Two US Senators are expected to travel to Egypt as early as Monday for talks with the military government and opposition groups.
If the current unrest continues, “it’s going to be a failed state. That’s why we’re going,” said Republican Lindsey Graham, who will be accompanied by colleague John McCain.
“I know it’s dangerous, but we need to be there with our diplomats giving a unified message to Egypt, ‘Do not let these people drive us out of the Mideast,’” Graham said, referring to militant Islamists.
“The Egyptian military must move more aggressively towards turning over control to the civilian population, civilian organisations,” Graham said.
“The military can’t keep running the country. We need democratic elections.” Graham supported Secretary of State John Kerry’s recent comments backing the military ouster of elected President Mohamed Morsi.
On Friday, Kerry had provoked outrage among some in Egypt and elsewhere by saying, “The military was asked to intervene by millions and millions of people, all of whom were afraid of a descent into chaos, into violence.
“And the military did not take over, to the best of our judgment — so far. To run the country, there’s a civilian government. In effect, they were restoring democracy,” Kerry said.
Graham noted that he and McCain had stopped an effort in Congress to cut off aid as a reaction to the military takeover.