a mob going against us. started throwing rocks at the cars and trying to beat us. then when he managed to get out of there. right now, yeah, it is a very delicate and dangerous situation. and the thing that happened to anderson today is obviously in no way acceptable, wolf. >> i want to reiterate that the whole world is watching what's happening in egypt right now. not only here. we're seeing it on cnn and cnn international. so people in egypt are seeing us as well. so you can try to hide the news from getting out, but you can't completely succeed. you can intimidate, but you can't completely cover up what's going on. brian todd is in "the situation room." you're looking at what's going onning on, on this very question. >> there are accusations from u.s. officials, from many others, that the thugs instigating the violence are going the government's bidding. and journalists are not just being caught in the middle. >> they're there to be the eyes and ears. journalists are targets, running for cover, hiding. trying to dodge the attackers. >> who do you work with? a newspaper. >> reporter: journalists beaten, stabbed, chased, rounded up. u.s. officials believe people from egypt's interior ministry are involved. >> i think we have traced it to elements of, you know, close to the government or the ruling party. >> this comes as accusations persist that egyptian government agents in plain clothes were among the pro-mubarak demonstrators instigating the worst violence. there are accounts some pro-government protesters were found with police i.d.s on them. egyptian officials have denied any government roles in orchestrating the attacks in cairo. one calling the accusations a work of real fiction, and the egyptian vice president has given his own version of who might be responsible. >> reporter: without specifics, omar says entities outside egypt are to blame for the violence. >> some other elements have infiltrated. >> reporter: and president mubarak blamed them the brotherhood for the violence. these scenes look very familiar. >> i've seen this before. it has happened in tehran just in the same way. a former aide in the early days of the iranian revolution was a cofounder of the revolutionary guard. he says the presence of plain-clothed thugs in cairo, some blending in, others riding in on horses or camels is similar to what happened in the streets of tehran after the disputed election in 2009. >> look at the sticks that they have in their hands. and they start to beat the people. >> he compares this to iran's notorious besiege militia, controlled by the revolutionary guard, who road on motorcycles and attacked protesters. >> why do you believe the guys who came in on horseback and camel back were for the government? >> look at the guy here. he is a professional person. how to attack to a demonstrator. and his colleague keeps the horse. >> but he says the militia in iran was better at this than the instigators in cairo. in iran they were better armed, better equipped. had walkie-talkies and communicated with commanders monitoring the streets on traffic cameras. the egyptian government denied it took part in this. state tv said the pro-mubarak protesters were tourism workers upset the industry was hit hard by this, wolf. obviously not everyone is buying that. >> as a journalist, i want to play this little clip, brian. you're going to hear suleiman, the new vice president of egypt say in an interview the following words, which are chilling, especially if you're a reporter working in egypt right now. listen to this. >> translator: i actually blame certain friendly nations who have television channels. they're not friendly at all, who have intensified the youth against the nation and the state. they are actually continuing. they have filled in the minds of the youth with wrong doings, with allegations, and this is unacceptable. i am sad for the channels affiliated to brotherly nations. they should have never done this. they should have never set this enemy spirit. >> he didn't define the channels affiliated with brotherly nations. he didn't say if it was cnn, affiliated based here in the united states or the bbc in england. he didn't which channels. if you hear that and you're on the streets of cairo and you're pro-mubarak and hear the vice president say these guys are endangering egypt, that's got to be a green light to do more of that. >> you would think this was an enci incitement to them. >> these foreign nations should not interfere in domestic affairs. it sounds like he and very similar, although he was much more blunt than mubarak was, apparently n the abc news interview. but it's very, very chilling to hear a vice president say this. we're just get this in. i'm going to read it to the viewers. vice president biden had a phone conversation with suleman. the vice president's office issue ad statement. the white house saying this. reiterating @ obama's condemnation of the recent violence in egypt and calling for restraint by all sides. he also restated the president's support for universal rights, including the right to free speech and assembly. the statement goes on. vice president biden urged that credible inclusive negotiations begin immediately in order for egypt to transition to a democratic government that addresses the aspirations of the. he said this, a statement by the white house, biden stressed that the egyptian government is responsible for ensuring that peaceful demonstrations don't lead to violence and intimidation, and for allowing journalists and human rights advocates to conduct their important work, including immediately releasing those who have been detained. a number of our colleagues, not from cnn, but from other news organizations, brian, as you know, they've been arrested. they've been detained. some of them have been beaten, nearly killed in this process of simply trying to report the news. >> and what specific -- when you ask the egyptian government specifically about the violence toward journalists, you don't hear them coming out specifically denying that. they deny taking part or instigating the overall violence. they don't necessarily speak to the violence toward journalists. i read an account where the egyptian official said we don't know who is doing this to the journalist. when you listen to nicholas kristoff and the others, they believe they know and they're behind it. it's friday in cairo now. will we see the pictures we want to see from out of there? how is the army going to react to all of this? this is very tense in the hours coming up. >> the army will be critical. thanks very much, brian. the man who is the focus of so much outrage is speaking out for the first time in days. in an interview, the egyptian president says he's troubled and pained by the violence of the last few days. he blames much of it on the islamist opposition group. mubarak goes onto say he wants to step down immediately but can't because he fears it will worsen the chaos. abc news reports the one-time son and heir gamal was in place in the palace in cairo during the interview. there's one key way the crisis in the middle east could affect you and me and all of us, in fact. jack cafferty is here. he's got the cafferty file. >> as the unrest sweeps through the middle east, not unlike a wildfire, it's worth remembering that this crisis will ultimately cost all of us. at the gas pump. maybe this is wishful thinking, but let's try it just for a minute. do you suppose that the chaos in that part of the world might finally, finally be now have to break this country's addiction to foreign oil? although egypt isn't a big oil producer, it plays a key role in the transport of oil and gas headed to the united states, to ju europe and asia all through the suez canal. without it shippers would have to go around the horn of africa, which adds more than two weeks of delivery time, not to mention the increased cost. with the ongoing violence and protests in egypt, some shippers are worried about disruptions to the suez canal or nearby pipelines. nearly 2.5 million barrels of oil go there the canal every day. equal to the entire output of iraq. all of this comes as global oil supplies are tightening. mainly due to china's increasing demand. and the markets are reacting. crude is now trading at $103 a barrel. that's a 28-month high. even before the middle east erupted, some experts were predicting gasoline at $5 a gallon by next year. it's not just about the money. so much of the politics of the region has always been dictated by our need for their oil. wouldn't it be nice to do what's in our best national interest for a change, instead of being beholden to middle east dictators for the oil? it's probably wishful thinking. here's the question. should the chaos in the middle east be enough to break america's addiction to foreign oil? go to cnn.com/caffertyfile. post a comment on my blog. >> been hearing that for about 30 years, jack. >> ever since the carter administration and the arab oil embargo in 1973. >> not much has happened. >> all right, deep concern at if state department right now as it is stretching. the concern far beyond egypt. new details as secretary of state hillary clinton is calling leaders in that part of the world, including the jordanian king. and we'll talk to a reporter who was literally zrag edrapged through the street of cairo what are you looking at? logistics. ben? the ups guy? no, you see ben, i see logistics. logistics? think--ben is new markets. ben is global access-- china and beyond. ben is a smarter supply chain. ben is higher margins. happier customers... everybody wins. logistics. exactly. see you guys tomorrow. sadly, no. oh. but i did pick up your dry cleaning and had your shoes shined. well, i made you a reservation at the sushi place around the corner. well, in that case, i better get back to these invoices... which i'll do right after making your favorite pancakes. you know what? i'm going to tidy up your side of the office. i can't hear you because i'm also making you a smoothie. [ male announcer ] marriott hotels & resorts knows it's better for xerox to automate their global invoice process so they can focus on serving their customers. with xerox, you're ready for real business. at usaa, this is our executive committee. this is our advisory board. our field research team. and our product development staff. we know military lives are different. we've been there. that's why our commitment to serve the financial needs of our military, veterans, and their families is without equal. and why, we'll always be there for you... both here... and here. usaa. for insurance, banking, investments, retirement and advice. we know what it means to serve. let us serve you. the state department saying hillary clinton spoke today to the king of jordan where more dmon stations are planned tomorrow. let's go to the foreign affairs correspondent, jill dworking th story. >> that was a message not just to king abdullah, but to nervous allies in the region. why are they nervous? as these u.s. allies look at what's going on in egypt, they are figuring that if the u.s. is ready to walk away from president mubarak, could it happen to them? and so what the message that secretary clinton was giving, you could really boil it down to change can be good if it's done the right way. and what soohe's saying is, loo there were demonstrates on the streets in jordan, but they were handled correctly. people were allowed to express their opinions. the king changed his government, and he did it correctly. so you could say the message is we'll stick with the guy who is do it right. but president mubarak is not doing it correctly. then also, wolf, we have new information about the violence against the journalists who is responsible. here at the state department they believe it was in the government, somewhere in the egyptian government, or in the ruling party. they don't know how high up. but we spoke directly with the ambassador, the egyptian ambassador. he said there is a security vacuum in egypt. we condemn the attacks and the violence, and that the government is not responsible. so, i think, wolf, you know, this raises a big question of how much in control is president mubarak. >> there's a lot of questions it raises. all right, jill. thank you very much. very dangerous situation on the ground for the people of egypt. also for journalists on the ground in cairo. beatings, arrests and a lot more. we'll hear from one reporter who literally was dragged through the streets of cairo. happy to be alive right now. and we'll take you live to yemen. we have details of a massive anti-government protest. yemen, al qaeda in the arabian peninsula has a huge base there. issen ne next in line for a fule revolt? e? host: does it take two to tango? ♪ ♪ anncr: geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% omore on car insuranc somewhere in america, a city comes to life. it moves effortlessly, breathes easily. it flows with clean water. it makes its skyline greener and its population healthier. all to become the kind of city people want to live and work in. somewhere in america, we've already answered some of the nation's toughest questions. and the over sixty thousand people of siemens are ready to do it again. siemens. answers. truly been a terrifying day for a lot of people in egypt today. presumably tomorrow when the demonstrations get even more massive. it could get a whole lot worse. the situation for journalists, all of the foreign reporters trying to report the news is getting really, really dangerous. the atlanta magazines contributing editor grahamwood is joining us now. he was dragged through the streets of cairo by a furious mom today. graham, you're somewhere in cairo right now, but tell our viewers here in the united states and around the world what happened. and you're no stranger to cairo. you studied there as a younger person. >> caller: that's right. i used to be a student at the american university in cairo. i came back to report this. what happened this morning is i was going through part of downtown cairo, and your viewers have to realize that pretty much every block of cairo has its own local security force. people have set up with improvised weapons, samurai swords, pieces of metal and sticks. and at variety times during the da day, they'll have check points ready. if you hit the wrong one, and people have the wrong attitude, they may very well pick you up. that's what happened to me. they flipped through my passport and found some iranian stamps. they thought from that i was an iranian spy. the next thing i knew i was dragged from the car and brought a few hundred meters away to a check point where they determined i was not in fact iranian. they eventually let me go. but a scary experience, nonetheless. >> did they beat you up or anything like that, or did they just drag you? >> caller: they just dragged me. they knocked me around a bit. i was figuratively and literally shaken. but didn't have the injuries that afflicted the other journalists in the city today. which including stabbings and people sent to the hospital. >> this underscores tension that exited in recent years between egypt and iran and the visa you had when you visited iran in the u.s. passport. i take it there's a picture of you, the iranians put a picture of you in the passport as part of the visa, and that's why these individuals suspected you may have been a quote iranian agent. is that what happened? >> it's not as if they're professionals. they don't know what it looks like to pick up someone with an iranian passport. their eyes go to the arabic script. they've been told that you have to be on the lookout for iranian agents. so when they see one who might be an iranian agent, then immediately it's eurika. they yell out to the compadres and yell out and drag you off. >> they were looking not only for so-called iranian agents. they were looking for other agents as well. who specifically was on their target list? >> they said they were warned there would be iranian provocateurs out there. there would be hezbollah, hamas, israelis as well. they are quite anti-mubarak broadcasts. they believe cutter is involved in a conspiracy against egypt as wel well. >> that's why they go after the cutries. you heard the interview on egyptian television today by the vice president omar suleiman in which he spoke about these foreign channels linked to what he called brother lly nations b they're endangering egypt. you point out, as i have, his words are precise and they're chilling. >> caller: yes, that's right. we're already in an atmosphere where foreigners are being targeted. it's a hair triggering response if someone would think that i of all people would be iranian. to have them say there are foreigners in the midst causing trouble, it's a fightening turn of events. >> what are you bracing for tomorrow? it's already friday in cairo, graham. what are you bracing for? we understand after prayers there's going to be huge demonstrations. >> caller: that's my understanding as well. i haven't actually been in tahrir square since about 24 hours ago. i can't speak to what it looks like there right now. but i'm expecting there will be clashes that equal what we saw on wednesday. >> because friday is a day of prayer in the muslim world. we're expecting huge demonstrations after individuals leave the midday prayers. graham, thanks very much. be careful over there. graham wood of the atlantic magazine joining us. he had just one experience, but these are dozens and dozens of reporters. journalists from all over the world, from europe, from the united states, from the middle east being targeted right now in cairo. who would have believed this could happen? in the last 24 hours we've seen some of the most dramatic images yet out of egypt. cnn crews are capturing as much as we can. some of the video you're about to see is very disturbing. >> we've been out there since last tuesday, the 25th. we realized we could get medical supplies and food to distribute. >> what kind of injuries did you see? >> mostly head injuries. easily 90% head injuries. some that required much more medical attention than we could offer. a lot of it was, you know, many needed stitches. a lot of them came two or three times. they could come back minutes later with another head injury. >> the anti-mubarak demonstrators managed to push the pro-mubarak demonstrators out of tahrir square. they have largely taken over the roads leading in and out of the square as well. >> we're right in tahrir square. we're in between two makeshift check points or barricades f you will. now the scene is there's many people who were wounded in the bad clashes that happened during the night. a doctor working here, volunteering here, told us that many people were shot and that they were treating gunshot wounds that they say come from pro-mubarak protesters. at the same time the protesters are continuing to dig in, and they're reenforcing barricades and digging up more and more of these pavement stones. these are the projectiles that were used in the battles last night. it was really the weapon of choice as the two sides were pelting each other. they keep digging these up and fortifying the position. >> my mother. sometimes she says the country's changing and i'm proud of you. it's not going to end today. we'll stay in the streets until it's over. >> the worst is yet to come. this is the price we have to pay for freedom, i guess. it's a high price to pay, but it will be worth it for the future generation. >> a high profile egyptian journalist takes a dramatic stance, resigning her post with the government-run tv station and deploring egypt's propaganda machine. we'll hear from her. plus, troubling new developments in yemen. a major al qaeda base right now. cnn is there for a massive anti-government protest. we're going to yemen as well. [ male announcer ] a chicken coop: the unlikely birthplace of a fundamental idea. it's where ethel percy andrus found a retired teacher living because she could afford nothing else. ethel couldn't ignore the clear need for health and financial security. and it inspired her to found aarp. for over 50 years, we've continued that work, to help all americans pursue their best life. discover more of what we do, for every generation at aarp.org. it started in tunisia, spreading to egypt, and now we're following developments in yemen as well where thousands and thousands of people inspired by the events in egypt and tunisia protested against their own president, who has been in office for three decades. first, take a look at this. >> they are chanting for the minister of interior to open his eyes and see what's going on in the country. now we've heard a lot today. they want a regime change. they are not happy with the pledges made by the president yesterday that he would not seek to appoint himself president in 2013. many say he needs to go now. this is a list of demands that the opposition is putting out today and their supporters are putting out today. the crowd emboldened by what chaif seen happening in tunisia. >> he is joining us live on the phone from yemen. what's happening now? i know it's the middle of the night. are they bracing for more of this on friday? >> caller: well, wolf, when we spoke to the opposition leaders of the anti-government protests on thursday, there were calls for more protests. we don't know why it happened. yesterday was an exception. they were calling for a day of rage for several days inspires fi the events in egypt as well. a lot of people said they do intend to keep coming into the streets. they will show the anger, saying they want economic opportunity. they want jobs. they want to feed their families, and they're tired of the regime that's been in charge for 30 years, wolf. >> what concerns a lot of u.s. officials, mohammed, as you know, is that some could be supporters for al qaeda in the arabian peninsula. did you get any indication of that among the protesters out today? >> caller: among the protesters we saw today, one of the key things was, this was a largely peaceful protest. there was no clashes. there was real tension there may be clashes, there may be violence. that didn't happen. there was always worry there could be. but they don't believe al qaeda is involved at this point. but there is concern that if this regime were to fail, and if yemen would become a failed state or the president would step down from office, who would fill the void? there's no lead er one that has grown and is a growing threat here. concerning regional neighbors and western allies alike. >> we'll check back with you tomorrow. reporting for us from the capital of yemen. a senior journalist for egypt's government-run tv station is quitting in protest. she's speaking to cnn. standby. oday. for the aches and sleeplessness in between, there's motrin pm. no other medicine, not even advil pm, is more effective for pain and sleeplessness. motrin pm. we continue to follow all the developments in egypt. lisa sylvester is monitoring other top stories in "the situation room" right now. >> the government's january jobs report is due out tomorrow. but we have the weekly report for now. and it is somewhat encouraging. the labor department says the number of people filing first time unemployment claims fell 42,000 from the previous week to 415,000. and that is better than analysts were expecting. las vegas police made an arrest in a bold casino robbery. a man road a motorcycle to the bellagio hotel last december and with his helmet hiding his face, walked up to a table, pulled a gun, and took $1.5 million in chip. 29-year-old was arrested overnight. his father is a local judge who says he is heartbroken. and scientists say they discovered five planets, each one is far enough away from the sun to make liquid water possible. and that's a key building block for any life form. new york city is making the tough anti-smoking laws tougher. the city council voted to ban smoking in all 1,700 city parks and 14 miles of beaches. opponents argue it's intrusive and goes too far. they outlawed smoking in bars and restaurants in 2003. a veteran journalist for egypt's government-run tv station has had enough. she's quitting her job in protests. and now she's telling us, right here at cnn, the real story. yellowbook has always been crucial to your business, but now, to get it really cooking, you need a little website development. some transparent reporting, so you know it's working. online ads and 1-on-1 marketing consultation. yellowbook's got all that. yellowbook360 has a whole spectrum of tools. the perfect recipe for success. visit yellowbook360.com and go beyond yellow. an egyptian journalist is taking a stand against what she calls the propaganda regime in her own country. she was a deputy head and senior correspondent until a few hours ago. she has now quit her jobs and says she feels liberated and relieved. she spoke to cnn's jonathan. >> i was only allowed to air the pro-mubarak rallies that were going on. as if nothing was happening. we weren't allowed to reveal any figures. there was a near blackout. i feel it's hypocrite call. i don't want to be part of it. i don't care. i feel really good. this is something i should have done ages ago. i didn't have an alternative, nor do i now. i was happy to spend the day where the people are. i'm on their side. it's the self-censorship. people are too scared to tell the truth. this is a built-in or inherent feeling that many egyptian journalists have because of the arrests. we hear every day a different story. but i haven't been intimidated. i have been telling the truth. i'm happy to get away with it until now. this time around i couldn't tell the truth. so i walked out. >> john mccain is speaking about president obama's handling of the crisis. why he supports president obama's strategy so far and why now be the most dangerous time we've ever seen in the middle east. that according to mccain. that interview coming up on "john king usa" let's go back to jack. >> the question this hour shrk the chaos in the middle east be enough to break america's addiction to foreign oil? bob in ohio says it should be but it won't be. we don't have an affordable long temperature electric powered alternative to guzzling cars. until that happen know we're looked on oil. i bet if the big oil company held an interest, we would have an fusht car next week. jim writes, be as long as the oil companies run this country. oil would have to become so expensive that americans could no longer afford to buy it. once that happens, we'll start to get serious about alternative fuels and other modes of transportation. carol in massachusetts. nope. remember the gas lines of the 1970s? if that didn't do it, nothing will. americans almost more loathe to give up their precious suv gas guzzlers than their guns. mark in new jersey. of course not, jack. the oil companies would never allow it and they have much more to say about it than us the stupid voters. joe writes shrk it be enough? yes. will it be enough? no. it seems we're happier to complain than make the difficult decisions to remove ourselves from foreign dependence. natural gas, offshore drilling, solar panels, i don't care. let's do it all and make america strong again. paul writes in the land of two hummer families, i don't think it is likely. does a heroin addict stop buying drugs because his dealer is having a family dispute? not hardly. foreign oil flows through our national veins. we won't be allowed to stop because they are addicted to our money in the psalm way. if you want to read more on the subject, go to the blog. >> will do. thank you. next in the situation room, at the top of the hour, we'll have the latest from egypt journalists increasingly becoming the target of very dangerous attacks. here's a look at some very dramatic pictures. look at this. a molotov cocktail hits demonstrators on the october 6 bridge. a man peers out a window as protesters stand behind barricades. an anti-government protester throws a projectile at supporters of hosni mubarak. a car is engulfed by flames after being set on fire by protesters. and a man prays in front of an egyptian army tank. some of those tanks have been positioned between anti-government protester and pro mubarak dmen straigemonstra. three days to go until the super bowl in the united states this sunday. that may be a good thing with another winter storm slamming texas. cnn's jeanne moos has this most unusual sneak peek at the ads you may be talking about on monday. >> forget roethlisberger and rodgers, the up and coming stars may be a pug, a bier, a pint size darth have you had aer, maybe even adam and eve. most advertisers spend a bundle michael fegsal commercials. >> in the paws of a clarvoyant creature. >> bridgestone tires used a real beaver and a stunt beaver. but there will be a half dozen home made super bowl commercials. doritos and pepsi max asked people to make their own apps. >> oh, baby. check this out. come on! >> j.r. created pug attack. >> i've always thought pugs running in slow motion was funny. >> so he borrowed a friend's pug. there were over 5,600 entries. competing for cash and exposure. the sauna wasn't a finalist. adam and eve was. >> a different take on an old story. >> nah! i'm good. >> some aspiring ad make hers the same creative concept. for instance, the chip on the butt. on neither of those made the finals but one called the best part did. >> you left the best part. >> no. i'm pretty sure -- >> cheese. >> okay. that isn't as cute as, say, volkswagen's super bowl spot featuring a miniature darth have you had aer who finally gets the force to work when his dad gives him a hand. in the days leading up to the game, some advertisers even released trawlers for their commercials. for instance, the tale of a scorpion in the anheuser-busch clydesdales is to be continued. ditto for another bridgestone tire ad. >> rod, you send this e-mail ply all. you hit reply all. >> the amateurs stand to win up to $1 million if their home made ads make it to the top of the ad