16/08/2013 13:22
Obama strongly condemns Egyptian military government's blood crackdown
President Obama strongly condemned the Egyptian military government's blood crackdown Thursday as the death toll soared to 638 and fighting continue to rage in the street, the New York Daily News reports.
"We deplore violence against civilians," Obama said at his rented vacation home on Martha's Vineyard. "We support universal rights essential to human dignity, including the right to peaceful protest. We oppose the pursuit of martial law."
Saying that Egypt's rulers were on a "dangerous path," Obama said "the Egyptian people deserve better than what we've seen over the last several days."
"To the Egyptian people, let me say that the cycle of escalation needs to stop," he said.
But Obama, in his 8-minute address, made no move to suspend the $1.3 billion in aid the U.S. gives annually to Egypt's military.