The unfolding drama in the battle-disfigured streets and opaque repositories of power in Cairo has an act or two to go before reaching catharsis. But one thing is clear. The army will try to ensure Hosni Mubarak is not forced out by the revolt and will instead ease him off stage.

Egypt’s US and European allies should do everything they can to ensure his retirement comes soon and finally place themselves on the right side of history in the Arab world, of which Egypt is now the throbbing heart.

Mr Mubarak has had to fall back on the army; and he has lost control of the presidential succession. For the first time in his 30 years in power he has been forced to appoint a vice-president – Omar Suleiman, chief of the tentacular Mukhabarat intelligence services – and thereby relinquish any hope he had to bequeath the presidency to his banker son, Gamal.