Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns, with diplomats from the European Union and two major Arab states, visited late Sunday with Khairat el-Shater, the detained deputy chief of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The visit is part of an attempt by the Obama administration to defuse tensions with Egypt’s interim leaders and its opposition, the Brotherhood, according to the Washington Post. The visitors hope to emphasize that the current political deadlock and continuous protests will do nothing to return Mohamed Morsi to the presidency.
Though the officials met with el-Shater, the U.S. government wants to demonstrate to the interim government that it is distancing itself from Morsi.
Republican Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham arrived in Cairo on Monday to join the diplomats at the behest of President Obama, reports the Wall Street Journal.
The visit comes in light of harsh statements by Gen. Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, who led the ousting of President Morsi on July 3.
“You left the Egyptians. You turned your back on the Egyptians, and they won’t forget that,” Sisi said of the U.S.
The U.S., though not explicitly endorsing the interim government, has not labeled the military’s ousting of Morsi a “coup,” an action which would cut off the $1.3 billion in annual support the U.S. gives Egypt.