World | Egypt protests Obama: Egypt's Transition 'Must Begin Now' He praises young demonstrators, along with the military By John Johnson Posted Feb 1, 2011 6:29 PM CST Copied In a Sept. 1, 2010, file photo, President Obama meets with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the Oval Office. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) President Obama said he spoke to Hosni Mubarak again today and told him that Egypt's transition to new leadership "must begin now." In his own speech, Obama didn't explicitly call for Mubarak to step down earlier than September, though the Washington Post quotes insiders as saying the administration wasn't thrilled with Mubarak's pledge to remain in power until the fall, even though he won't seek re-election. Protesters didn't like it, either. "He recognizes that the status quo is not sustainable and that change must take place," said Obama. He said he told Mubarak of "my belief that an orderly transition must be meaningful, it must be peaceful, and it must begin now." Obama also called for opposition figures to be involved in the process. He praised the nation's young demonstrators for providing "inspiration" to the world and lauded Egypt's military for its restraint. Read These Next More details coming out about the last party the Reiners attended. The Reiners murders and arrest have called attention to a 2015 film. The president's son is set to marry again. Rob Reiner's son has been arrested after murder of his parents. Report an error