@CalamityJane,
I don't know, of course. Possibly he is now reacting to critism of his earlier reluctance to confront human rights issues in foreign countries. That is, he perceives a need to say something, preferably something tough.
I confess my own ignorance. I had no idea what a bad leader Mubarak has been. Hopefully, presidents are better informed. Still, it's possible that in a world filled with problems, he fell into a trap of thinking that Egypt were too stable a country to expend a lot of effort on.