Obama: Change in Egyptian rule must begin now

Egypt Protests

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Staff/wire report

WASHINGTON

President Barack Obama on Tuesday challenged Egypt’s embattled autocratic ruler, a staunch U.S. ally, to begin immediately the process of transitioning the country to new leadership, a signal that there should be no drawn-out goodbye.

Earlier, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had announced he would not seek another term in office but also would not yield to growing demands to step down now. After a huddle at the White House, Obama went on television to respond.

In his brief statement at the White House, Obama invoked Egypt’s ancient and storied past in what appeared to be an appeal to Mubarak’s desire to be remembered well in history as a powerful leader and peacemaker. He said he had spoken to Mubarak for 30 minutes shortly after Mubarak addressed the Egyptian people.

“He recognizes that the status quo is not sustainable and that a change must take place,” Obama said of Mubarak. “Indeed, all of us who are privileged to serve in position of political power do so at the will of our people.”

“Through thousands of years, Egypt has known many moments of transformation; the voices of the Egyptian people tell us that this is one of the moments, this is one of those times,” Obama said.

Mubarak delivered his speech after hearing from a special envoy, former U.S. ambassador to Egypt Frank Wisner, whom Obama dispatched to Cairo on Monday. Wisner’s message: The U.S. saw his tenure at an end, didn’t want him to stand for re-election in September and wanted him to prepare an orderly transition to real democracy.

“It is my belief that an orderly transition must be meaningful, it must be peaceful, and it must begin now,” Obama said he had told Mubarak in the phone call.

That suggested Mubarak’s concession was not enough, but Obama left the point dangling.

He stressed that it was not up to the United States to pick Egypt’s leaders.

Dr. Rashad El-Dabh, a radiation oncologist at St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown who moved from Cairo to the United States when he was 29, said that although Mubarak won’t be in power much longer, his speech wouldn’t immediately calm tensions in Egypt.

“I doubt it,” El-Dabh said. “People are so upset. They’ve gained their voice and broke their fear. I think he [Mubarak] should just leave now and let people start over.”

As for U.S. citizens still in Egypt, the American Red Cross in a statement Tuesday said inquiries should be directed to the U.S. Department of State, the Office of Overseas Citizens Services, or by e-mail at EgyptEmergencyUSC@state.gov.