U.S. Suspends Egypt Military Aid

The United States has announced it is suspending deliveries of major military systems and some funding to Egypt in response to the crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood and the ouster of democratically-elected President Muhammad Morsi.

The State Department said the Obama administration has frozen "the delivery of certain large-scale military systems and cash assistance to the government pending credible progress toward an inclusive, democratically-elected civilian government through free and fair elections."

Officials said deliveries of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of tanks, fighter planes, helicopters, and missiles would be affected.

The U.S. statement added that Washington will continue to provide some assistance to Egypt to help secure the country’s borders, to counter terrorism and proliferation, and support security in the Sinai.

Washington has been providing annually to Egypt around $1.5 billion in mostly military aid.

The Muslim Brotherhood-backed Morsi was toppled by the military on July 3.

Based on reports from Reuters, AFP and AP