Obama orders US to review aid to Egypt

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama urged Egypt's military on Wednesday to hand back control to a democratic, civilian government without delay, but stopped short of calling the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi a coup d'etat.

In a carefully worded statement, Obama said he was "deeply concerned" by the military's move to topple Morsi's government and suspend Egypt's constitution. He said he was ordering the US government to assess what the military's actions meant for US foreign aid to Egypt.

Under US law, the government must suspend foreign aid to any nation whose elected leader is ousted in a coup d'etat. The US provides $1.5 billion a year to Egypt in military and economic assistance that is considered a critical US national security priority.

"I now call on the Egyptian military to move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible through an inclusive and transparent process, and to avoid any arbitrary arrests of President Morsi and his supporters," Obama said.

The U.S. wasn't taking sides in the conflict, committing itself only to democracy and respect for the rule of law, Obama said.

Egyptian armed forces on Wednesday ousted Morsi, an Islamist and Egypt's first democratically elected president, after just a year in power. The military installed a temporary civilian government, suspended the constitution and called for new elections.

Morsi has denounced it as a "full coup."

Obama huddled in the White House Situation Room on Wednesday afternoon with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Attorney General Eric Holder and his new national security adviser, former U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice. In his statement after the meeting, Obama said he expected the military to protect the rights of Egypt's men and women to due process and peaceful assembly. He reaffirmed his call for a democratic Egypt that involves participation from secular and religious parties alike.

"The voices of all those who have protested peacefully must be heard, including those who welcomed today's developments, and those who have supported President Morsi," Obama said, urging all sides to refrain from violence.