He was for Morsi, before he was against Morsi.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday hailed Egypt as an “important partner” in the emerging coalition aimed at beating back the extremist Islamic State group, while stressing that the need for Cairo’s support would not lead Washington to ignore human rights concerns.
During a visit to Cairo, Kerry referred to Egypt as “an intellectual and cultural capital to the Muslim world,” saying it has a “critical role” to play in denouncing the harsh ideology of the Islamic State group, which has seized much of northeastern Syria and northern and western Iraq.[…]
Nearly 40 nations have agreed to contribute to what Kerry said would be a worldwide fight to defeat the militants.
Egypt is unlikely to send troops to battle the Islamic State group but could provide logistical and intelligence support to the coalition.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri told the Egyptian daily Seventh Day earlier this week that Egypt’s participation in the coalition “doesn’t necessarily mean that we will participate in a military action.”
Kerry’s visit comes two days after representatives from 10 Arab countries, including Egypt, met with the top American diplomat in the Saudi city of Jiddah promising to “do their share” to fight the Islamic State militants.[…]
The U.S. has criticized Egypt’s subsequent massive crackdown on Morsi’s supporters and withheld some military aid while urging Cairo to press ahead with a democratic transition and respect human rights.
Kerry called Egypt a friend and an ally, and said the U.S. wants the government in Cairo to succeed. He acknowledged that “sometimes friends have disagreement over one thing or the other” but insisted decades-long ties between Washington and Cairo would endure.