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White House: Egyptian aid will not be cut off--situation complex
Joseph Earnest July 8, 2013
Newscast Media WASHINGTON—The White House is remaining neutral in the way it is describing the ousting of Mohammed Morsi, and is careful not to use the word "coup" in describing what occurred last week.
"This is an incredibly complex and difficult situation," said White House spokesman Jay Carney, noting that millions of Egyptians had legitimate grievances with Morsy. "There are significant consequences that go along with this determination, and it is a highly charged issue for millions of Egyptians who have differing views about what happened."
Labeling the intervention a coup would require the United States to cut its $1.5 billion in assistance for Egypt and take away what little leverage Washington has with Cairo, leaving it with few options to help shape events in Egypt.
President Barack Obama and his top aides have denounced the ouster of the democratically elected Morsy but have been careful to avoid calling for him to be reinstated, prompting speculation that the United States tacitly supported his ouster.
Barack Obama has shown support for a return to democratic rule, a reflection at least in part of U.S. weariness with the Morsi government, which officials felt was largely ineffective.
Republican Senator John McCain, by contrast, has been blunt about what happened and that U.S. aid should be cut off in accordance with U.S. law.
"It is difficult for me to conclude that what happened was anything other than a coup in which the military played a decisive role," McCain said on Monday. While he does not want to see U.S. aid cut off, "I believe that it is the right thing to do at this time," he said.
From the Obama administration's perspective, however, the view was that it would serve U.S. long-term interests better to delay making a decision about whether a coup had taken place or not.
As a result, Carney said, the U.S. government will take its time to review what happened in Egypt and monitor efforts by Egyptian authorities to forge an inclusive democratic process for the future. He gave no indication how long this review might take.
"We will take the time necessary to do that in a way that is responsible and serves our longer term policy objectives," he said. Add Comments>>
Source: Al Masry Al Youm/Egypt Independent
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