The Working Group on Egypt, led by Michele Dunne and Robert Kagan, yesterday sent letters to President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, urging the administration “to press for an unmistakable and irreversible transition to democracy.”

Warning that it would be a “serious error” to support Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and Vice President Suleiman, the authors write: “What we seek in Egypt is not the current regime without the Mubarak family, but a true transition to democracy and an open political system that protects civil rights and liberties. The transition cannot be run exclusively by members of the old regime.  It must include leaders of the democratic opposition who are empowered to effect the crucial changes necessary for full democracy.”