Obama speaks to world leaders about Egypt crisis

Lalit K Jha Washington, Feb 6 (PTI) Stepping up diplomatic efforts to
resolve the political crisis in Egypt, US President Barack
Obama has spoken to several world leaders about the unrest in
the Arab state, emphasising the need for a quick beginning of
an "orderly peaceful transition" there.
Obama, who is closely monitoring the volatile situation
in Egypt where 13 days of unrelenting protests against
President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year regime have claimed over 300
lives, spoke to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of the UAE,
British Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor Angela
Merkel of Germany on phone, the White House said.
"The President discussed his serious concern about the
targeting of journalists and human rights groups, and
reaffirmed that the government of Egypt has a responsibility
to protect the rights of its people and to release immediately
those who have been unjustly detained," it said.
Obama emphasised the importance of "an orderly,
peaceful transition, beginning now, to a government that is
responsive to the aspirations of the Egyptian people,
including credible, inclusive negotiations between the
government and the opposition," it said, adding that the
leaders agreed to stay in close contact.
Separately, Vice President Joe Biden called his new
Egyptian counterpart Omar Suleiman to stress the need for
"immediate steps" which demonstrate the Egyptian government's
commitment to reforms, the White House said.
In his second call to Suleiman this week, Biden asked him
about the progress in beginning credible, inclusive
negotiations for Egypt's transition to a democratic government
to address aspirations of the Egyptian people.
"He stressed the need for a concrete reform agenda, a
clear timeline, and immediate steps that demonstrate to the
public and the opposition that the Egyptian government is
committed to reform," the White House said.
During the telephonic conversation, Biden expressed
concern about continued raids on civil society and called for
immediate release of journalists, activists and human rights
advocates who have been detained without cause, it said.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was in Munich for
a security conference, appeared to be supporting efforts being
made by Suleiman to broker a compromise with the opposition
groups and prepare ground for holding elections in September.
Clinton said the transition should happen "as orderly but
as expeditiously as possible".
She said the transition should be "a transparent,
inclusive process that sets forth concrete steps that people
who are engaged in it, and looking at it, can believe is
moving toward an outcome that will commit an orderly
establishment of elections" in September.