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| White House Muted in Response to New Mass Killing of Egyptian Protesters | |
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| WASHINGTON — The Obama administration’s response was once again muted on Sunday after the second mass killing of Egyptian demonstrators in three weeks, as Western diplomats worked behind the scenes to calm the tensions, and lawmakers expressed scant support for cutting off American aid to Egypt. | WASHINGTON — The Obama administration’s response was once again muted on Sunday after the second mass killing of Egyptian demonstrators in three weeks, as Western diplomats worked behind the scenes to calm the tensions, and lawmakers expressed scant support for cutting off American aid to Egypt. |
| One leading Democrat, Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, who heads the Intelligence Committee, said Congress should consider suspending $1.5 billion in annual American aid to Egypt in response to the Egyptian security services’ attack on Saturday that killed at least 72 people and wounded hundreds more. “We have to relook at granting aid,” Ms. Feinstein said on the CNN program “State of the Union.” “The ball is in Egypt’s court.” | One leading Democrat, Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, who heads the Intelligence Committee, said Congress should consider suspending $1.5 billion in annual American aid to Egypt in response to the Egyptian security services’ attack on Saturday that killed at least 72 people and wounded hundreds more. “We have to relook at granting aid,” Ms. Feinstein said on the CNN program “State of the Union.” “The ball is in Egypt’s court.” |
| But other Democratic and Republican lawmakers, while condemning the second mass killing of demonstrators following the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi, stopped short of calling for cutting aid to Egypt. | But other Democratic and Republican lawmakers, while condemning the second mass killing of demonstrators following the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi, stopped short of calling for cutting aid to Egypt. |
| Spokeswomen for the State Department and the White House’s National Security Council declined to comment on Sunday. In a statement on Saturday, Secretary of State John Kerry called the violence “a pivotal moment for Egypt” and urged its leaders “to help their country take a step back from the brink.” | Spokeswomen for the State Department and the White House’s National Security Council declined to comment on Sunday. In a statement on Saturday, Secretary of State John Kerry called the violence “a pivotal moment for Egypt” and urged its leaders “to help their country take a step back from the brink.” |
| Mr. Kerry, who talked by telephone with Egypt’s interim vice president and foreign minister on Saturday, added, “In this extremely volatile environment, Egyptian authorities have a moral and legal obligation to respect the right of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.” | Mr. Kerry, who talked by telephone with Egypt’s interim vice president and foreign minister on Saturday, added, “In this extremely volatile environment, Egyptian authorities have a moral and legal obligation to respect the right of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.” |
| Also on Saturday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel expressed deep concern over the violence in Egypt and urged restraint in a phone call with the Egyptian army chief, Gen. Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, a Pentagon spokesman said in a statement. | Also on Saturday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel expressed deep concern over the violence in Egypt and urged restraint in a phone call with the Egyptian army chief, Gen. Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, a Pentagon spokesman said in a statement. |
| President Obama, in his first punitive response to Mr. Morsi’s ouster, last week ordered a halt to the delivery of four F-16 fighter planes to the Egyptian Air Force. But the White House has emphasized that the decision did not have implications for the $1.5 billion that Ms. Feinstein mentioned, which it has said it does not want to cut off for now. | President Obama, in his first punitive response to Mr. Morsi’s ouster, last week ordered a halt to the delivery of four F-16 fighter planes to the Egyptian Air Force. But the White House has emphasized that the decision did not have implications for the $1.5 billion that Ms. Feinstein mentioned, which it has said it does not want to cut off for now. |
| The administration is reviewing that aid but has carefully avoided referring to Mr. Morsi’s ouster as a coup d’état, which could force its suspension on legal grounds. | The administration is reviewing that aid but has carefully avoided referring to Mr. Morsi’s ouster as a coup d’état, which could force its suspension on legal grounds. |
| “This is a real point of definition of what kind of Egypt is going to come out of this,” Senator Feinstein said Sunday, adding that she was putting Egypt’s new civilian leadership and Army generals — the real power in the country — on notice. | “This is a real point of definition of what kind of Egypt is going to come out of this,” Senator Feinstein said Sunday, adding that she was putting Egypt’s new civilian leadership and Army generals — the real power in the country — on notice. |
| Diplomats were trying on Sunday to defuse the political crisis in Egypt, as supporters and opponents of Mr. Morsi continued to clash. Violence broke out at the funerals of Mr. Morsi supporters who were killed by Egyptian security forces on Saturday, leading to at least one death on Sunday. | Diplomats were trying on Sunday to defuse the political crisis in Egypt, as supporters and opponents of Mr. Morsi continued to clash. Violence broke out at the funerals of Mr. Morsi supporters who were killed by Egyptian security forces on Saturday, leading to at least one death on Sunday. |
| Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s top foreign policy official, arrived in Cairo in what appeared to be an attempt to mediate the standoff between the military and the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist organization that backs Mr. Morsi and demands his reinstatement. | Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s top foreign policy official, arrived in Cairo in what appeared to be an attempt to mediate the standoff between the military and the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist organization that backs Mr. Morsi and demands his reinstatement. |
| A spokeswoman for Ms. Ashton said she would be meeting with General Sisi, with members of the Brotherhood, with civilian leaders in the interim government, and with youth activists. Ms. Ashton has also asked to see Mr. Morsi, who has been detained by the military since he was deposed July 3. The army declined a similar request by Ms. Ashton two weeks ago. | A spokeswoman for Ms. Ashton said she would be meeting with General Sisi, with members of the Brotherhood, with civilian leaders in the interim government, and with youth activists. Ms. Ashton has also asked to see Mr. Morsi, who has been detained by the military since he was deposed July 3. The army declined a similar request by Ms. Ashton two weeks ago. |
| The spokeswoman did not say whether Ms. Ashton was carrying a specific proposal to end the impasse. | The spokeswoman did not say whether Ms. Ashton was carrying a specific proposal to end the impasse. |
| A Brotherhood spokesman, Gehad el-Haddad, said that he knew of no proposal, but that the group was open “to every patriotic initiative.” | A Brotherhood spokesman, Gehad el-Haddad, said that he knew of no proposal, but that the group was open “to every patriotic initiative.” |
| The United Nations human rights chief, Navi Pillay, sharply condemned the bloodshed in Egypt on Sunday, warning that political violence was leading the country to a disaster. | The United Nations human rights chief, Navi Pillay, sharply condemned the bloodshed in Egypt on Sunday, warning that political violence was leading the country to a disaster. |
| Egypt’s leaders continued to blame the protesters for the bloodshed on Saturday, even as videos circulated on the Internet that clearly showed police officers and plainclothes gunmen firing at the rally. Prosecutors said a preliminary investigation found the protesters had tried to block a central bridge, and clashed with police officers who tried to stop them, according to state media. | Egypt’s leaders continued to blame the protesters for the bloodshed on Saturday, even as videos circulated on the Internet that clearly showed police officers and plainclothes gunmen firing at the rally. Prosecutors said a preliminary investigation found the protesters had tried to block a central bridge, and clashed with police officers who tried to stop them, according to state media. |
| The prosecutors said Sunday that the clashes had led to fatalities on both sides and that 73 pro-Morsi protesters had been arrested and faced charges including murder. That seemed to contradict statements by the interior minister, who said Saturday that police officers had been injured, but did not mention any fatalities. Other American lawmakers speaking on the political talk shows on Sunday also condemned the violence in Cairo. | The prosecutors said Sunday that the clashes had led to fatalities on both sides and that 73 pro-Morsi protesters had been arrested and faced charges including murder. That seemed to contradict statements by the interior minister, who said Saturday that police officers had been injured, but did not mention any fatalities. Other American lawmakers speaking on the political talk shows on Sunday also condemned the violence in Cairo. |
| “We’ve had a positive relationship between the United States and the Egyptian military,” Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois, the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat, said on the ABC program “This Week.” “But we should make it clear in Egypt, as we made it clear in Libya and in Syria, that firing on your own people is unacceptable by any government.” | “We’ve had a positive relationship between the United States and the Egyptian military,” Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois, the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat, said on the ABC program “This Week.” “But we should make it clear in Egypt, as we made it clear in Libya and in Syria, that firing on your own people is unacceptable by any government.” |
| Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, the senior Republican on the Intelligence Committee, echoed the comments of other lawmakers in recent days of the need for the United States to walk a fine line with its once-staunch ally in the Middle East. | Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, the senior Republican on the Intelligence Committee, echoed the comments of other lawmakers in recent days of the need for the United States to walk a fine line with its once-staunch ally in the Middle East. |
| “We’ve got to be careful that we don’t inject ourselves too much into the situation because it’ll probably make it worse,” Mr. Chambliss said on “This Week.” “But we also need to send a very clear and very strong message to the Egyptian military that we’re not going to tolerate, from a friendly-nation relationship standpoint, the kind of violence that we saw over the weekend.” | “We’ve got to be careful that we don’t inject ourselves too much into the situation because it’ll probably make it worse,” Mr. Chambliss said on “This Week.” “But we also need to send a very clear and very strong message to the Egyptian military that we’re not going to tolerate, from a friendly-nation relationship standpoint, the kind of violence that we saw over the weekend.” |
Mayy El Sheikh contributed reporting from Cairo. | Mayy El Sheikh contributed reporting from Cairo. |