http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110202/ap_on_re_us/us_us_egypt
<http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110202/ap_on_re_us/us_us_egypt>Obama pushes Mubarak for faster change By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press15 mins ago WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is prodding Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to quickly loosen his grip on power, sternly telling the world that the longtime leader's transition from the presidency "must begin now." Obama spoke at the White House not long after Mubarak, a key U.S. ally in the volatile Middle East, announced Tuesday evening that he would not seek re-election in balloting set for September. Mubarak said he would stay in office until then to oversee a political changeover from his authoritarian 30-year reign to an uncertain future. Mubarak's concession not to seek office again was angrily rejected by throngs of protesters in Cairo who are fed up with poverty and corruption and want the 82-year-old leader to step down immediately. They have vowed to stay in the streets until he does. It also did not appear to satisfy Obama. After days of scrambling in the White House over how to react to the enormous and unanticipated protest movement enveloping America's top Arab ally, the president came down unmistakably on the side of the demonstrators, though he stopped well short of echoing their demand for Mubarak's immediate resignation. After speaking to Mubarak on the phone for half an hour, the president delivered offered high praise for the protesters and the Egyptian army, which apparently has sided with the protesters. But Obama did not welcome or even directly mention Mubarak's announcement that he would not stand for re-election. "An orderly transition must be meaningful, it must be peaceful, and it must begin now," he said. Obama had no kind words for Mubarak, though his Egypt has been critical to securing America's interests in the Middle East, including access to oil transport through the Suez Canal and a peace treaty with Israel under Mubarak's predecessor, Anwar Sadat. "He recognizes that the status quo is not sustainable and that a change must take place," Obama said, before declaring that change must start immediately, include opposition parties and "lead to elections that are free and fair. And it should result in a government that's not only grounded in democratic principles, but is also responsive to the aspirations of the Egyptian people." Behind the scenes, the White House had attempted to nudge Mubarak to the exits over the past 48 hours, dispatching former U.S. ambassador to Egypt Frank Wisner as a special envoy to deliver a message to him: The U.S. saw Mubarak's tenure at an end, didn't want him to seek re-election and wanted him to prepare an orderly transition to real democracy. Speaking Wednesday to American ambassadors gathered in Washington, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the unrest in the Middle East showed the importance of strong U.S. diplomacy. "What's going on today — recent events in Egypt and certainly in that broader region — remind us all how crucial it is to have top-notch leadership on the ground and how quickly the ground can shift under our feet," she said. "This is a critical time for America's global leadership," Clinton added. She said the United States needs to "be more nimble" in dealing with fast-paced international developments. Despite Wisner's efforts, Mubarak did not offer the inclusive transition the U.S. seeks, instead saying that he himself would carry out the transfer of power. That left little question that the protests would continue, and with them the maneuvering between Washington, Cairo and other capitals over the way forward. "Many questions about Egypt's future remain unanswered. But I am confident that the people of Egypt will find those answers," Obama said, appealing to the army, a well-respected institution in Egypt, to continue to allow peaceful protests. "To the people of Egypt, particularly the young people of Egypt, I want to be clear: We hear your voices," Obama said. "I have an unyielding belief that you will determine your own destiny and seize the promise of a better future." He said they've shown "passion and dignity" that's "been an inspiration to people around the world." Tuesday's developments made clear the administration's determination that long-term backing for the Egyptian president was no longer tenable. The U.S. extended its outreach to opposition figures and opened talks with a possible Mubarak successor, Nobel peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, a former Egyptian diplomat and chief of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog. ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Lee, Bradley Klapper, Julie Pace, Jim Kuhnhenn and Darlene Superville contributed to this report. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB.
