U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns was scheduled to deliver the message in briefings to senior members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Egyptian armed forces deposed President Mohamed Mursi on July 3 after huge street protests against his rule, clearing the way for last week`s installment of an interim Cabinet charged with restoring civilian government and reviving the economy.
Under U.S. law, most aid must stop to "any country whose duly elected head of government is deposed by military coup d`etat or decree" or toppled in "a coup d`etat or decree in which the military plays a decisive role."
The law, however, does not set a deadline for a decision, nor does it state the criteria by which the determination must be made, giving the Obama administration some leeway in how and when it may choose to interpret the facts in Egypt.
Current and former officials have said the administration has no appetite for terminating aid, which runs at about $1.55 billion a year, $1.3 billion of which goes to the military, for fear of antagonizing one of Egypt`s most important institutions.
Nor does it wish to do anything to increase instability in the most populous Arab nation, which is of strategic importance because of its peace treaty with U.S. ally Israel and its control of the Suez Canal, a vital waterway for the U.S. military.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2013
