Anthony
Super Moderator
President Barack Obama strongly condemned Egypt’s interim government Thursday, saying the United States was canceling a planned joint military operation in protest over violent clashes that left over 650 dead and thousands injured.
"We deplore violence against civilians," he told reporters in Martha's Vineyard, where he is on a working vacation.
“Let me say that the Egyptian people deserve better than what we've seen over the last several days,†Obama said. “And to the Egyptian people, let me say the cycle of violence and escalation needs to stop.â€
“America cannot determine the future of Egypt. That’s a task for the Egyptian people. We don’t take sides with any particular party or political figure. I know it’s tempting inside of Egypt to blame the United States or the West or some other outside factor for what’s gone wrong,†the president said on Thursday. “We want Egypt to succeed. We want a peaceful, democratic, prosperous Egypt. That’s our interest. But to achieve that, the Egyptians are going to have to do the work.â€
Obama announced that the U.S. is canceling a bi-annual joint military exercise with Egypt that was to take place in September, but he did not announce suspension of any other forms of aid to Egypt. The president said “national security interests in this part of the world and the belief that our engagement can support a transition back to democracy†influenced his decision to keep up U.S. aid to Egypt that adds up to about $1.3 billion a year.
The president also said he thinks the United States and Egypt will both be better off as partners, he warned that the military government’s actions put the relationship at risk.
“Given the depths of our partnership with Egypt, our national security interests in this critical part of the world and our belief that engagement can support a transition back to a democratically elected civilian government, we’ve sustained our commitment to Egypt and its people,†Obama said. “And while we want to sustain our relationship with Egypt, our traditional cooperation cannot continue when civilians are being killed in the streets and rights are being rolled back.
Obama asked the Egyptian authorities and protestors to refrain from violence.
“Let me say that the Egyptian people deserve better than what we’ve seen the past several days,†Obama said. “We call on the Egyptian authorities to respect the universal rights of the people. We call on those who are protesting to do so peacefully. We believe that the state of emergency should be lifted and the process of national reconciliation should begin that all parties need to have a voice in Egypt’s future.â€
"We deplore violence against civilians," he told reporters in Martha's Vineyard, where he is on a working vacation.
“Let me say that the Egyptian people deserve better than what we've seen over the last several days,†Obama said. “And to the Egyptian people, let me say the cycle of violence and escalation needs to stop.â€
“America cannot determine the future of Egypt. That’s a task for the Egyptian people. We don’t take sides with any particular party or political figure. I know it’s tempting inside of Egypt to blame the United States or the West or some other outside factor for what’s gone wrong,†the president said on Thursday. “We want Egypt to succeed. We want a peaceful, democratic, prosperous Egypt. That’s our interest. But to achieve that, the Egyptians are going to have to do the work.â€
Obama announced that the U.S. is canceling a bi-annual joint military exercise with Egypt that was to take place in September, but he did not announce suspension of any other forms of aid to Egypt. The president said “national security interests in this part of the world and the belief that our engagement can support a transition back to democracy†influenced his decision to keep up U.S. aid to Egypt that adds up to about $1.3 billion a year.
The president also said he thinks the United States and Egypt will both be better off as partners, he warned that the military government’s actions put the relationship at risk.
“Given the depths of our partnership with Egypt, our national security interests in this critical part of the world and our belief that engagement can support a transition back to a democratically elected civilian government, we’ve sustained our commitment to Egypt and its people,†Obama said. “And while we want to sustain our relationship with Egypt, our traditional cooperation cannot continue when civilians are being killed in the streets and rights are being rolled back.
Obama asked the Egyptian authorities and protestors to refrain from violence.
“Let me say that the Egyptian people deserve better than what we’ve seen the past several days,†Obama said. “We call on the Egyptian authorities to respect the universal rights of the people. We call on those who are protesting to do so peacefully. We believe that the state of emergency should be lifted and the process of national reconciliation should begin that all parties need to have a voice in Egypt’s future.â€