Kyrgyz leader to quit if safety assured

TEYYIT, Kyrgyzstan - Kyrgyzstan's new rulers on Tuesday gave ousted President Kurmanbek Bakiyev until the end of the day to surrender, threatening otherwise to launch a special operation against his stronghold in the south.

But the ousted president said he was willing to resign if his security was guaranteed.

Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who fled the capital amid bloody protests last week, made the statement hours after holding a rally with about 5,000 supporters that seemed aimed at gauging his ability to resist the self-declared provisional government.