Round-Up of International Reactions to the Military Coup in Egypt

I saw this on Al Jazeera this morning and wanted to pass it along as I think it will be of more than passing interest to you all.  I considered tossing the EU entry out, as EU statements make the U.S. State Department seem a bastion of strong stances, but kept it in in the interests of letting foolish institutions appear foolish.  Note the response of the U.S. and our major allies.  Of especial interest is the view of the President of Syria.

European Union

The EU has called for a rapid return to democracy in Egypt.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said: "I urge all sides to rapidly return to the democratic process, including the holding of free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections and the approval of a constitution, to be done in a fully inclusive manner, so as to permit the country to resume and complete its democratic transition,"

"I strongly condemn all violent acts, offer my condolences to the families of the victims, and urge the security forces to do everything in their power to protect the lives and well-being of Egyptian citizens."

Saudi Arabia

Saudi King Abdullah sent a message of congratulations to Adly Mansour ahead of his appointment as interim president.

"In the name of the people of Saudi Arabia and on my behalf, we congratulate your leadership of Egypt in this critical period of its history. We pray for God to help you bear the responsibility laid upon you to achieve the ambitions of our brotherly people of Egypt," the message said.

Turkey

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-rooted government, which had formed an alliance with Morsi, spoke out in favor of the ousted leader. Turkey's foreign minister slammed the overthrow as "unacceptable" and called for Morsi's release from house arrest. Turkey itself was hit last month by a wave of protests against Erdogan's perceived authoritarianism and attempts to impose his conservative views on secular society.

Iran

Iran was disappointed at the fall of Morsi, with a prominent legislator saying the leader failed to reshape Egypt's powerful military and other security agencies. After Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, the new leadership formed military and security forces loyal to the clerics and others. Morsi's government had ended more than three decades of diplomatic estrangement with Iran dating back to the revolution, when Egypt offered refuge to Iran's deposed shah.

Tunisia
The ruling Islamists in Tunisia, the cradle of the Arab Spring, condemned the overthrow as a "flagrant coup". Ennahda party leader Rachid Ghannouchi expressed astonishment, saying the overthrow undermined democracy and would feed radicalism.

Iraq

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki expressed support for the Egyptian people's choices and congratulated Egypt's interim president, a spokesman said. The spokesman, Ali al-Moussawi, added that Iraq is "looking forward to boosting bilateral relations" and is "certain that the new president will move on with the new plan in holding elections and safeguarding national reconciliation".

Syria

Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday praised Egypt's protests against their leader and said his overthrow by the military means the end of "political Islam". Assad, who is seeking to crush a revolt against his own rule, said Egyptians have discovered the "lies" of the Muslim Brotherhood. He spoke in an interview with the state-run Al-Thawra newspaper.

"What is happening in Egypt is the fall of so-called political Islam," Assad said. "This is the fate of anyone in the world who tries to use religion for political or factional interests."

United Arab Emirates

The UAE welcomed the change in Egypt, according to state news agency WAM, and praised the Egyptian armed forces.

"His Highness Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan, the foreign minister of the UAE, expressed his full confidence that the great people of Egypt are able to cross these difficult moments that Egypt is going through," WAM said in a statement.

"Sheikh Abdullah said that the great Egyptian army was able to prove again that they are the fence of Egypt and that they are the protector and strong shield that guarantee Egypt will remain a state of institutions and law," it added.

Qatar

Qatar's new emir congratulated Egypt's Adli Mansour after he was sworn in as an interim leader. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, "sent a cable of congratulations" following the swearing in.
The foreign ministry said: "Qatar will continue to respect the will of Egypt and its people across the spectrum," the source said. Qatar was alone among Gulf Arab states in celebrating the 2011 Arab Spring revolt that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak.

United Kingdom
The UK urged for calm in Egypt, but stopped short of calling the military intervention a coup.
"The situation is clearly dangerous and we call on all sides to show restraint and avoid violence," said Foreign Secretary William Hague. "The United Kingdom does not support military intervention as a way to resolve disputes in a democratic system."

The UK called on all parties to move forward and "show the leadership and vision needed to restore and renew Egypt's democratic transition".

"It is vital for them to respond to the strong desire of the Egyptian people for faster economic and political progress for their country," stressed Hague.

This must involve early and fair elections and civilian-led government, he said.

United States

The US State Department expressed concern over the military intervention.

The US ordered the mandatory evacuation of its embassy in Cairo, just hours after the army deposed Morsi. A later travel advisory confirmed that "the Department of State ordered the departure of non-emergency US government personnel and family members from Egypt due to the ongoing political and social unrest."

US President Barack Obama released a statement saying he was deeply concerned by the decision by Egyptian military to depose Morsi, and called for a swift return to civilian government.
"No transition to democracy comes without difficulty, but in the end it must stay true to the will of the people. An honest, capable and representative government is what ordinary Egyptians seek and what they deserve," Obama said.
"The long-standing partnership between the United States and Egypt is based on shared interests and values, and we will continue to work with the Egyptian people to ensure that Egypt’s transition to democracy succeeds.”
However, the US also stopped short of calling the military intervention a coup.
Al Jazeera’s Patty Culhane, reporting from Washington, noted that any country involved in a coup was not entitled to aid from the US.
Germany

Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said the military intervention was "a major setback for democracy in Egypt" and called for "dialogue and political compromise".
"This is a major setback for democracy in Egypt," Westerwelle said during a visit to Athens. "It is urgent that Egypt return as quickly as possible to the constitutional order... there is a real danger that the democratic transition in Egypt will be seriously damaged."
"We call on all sides to renounce violence. We will watch developments in Egypt very closely. And then make our political decisions.
"Political detentions and a political wave of repression must be avoided at all cost. Now this is about returning to the path of democratic order."
France
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Paris took note that elections had been announced in Egypt following a transition period after the army ousted president Mohamed Morsi.
"In a situation that has worsened seriously and with extreme tension in Egypt, new elections have finally been announced, after a transition period."
France hoped a timetable would be drawn up respecting "civil peace, pluralism, individual liberties and the achievements of the democratic transition, so that the Egyptian people can freely choose their leaders and their future", he added.