U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns met with army chief and Defense Minister Gen. Abdel Fatah al-Sissi and other members of the interim government on Monday.
However, the Tamarod (rebel) movement, which led demonstrations against now-ousted president Mohamed Morsi, rebuffed an invitation to a roundtable discussion with Burns and U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson, reports the Washington Post.
Burns (pictured above with the UAE foreign minister) met with multiple members of Egypt’s interim government, including President Adli Mansour (below) and Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi, according to Voice of America.
The U.S. has refused to take sides in the Egyptian political crisis since Morsi was ousted by the military on July 3.“We don't take the side of particular personalities or particular parties,” Burns said according to the Daily Star. “I did not come with American solutions, nor did I come to lecture anyone. We will not try to impose our model on Egypt.”
Tamarod believes the U.S. supports Israel, works against the interests of Arabs and supports the Muslim Brotherhood.
“I would like to ask them, what business of yours is Egypt,” asked Mohammed Badr, a cofounded of Tamarod, on his Facebook page.
The conservative Salafist Nour Party has also refused to meet with Burns without giving a reason, though an unnamed party member has been quoted saying the group rejects “American interference in Egyptian affairs.”
Images: WikiCommons, Twitter
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