US Secretary of State John Kerry has defended Egypt\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s military for the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi, claiming the Egyptian army moved at the request of millions in order to \u00cb\u0153restore democracy.\u00e2\u201e\u00a2\n<\/p>\n
\u00c5\u201cThe military was asked to intervene by millions and millions of people, all of whom were afraid of a descent into chaos,\u201d Kerry said in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Thursday.\n<\/p>\n
The US official stopped short of calling the military ouster of Morsi a coup, adding that \u00c5\u201cthe military did not take over, to the best of our judgment\u2026 to run the country. There\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s a civilian government.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Kerry also said Washington was working with the European Union and other countries to find a peaceful solution to the crisis in Egypt.\n<\/p>\n
Under the US law, financial assistance to any country whose elected head of state is deposed in a military coup is prohibited.\n<\/p>\n
The situation in Egypt remains extremely tense as supporters of Morsi have rejected the interim government\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s call for an end to their protests.\n<\/p>\n
Thousands of supporters have continued their sit-ins in Cairo despite recent deadly clashes with security forces.\n<\/p>\n
A coalition of Morsi supporters said in a statement issued on Thursday, \u00c5\u201cThe national alliance supporting legitimacy and defying the coup calls upon all the free people of the world to demonstrate peacefully in (an) \u00cb\u0153Egypt against the coup\u00e2\u201e\u00a2 march of the millions.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Egypt\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s Interior Ministry has called on Morsi supporters to leave their protest camps in the capital, promising them a \u00c5\u201csafe exit.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
The interim government has already ordered security forces to clear two protest camps packed with Morsi supporters.\n<\/p>\n
Tension has intensified in Egypt since the head of the Egyptian armed forces, General Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, announced on July 3 that Morsi was no longer in office. Sisi also suspended the constitution and dissolved the parliament.\n<\/p>\n
On July 27, at least 150 people were killed and scores of others injured in clashes during rival demonstrations by the supporters and opponents of Morsi across the country.\n<\/p>\n
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