Kerry: Muslim Brotherhood stole revolution
US officials continue to prop up two-sided American Mideast policy as secretary of state divulges White House disagreement on Morsi's overthrow. Administration protested against military coup, but Kerry says Muslim Brotherhood used democracy for its own benefit in first upheaval
"The Muslim Brotherhood stole the revolution in Egypt," he said in a declaration that sounded like he was justifying the army forcing out the Islamist organization in a coup last July.
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In the last few months Kerry specifically protested his discontentment with the ousted Mohamed Morsi, a step that brought the US administration to suspend its military financial support for Egypt.
Morsi was elected Egyptian president in 2012, a year and a half after the revolution that overthrew Hosni Mubarak, who was in power 29 years.
Since Morsi's rise to power, the Muslim Brotherhood took over many authorities, and its adversaries claimed that after the Brotherhood took advantage of the democracy in Egypt to rise to power, it purposely impaired the democratic system in an effort to turn Egypt into a more religious and more conservative state.
A year after Morsi's victory, the masses set out to protest in the streets against him, and as a result, the army – the shield of secularity in Egypt – drove him out.
Kerry said Wednesday that "Those kids in Tahrir Square, they were not motivated by any religion or ideology. They were motivated by what they saw through this interconnected world, and they wanted a piece of the opportunity and a chance to get an education and have a job and have a future, and not have a corrupt government that deprived them of all of that and more."
It is not certain what caused these harsh words, but it seems that the daily Al Hayat found out. Diplomatic spokespeople in Washington told the newspaper that Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel are having a disagreement with the White House and Obama's advisors in regards to Morsi's ouster.
According to the sources, the disagreement deepened recently, specifically after the US administration announced it was suspending Egypt's military aid in October, leading to Russia's attempt to sign a military deal with Egypt.
"Hagel and Kerry opposed this, as did Obama's Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Phil Gordon," Al Hayat reported.
The newspaper also said that National Security Advisor Susan Rice was among the evident supporters to suspend Egypt's military aid. Rice justified her support by saying she wanted a balanced Egypt policy, and that opposition to the military suppression and the non-democratic proceedings in Egypt need to be at the heart of American strategy.
"Credible" sources told Al Hayat that Kerry visited Egypt under his own initiative. American news site Daily Beast said Rice had asked Kerry directly before his visit to deliver uncompromising messages in regards to Morsi's trial. Kerry ignored the request and turned the visit into a bridge-gap opportunity.
An Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson already commented on Kerry's remarks in a Sky interview in Arabic. "Kerry's statements take a positive stance for America's relations with Egypt," he said, adding that Washington and Cairo's connection are strategically important for both sides.
Recently, Russia has been leaning closer to Egypt because of the potential weakening of its relations with the US. The climax of the relationship-building came when the Russian defense and foreign minister visited in Cairo. One of the issues discussed was a weapons deal, by which Egypt would receive MiG fighter planes, defense systems and anti-tank missiles. The deal is expected to be carried out in the beginning of 2014, but there hasn't been an official announcement as of yet.
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