Obama sends special envoy Wisner to Egypt

Washington, Feb 1 (PTI) US President Barack Obama hasdispatched Frank Wisner, former US Ambassador to India andEgypt, to Cairo as the pro-democracy protest today gatheredmomentum, demanding the ouster of embattled Egyptian leaderHosni Mubarak.

"Frank Wisner is in Cairo. The U.S. Government askedhim to go. As someone with deep experience in the region, heis meeting with Egyptian officials and providing hisassessment," the State Department said in a statement today.

Wisner visit to Cairo comes as tens of thousands ofEgyptians poured onto the streets today for an unprecedentedrally seeking ouster of President Mubarak.

The powerful military has shown signs of distancingitself from the besieged leader, vowing that it would not fireon the protesters.