Kerry backpedals on controversial comment on Egypt

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

LONDON (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry backed away Friday from his candid comments that seemed to signal American support for the Egyptian military coup and the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi.

The U.S. has tried hard not to appear as if it is taking sides in the crisis. But when Kerry said Thursday in Pakistan that the Egyptian military was "'restoring democracy" in leading the July 3 coup, it left the impression that the U.S. backed the military action. Kerry moved quickly to defuse the flap, saying on Friday that all parties — the military as well as pro-Morsi demonstrators — needed to work toward a peaceful and "'inclusive" political resolution of the crisis.

"Does Secretary Kerry accept Defense Secretary (Chuck) Hagel to step in and remove (U.S. President Barack) Obama if large protests take place in America?" a spokesman of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, Gehad el-Haddad, asked.

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In his interview with Geo TV in Pakistan TV, Kerry said, "The military was asked to intervene by millions and millions of people, all of whom were afraid of a descendance into chaos, into violence," Kerry told the Pakistani television channel. "And the military did not take over, to the best of our judgment so, so far. To run the country, there's a civilian government. In effect, they were restoring democracy."

"By killing people on the roads?" the TV correspondent asked Kerry.

"Oh, no. That's not restoring democracy, and we're very, very concerned about, very concerned about that," Kerry said. "I've been in touch with all of the players there. And we have made it clear that that is absolutely unacceptable, it cannot happen."

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http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-politics/20130802/EU-Kerry-Egypt/

Time to put a muzzle on Kerry. I thought it was a bad fit. Now I am sure.