US state department comments on power change within Egyptian military

(13 Aug 2012) STORYLINE
US State Department Spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, said on Monday that the US did have some advance knowledge about the change in Egyptian leadership.
“We obviously did know that there were discussions on-going about a new defence team,” she said.
“With regard to the precise timing, less so, but when the Secretary was in Egypt, we knew that there would be a change at an appropriate moment and that it would be discussed between the civilian leadership and the military.”
Nuland also noted that the goal continues to be the civilian and military Egyptian leadership working together toward a democratic state and constitution.
She also said “these new leaders of the military, are all people we have worked with before and who, many of whom have trained here in the United States, as well.”
Egypt’s military appears to be signaling that it’s OK with the president’s surprise decision to retire top military leaders and seize back powers that the generals took from his office.

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