As the Egyptian government began negotiations with opposition groups on Sunday, President Obama said that Egypt is not going back to the way it was before the protests that started two weeks ago.
Speaking to Fox commentator Bill O'Reilly before the Super Bowl, President Obama would not say when Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would step down or what role the Muslim Brotherhood should play in any future Egyptian government.
In Egypt, Vice President Omar Suleiman offered concessions, including a return of press freedom, when he held his first meeting with the opposition. However, he said nothing about President Mubarak's stepping down.
Also on Sunday, Sec. of State Hillary Clinton told National Public Radio that the negotiations were encouraging, but she reiterated that the Egyptian people to must judge whether the reforms go far enough.
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," said Pres. Mubarak must hold a second address to the Egyptian people, to announce the transition to a "caretaker" government.
But not all elements of the Egyptian opposition were happy with the negotiations. Noble laureate Mohamed ElBaradei complained that he was excluded from the talks which he alleged were under the control of the Egyptian military. Likewise, youth groups that helped organize the public protests said they were also excluded from the talks. They insisted that their top demand was the departure of President Mubarak.