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               Obama Cancels Joint Military Exercises With Egypt

   by VOA News

   U.S. President Barack Obama has cancelled a bi-annual military exercise
   with Egypt, scheduled for next month, in response to the Egyptian
   interim government's bloody crackdown on protesters that left hundreds
   dead.

   Obama said the U.S. "strongly condemns" the actions taken Wednesday by
   the interim government and security forces and what he called the
   pursuit of martial law.

   He said Washington is canceling the joint military exercises known as
   "Bright Star" because "our traditional cooperation cannot continue as
   usual when civilians are being killed in the streets."
   Obama spoke from the resort area of Martha's Vineyard, in the eastern
   U.S. state of Massachusetts, interrupting a week-long vacation with his
   family to address the spiraling violence.

   After weeks of warnings, Egypt's military moved in Wednesday to clear
   out long-standing protests in Cairo by supporters of ousted Egyptian
   President Mohamed Morsi.  The health ministry said more than 500 people
   were killed, many of them civilians.

   The Muslim Brotherhood put the death toll in the thousands.

   Mr. Obama's comments follow criticism of Egypt Wednesday from U.S.
   Secretary of State John Kerry.  Kerry called the military crackdown
   "deplorable" and urged all Egyptians "to take a step back... and avoid
   further loss of life."

   The United States gives Egypt $1.3 billion in military aid and about
   $250 million in economic aid each year.
   ''


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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-cancels-joint-military-exercise
   s-with-egypt/1730337.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-cancels-joint-military-exercises-with-egypt/1730337.html