U.S. opts not to say whether Egypt ouster a coup
July 25, 2013 -- Updated 2356 GMT (0756 HKT)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- A coup determination would force the administration to cut military aid to vital Mideast ally
- Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy was ousted July 3 by the military after mass protests
- U.S. has urged quick return to civilian rule
- Obama administration has delayed delivery of fighter jets to Egypt
Washington (CNN) -- The Obama administration will not make a formal determination as to whether the ouster of Egypt's president by the military was a coup, a senior administration official told CNN's Jill Dougherty.
A coup determination would force the United States to end military aid to Egypt.
"The law does not require us to make a formal determination as to whether a coup took place and it is not in our national interest to make such a determination," the official said.
The administration sees continuing aid to Egypt -- more than $1 billion annually -- to be "consistent with our law" and necessary to further U.S. national security interests, the source added.
Mohamed Morsy, Egypt's first democratically elected president, was pushed out July 3 following mass protests over his leadership and suspended the constitution.
On Wednesday, the Pentagon announced it was delaying sending four F-16 fighter jets to Egypt. The four aircraft were due to be by the end of August as part of larger $1.3 billion arms sales package signed in 2010 that included additional F-16s and some Abrams tank parts.
The delay was seen as a signal to the Egyptian military that the United States was unhappy with the pace of transition back to a civilian government.
No comments:
Post a Comment