Egyptian military delegation at Pentagon for annual meeting

Awkward timing -- or a potentially restraining influence on the behavior of Egyptian security forces?

Asked about anti-government protests sweeping Egypt, and recent unrest leading to government change in Tunisia and Lebanon, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell told journalists Wednesday that senior Egyptian military leaders are currently in town for annual bilateral meetings with their Pentagon counterparts.

"We actually this week are hosting senior Egyptian military leaders at the Pentagon for our annual bilateral defense talks, referred to at the Military Cooperation Committee, which is chaired jointly by Assistant Secretary of Defense Sandy Vershbow and Lieutenant General Sami Anan, the chief of staff of the Egyptian armed forces," Morrell told journalists Wednesday.

"So that's just an example of how engaged we are with the Egyptians, even as these developments have taken place on the streets in Cairo and elsewhere, which I think State and the White House have spoken to in terms of our concerns about how they proceed in terms of non-violence and how they are reacted to by the government and so forth," Morrell continued.

NPR reported from Cairo Thursday that while the Egyptian police are out in force trying to block protests, the Egyptian military has as yet not made an appearance.

Here's the full exchange from the transcript: 

Q: So we have seen lately major changes in Tunisia, Lebanon, and what we are seeing now in Egypt, massive protests. Is Secretary Gates concerned about these changes? And could these changes affect the U.S. relationship with its partners in the region vis-à-vis, for example, the military aid?

MR. MORRELL: Well, let me -- that's a lot, and I think these are three separate fast-moving situations that the secretary and others here in this department and, frankly, obviously throughout the government are monitoring closely as they evolve.

So I think if your question deals with where do we go from here in light of developments in Lebanon and Egypt vis-à-visour military assistance, I would probably urge you to, first and foremost, talk to State, because aid and assistance is run out of there. But we're looking at this closely. I mean, in the case of Lebanon, we're monitoring the situation as the constitutional process plays out. We will need to see what the final makeup of the Lebanese government looks like before we make any decisions regarding our relationship, including military assistance. Now, a Hezbollah-controlled government would obviously have an effect on our bilateral relationship with Lebanon. But I think State should take it from here, in terms of the ultimate impact that may or may not have on our military-to-military relationship and financial assistance.

With regards to Egypt, just as point of fact, I mean, these protests that have -- that have sprung up in the last couple of days, I think the White House has spoken to at length -- the president last night, Robert Gibbs today. There's a transcript out that you should take a look at. But we actually this week are hosting senior Egyptian military leaders at the Pentagon for our annual bilateral defense talks, referred to at the Military Cooperation Committee, which is chaired jointly by Assistant Secretary of Defense Sandy Vershbow and Lieutenant General Sami Anan, the chief of staff of the Egyptian armed forces. So that's just an example of how engaged we are with the Egyptians, even as these developments have taken place on the streets in Cairo and elsewhere, which I think State and the White House have spoken to in terms of our concerns about how they proceed in terms of non-violence and how they are reacted to by the government and so forth.