Breaking: Obama Cancels Military Exercises with Egypt

US President Barack Obama said on Thursday the United States sustains its commitment to Egypt and its people, but notified the Egyptian government that the US is canceling its military exercises with Egypt’s army.

Obama urged the Egyptian authorities to respect human rights, and called on protestors to demonstrate peacefully. He added that the state of emergency should be lifted and a process of reconciliation initiated.

Mr Obama interrupted his summer holiday on Martha’s Vineyard to strongly condemn the violence in Egypt, which has claimed more than 500 lives as the security forces stormed Islamist protest camps.

“The United States strongly condemns the steps that have been taken by Egypt’s interim government and security forces,” Mr Obama said. “We deplore violence against civilians.”

In protest at the killings he ordered the US military not to participate in next month’s Operation Bright Star, a major war game conducted every two years alongside Egyptian forces.

Mr Obama warned that the US could take “further steps” if the violence did not stop but did not elaborate on what they could be.

“While we want to sustain our relationship with Egypt, our traditional cooperation cannot continue as usual when civilians are being killed in the streets and rights are being rolled back,” he said.