Obama to meet with national security team on Egypt

Reporting from Marquette, Mich., and Los Angeles

President Obama, who earlier Thursday called for an orderly transition in Egypt, will meet with his national security team to discuss the situation when he returns to the White House tonight, officials said.

Aboard Air Force One, Obama watched President Hosni Mubarak tell Egypt that he was staying in office until elections in September, but would transfer some authority to his new vice president, Omar Suleiman. Mubarak’s televised speech was less than many protesters in Tahrir Square had sought.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said it was possible Obama might issue a statement on the situation.

Earlier, Obama said he supported an orderly transition amid the unwinding events in Egypt, where reports indicated that Mubarak may have been preparing to turn over power.

“We are following today’s events in Egypt very closely and we’ll have more to say as this plays out,” Obama said at Northern Michigan University in Marquette. “But what is absolutely clear is that we are witnessing history unfold.”

Obama praised the demonstrators in Egypt who have been protesting against the current government since Jan. 25. As he has before, the president called for democratic reform.

“The moment of transformation is taking place because the people of Egypt are calling for change,” Obama said. “They have turned out in extraordinary numbers representing all ages and all walks of life. It’s young people who have been at the forefront, a new generation, your generation, who want their voices to be heard.

“So going forward we want those young people and all Egyptians to know that America will continue to do everything that we can to support an orderly and genuine transition to democracy in Egypt.”

Obama traveled to Michigan to pitch his initiative on wireless access. The president announced his plan to enable businesses to provide high-speed wireless access to 98% of Americans within five years.

“We live in an interconnected world,” the president said. “What happens across the globe has an impact on each and every one of us.”

That spirit of waiting as the Egypt drama unfolded marked the day. During a quick stop at a diner in downtown Marquette, Obama told reporters: “We’re going to have to wait and see what’s going on.”

Briefing reporters earlier on Air Force One, Gibbs took a similar tone. “I am watching much of what you’re watching. We’re watching, I think, a very fluid situation. What we’re looking for and what the president spoke about many days ago remains our priority: an orderly transition to a free and fair election.”

Mubarak is expected to address Egypt later Thursday about his plans. According to a variety of sources, Mubarak is expected to step aside from power after more than two weeks of protests.

CIA chief Leon Panetta told a congressional panel Thursday morning that there’s a “strong likelihood” Mubarak will step down. Gibbs said he could not comment on Panetta’s statement since he didn’t know the context.

Throughout the current political crisis, Obama administration has called for a peaceful resolution of the demonstrators; demands which have included that Mubarak immediately step down. Obama has also said that Egypt must have an orderly transition to democratic reforms including free elections and rights of assembly and protest.

The administration has argued that Mubarak, who has been in power for almost 30 years, would not be able to be part of the transition. In response to the demonstrations, Mubarak has already said he will not seek reelection in September.

Over the weekend, the administration signaled that it supported newly appointed vice president Omar Suleiman, who was negotiating with demonstrators and other opposition groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood.

The president was briefed Thursday morning on Egypt in the Oval Office and on the airplane by National Security Advisor Thomas E. Donilon, Gibbs said.

Obama is in Michigan to pitch his administration’s plan for greater wireless access, but the events in Egypt took up time en route, Gibbs said. Obama was watching the news unfold and consulted with national security staff on the flight.

“I am watching much of what you’re watching,” Gibbs told reporters. “We’re watching I think a very fluid situation. What we’re looking for and what the president spoke about many days ago remains our priority: an orderly transition to a free and fair election. What we’re looking for remains unchanged.”

Gibbs said the administration had been in contact with U.S. officials in Cairo but couldn’t comment on what might happen.

“I don’t want to prejudge what might happen later today,” Gibbs said. “I think we’ve been clear in the many preceding days that what we have wanted to see and most importantly what the people of Egypt wanted to see was irreversible change, and we’ll monitor throughout the day what is happening today.”

Asked if power could indeed transfer to Suleiman according to the Egyptian Constitution, Gibbs said: “I have an inkling of that, but let me get better clarification from those that have a better reading of the Egyptian constitution.”

Asked if Obama would call Mubarak, Gibbs repeated: “We’re going to monitor what happens and react as the situation warrants.”

michael.memoli@latimes.com

michael.muskal@latimes.com

Peter Nicholas of the Washington Bureau contributed to this report. Memoli reported from Michigan and Muskal from Los Angeles.