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Kerry Says He Sees Signs That Egypt Is on Path to Democracy Egyptians Following Right Path, Kerry Says
(about 5 hours later)
CAIRO — In the highest-level American visit since the Egyptian military removed President Mohamed Morsi from power, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday that Egypt appeared to be on a path toward democracy and emphasized that the Obama administration wanted to improve relations. CAIRO — In the highest-level American visit here since the Egyptian military removed the country’s first democratically elected president from power, Secretary of State John Kerry pressed Egyptian leaders on Sunday to stick to their “road map” for restoring democracy.
Delivering a generally reassuring message, Mr. Kerry noted that Egypt had faced “difficult challenges” and indicated that additional steps needed to be taken to establish an inclusive, civilian-led government. In substance as well as tone, Mr. Kerry’s visit to Egypt reflected the Obama administration’s determination to work with a military leadership that ruthlessly put down protesters from the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist movement that put forth the successful candidacy of President Mohamed Morsi, who was ousted on July 3. A military government, now firmly entrenched here, has promised to establish a civilian-led government.
In a joint news conference with his Egyptian counterpart, however, Mr. Kerry accented the positive despite recent tensions between the countries and the Obama administration’s temporary freeze on military assistance to Egypt. “The road map is being carried out to the best of our perception,” Mr. Kerry said, referring to the plan by the Egyptian authorities to conduct a national referendum on an amended Constitution and hold parliamentary and presidential elections by next spring.
Asked about comments he made in August in which he said that the intent of Egypt’s generals in ousting Mr. Morsi had been to restore democracy, Mr. Kerry defended the remarks. “There are questions we have here and there about one thing or another,” he added in a joint news conference with his Egyptian counterpart. “I think it’s important for all of us, until proven otherwise, to accept that this is the track Egypt is on and to work to help it to be able to achieve that.”
“Thus far, there are indications that that is what they are intending to do,” he said, referring to the Egyptian military leadership. But questions remained about the Egyptian military’s intentions and the degree of American influence.
“The road map is being carried out to the best of our perception,” Mr. Kerry added, referring to the plan by Egyptian authorities to conduct a national referendum on an amended Constitution and then hold parliamentary and presidential elections by spring 2014. Mr. Kerry met with Egypt’s interim president, Adly Mansour, and Gen. Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, the powerful minister of defense, who spearheaded the ouster of Mr. Morsi. But General Sisi and Mr. Mansour did not pledge that they would not extend Egypt’s state of emergency when it lapses on Nov. 14, as Mr. Kerry had requested.
“There are questions we have here and there,” Mr. Kerry said. “I think it is important for all of us, until proven otherwise, to accept that this is the track that Egypt is on and to work to help it to be able to achieve that.” Mr. Kerry did not raise one of the most wrenching chapters in Egypt’s political life: Mr. Morsi’s murder trial, which is scheduled to begin on Monday. Mr. Morsi has been detained since he was ousted in July. Instead, Mr. Kerry reaffirmed that Egypt should avoid politically motivated arrests, ensure due process for detainees and establish an inclusive government that is open to political rivals who eschew violence, State Department officials said.
Mr. Kerry’s visit, which is part of an eight-nation trip, came one day before Mr. Morsi, who has been held incommunicado since he was ousted in July, was to be put on trial on murder charges. Cairo was the first stop in an eight-nation trip that will include a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday between Mr. Kerry and King Abdullah on the new strains between the United States and Saudi Arabia.
Mr. Kerry is also the first senior American official to visit since the White House decided last month to withhold the delivery of sophisticated arms to signal its concern over the Egyptian military’s crackdown on dissenters and its tarnished record on human rights. Though the official Egyptian news agency had noted that Mr. Kerry was headed to Cairo, the State Department did not confirm the stop in advance, out of concern for security and perhaps to limit the possibility of anti-American demonstrations.
In a visit here lasting several hours, Mr. Kerry met with Nabil Fahmy, Egypt’s foreign minister, and Adly Mansour, the interim president. During his stop in Cairo, which lasted several hours, Mr. Kerry also met with the Egyptian foreign minister, Nabil Fahmy, and with human rights advocates and representatives from religious, labor and youth organizations — civic society leaders who have concerns about the Egyptian government, and perhaps about American policy.
The secretary of state also spoke with human rights advocates and representatives from religious, labor and youth organizations. That meeting, which was not open to the news media, provided an opportunity for civic society leaders to express concerns about the Egyptian government, and perhaps American policy. A list of the Egyptians invited to the session was not provided to reporters. Since the military takeover, Egypt’s generals have appeared immune to American pressure and indifferent to Mr. Kerry’s seeming endorsement of their motivations.
Mr. Kerry’s final meeting was with Gen. Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, the minister of defense who spearheaded the ouster of Mr. Morsi. The Obama administration has refrained from categorizing the military’s toppling of Mr. Morsi as a coup, which would trigger a cutoff of the vast majority of a $1.5 billion annual assistance package. But American officials have been critical of the military’s crackdown on demonstrators and the detention of Mr. Morsi’s supporters.
Since the military takeover, Egypt’s generals have appeared to be immune to American pressure and indifferent to Mr. Kerry’s seeming endorsement of their motivations. They have also complained that the United States has shown favoritism toward Mr. Morsi and his supporters by criticizing the military government’s crackdown on Islamists. To signal its concern, the White House in October suspended the delivery of major weapons systems, including Apache helicopters, F-16 fighter jets, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and parts for M-1 tanks, and has withheld about $260 million in support for the Egyptian budget.
The Obama administration has refrained from categorizing the military’s toppling of Mr. Morsi as a coup, which would spur a cutoff of its annual assistance package of $1.5 billion. But American officials have been critical of the military’s brutal crackdown on demonstrators and the detention of Morsi supporters. At the same time, the United States has maintained support for Egypt’s counterterrorism programs, including the military’s efforts to secure Sinai, and programs to educate Egyptian military officials in the United States. Other programs that were untouched include the shipment of spare parts for many weapons in the Egyptian military’s inventory and aid for health care, education and the promotion of businesses in Egypt.
To signal its concern, the White House in October suspended the delivery of major weapons systems, including Apache helicopters, F-16 fighter jets, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and parts for M-1 tanks, and is withheld about $260 million in support for the Egyptian budget. A senior State Department official traveling with Mr. Kerry said a decision on whether to lift the suspension of major weapons deliveries would depend on steps by the Egyptian authorities to protect human rights, allow peaceful demonstrations and permit a free press, among other measures.
At the same time, however, the United States has maintained support for Egypt for counterterrorism programs, including the military’s efforts to secure Sinai, which has become a sanctuary for militants. Other untouched assistance included programs to educate Egyptian military officials in the United States, the shipment of spare parts for many of the weapons in the Egyptian military’s inventory and aid for health care, education and the promotion of businesses in Egypt. But Mr. Kerry played down the issue, describing the temporary hold on weapons deliveries more as a step ordered by Congress than a move to punish Egypt’s military leaders for removing a democratically elected president.
A senior State Department official who is traveling with Mr. Kerry said that the decision on whether to lift the suspension of major weapons deliveries would depend on steps by the Egyptian authorities to protect human rights, ensure freedom of the press, allow peaceful demonstrations and permit activities by nongovernmental organizations, among other measures.
But Mr. Kerry sought to play down the decision to withhold some of the assistance temporarily, casting it more as a step that was mandated by Congress than as a move to punish Egypt’s military leaders for removing a democratically elected president.
“It is not a punishment,” Mr. Kerry said in response to a question from an Egyptian reporter. “It’s a reflection of policy in the United States under our law.”“It is not a punishment,” Mr. Kerry said in response to a question from an Egyptian reporter. “It’s a reflection of policy in the United States under our law.”
Mr. Kerry said that he had not spend a lot of time discussing the suspension of the aid in his meeting with Mr. Fahmy and emphasized that the American relationship “should not be defined by assistance.” Casting himself as a partner of Egypt’s leaders, Mr. Kerry told them in his private meetings that they needed to enact constitutional protections to build congressional support in Washington for more aid, according to a State Department official.
After his talks here, Mr. Kerry will head to Saudi Arabia to meet with King Abdullah in an effort to repair the Obama administration’s fraught relationship with the kingdom. “He several times said, ‘You have to help us help you,’ ” the official said.
The Saudis have been deeply unhappy with the United States’ lukewarm support for the Syrian opposition. They are also worried that the White House may be too quick to make concessions in the newly reinvigorated talks with Iran and have solidly supported the Egyptian military’s takeover. While reiterating support for the road map, General Sisi had a message of his own, one that may not square with the American hope that he will take quick steps to relax his grip.
Mr. Kerry will also visit Israel and Jordan to try to encourage progress in the Middle East peace talks, which has long been his top diplomatic priority. No headway in those negotiations has been announced, and Mr. Kerry said on Sunday that Israel’s continued settlement activity had “disturbed” many people looking for signs of progress. “His sense was that patience is required on the part of the international community,” the official said.
He will also make trips to the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Morocco and Poland.

Kareem Fahim contributed reporting.

Kareem Fahim contributed reporting.