Post date: Jun 19, 2012 10:44:48 PM
CAIRO, EGYPT (JUNE 19, 2012)(REUTERS) - Hosni Mubarak, who ruled Egypt for three decades until overthrown by last year, was on life support in hospital, military officials said on Tuesday (June 19), but they denied a report he was clinically dead.
Egyptians show their contempt for former leader Hosni Mubarak as conflicting stories emerge concerning his reported death.
Earlier the state news agency, amid high tension over the election of a new president, quoted medical sources as saying the former head of state, aged 84, was "clinically dead". That description was used also to Reuters by a hospital source.
But three sources in the military and security services, which retain control following the revolt, said Mubarak was being kept alive and said they would not use the expression "clinically dead" to describe his condition.
Reactions to the initial reports of his death sparked off celebrations in Tahrir Square, where a mass demonstration in support of the Muslim Brotherhood's claimed election victory was taking place. Cheers rang out and fireworkls were set off.
In the streets, Cairo residents were anxious for news and displayed contempt for the deposed leader.
"We do not need anything from him or his family, we want them to leave us alone, because we have got tired of them, we are looking forward the good people to rule us, we do need anything from his family, we want to live, we need security, we need a decent life, we need freedom and we need to retrieve our dignity," said one man.
"There is only one Hosni, there are millions of people who copy him and if we want to get rid of Hosni we should get rid of all these people who are like him, they are scattered in streets, squares, schools they are everywhere. Hosni is not only just one person; all of the monitoring (police) associations were all working perfectly for him," said another man.