The White House has broken its silence over recent chaos in Egypt, rejecting Washington’s support of “specific political parties” in the country.
"The United States categorically rejects the false claims propagated by some in Egypt that we are working with specific political parties or movements to dictate how Egypt's transition should proceed," a White House statement said on Saturday.

The statement came after Farid Ismail of the Muslim Brotherhood's political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), told Reuters that ElBaradei was "Washington's choice," not that of the people of Egypt.

According to the statement, U.S. President Barack Obama “reiterated that the United States is not aligned with, and does not support any particular Egyptian political party or group."

Interim Egyptian President Adly Mahmud Mansour reportedly decided to appoint leading opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei as the interim prime minister of the country following the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi.

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that U.S. national security advisor Susan Rice had told Morsi’s team that the president would leave office an hour before his ouster by the military.

While the United States has expressed concern about the military coup in Egypt, it has not condemned it nor called it a coup, prompting speculation that Washington supports the change in the North African country.

U.S. officials have cautiously avoided using the word “coup” when referring to the military’s toppling of Morsi, as they know that under the laws, the U.S. is not allowed to give aid to "the government of any country whose duly elected head of government is deposed by military coup d'état or decree or… a coup d'état or decree in which the military plays a decisive role.

Egypt is the second largest recipient of U.S. aid. The United States has lavished more than 70 billion dollars in military and economic aid on Egypt since 1948.

By Press TV

 

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