All indications are that several thousand supporters of President Hosni Mubarak are instigating today's clashes.
White House chief of staff William Daley told reporters that Washington had no warning of today's events, which came as a surprise after President Barack Obama's "cordial" phone call with Mubarak yesterday, NBC News' Andrea Mitchell reports.
Looking at the larger picture, Daley said that given the country's history, the next leader could likely come from the military, with which the United States has "extensive, continuing contacts."
"We would hope what came out of this crisis is a stronger democratic, secular nation," he said, but the bottom line is that the people will control the outcome.
