The Usa has delayed plans to produce Egypt with another four F-16 fighter jets because of unrest gripping the rustic, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.
“Given the present situation in Egypt we don’t believe it’s appropriate to maneuver forward at the moment with the delivery of F-16s,” spokesman George Little told reporters.
“We remain committed to the u. s. -Egypt defense relationship because it remains a foundation of our broader strategic partnership with Egypt and serves as a pillar of regional stability,” he said.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel informed Egypt’s army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of the verdict in a phone call earlier Wednesday, Little said.
The Egyptian army chief, who led a coup on July 3 that ousted president Mohamed Morsi, called for mass protests on Wednesday to back a crackdown on what he called “terrorism and violence” by Morsi supporters.
Sisi’s appeal also was discussed in Hagel’s phone call to the overall, consistent with Little, who didn’t offer more details. “I think it’s safe to assert they discussed planned upcoming events,” he said.
Little failed to say specifically why President Barack Obama made the choice to postpone the delivery of the fighter jets but said the united states government believed it was “prudent” to take the step and that Washington desired to see Egypt move quickly towards democratic rule.
“Moving forward, everything we do and say will remain interested in hastening Egypt’s return to a democratically elected government once possible, in keeping with our legal requirements and our national security interests,” he said.
The US decision, however, didn’t signal that President Barack Obama’s administration had concluded that Morsi was pushed out in a coup, Little said.
The administration has kept away from saying Morsi was the victim of a coup, which might legally require a freeze on some $1.5 billion in US military and economic assistance to Cairo.
US officials were still reviewing whether events in Egypt can be labeled a coup, Little said.
Under a $2.5 billion deal signed in 2010, the us is committed to providing 20 F-16 fighters to Egypt.
Four jets were delivered earlier this year and 4 more F-16s were resulting from be shipped on the end of this month, officials said.
Despite the verdict to delay delivery, the usa would go ahead with a planned joint Bright Star military exercise with Egypt, Little said, adding “we’re not saying overall military help is suspended.”
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