President Barack Obama on Friday welcomed the peaceful transition of power in Egypt with the resignation of long-time President Hosni Mubarak. “The people of Egypt have spoken. Their voices have been heard. And Egypt will never be the same,” he declared.
In brief remarks at the White House, the President noted that it was “not the end of Egypt’s transition, it’s a beginning.” He said that many important questions remain to be resolved and difficult times lie ahead.
“I’m confident the people of Egypt can find the answers,” Mr. Obama said. He spoke hours after Mr. Mubarak stepped aside, turning authority over to the military. It was a turnaround from the night before, when the Egyptian leader defiantly refused to give up his title.
Said Mr. Obama: “Egyptians have inspired us, and they’ve done so by putting the lie to the idea that justice is best gained by violence.”
