President Obama said late Tuesday afternoon that an "orderly transition" in Egypt "must begin now" in the wake of widespread protests that have thrown the country into turmoil.
The comments came on the same day Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced that he would not seek re-election in September - a stance that fell short of the demands of protesters, who want their longtime leader to step down immediately.
Mr. Obama said he spoke to the 82-year-old Mubarak following the Egyptian leader's announcement, a conversation that the White House said lasted approximately 30 minutes. A special U.S. envoy had reportedly informed Mubarak earlier that the Obama administration saw Mubarak's presidency -- which has lasted nearly three decades -- as essentially over.
"After his speech tonight, I spoke directly to President Mubarak," Mr. Obama said. "He recognizes that the status quo is not sustainable. And that a change must take place. Indeed, all of us who are privileged to serve in positions 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 those moments. This is one of those times."
He continued: "Now, it is not the role of any other country to determine Egypt's leaders. Only the Egyptian people can do that. What is clear, and what I indicated tonight to President Mubarak, is my belief that an orderly transition must be meaningful. It must be peaceful, and it must begin now."
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