Psaki made it clear, however, that the administration now recognizes interim President Adli Mansour, who was appointed by the military, as the country’s legitimate leader.
“It is, of course, up to the Egyptian people, as we’ve said a number of times, to determine their future and the path forward,” Psaki said. “We are working with the interim government … and I can also confirm for you that Ambassador [Anne] Patterson has met with the interim president, as well.”
Asked if that means the administration wouldn’t recognize Morsi if he were released, Psaki said, “I think I just stated who we’ve been working with, but obviously, it’s up to the Egyptian people from here.”
She said the administration was still determining whether Morsi was deposed in a military coup, which would require a freeze in $1.5 billion in annual U.S. aid. Several lawmakers have called for such a determination to be made, and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Thursday introduced legislation calling Morsi’s removal a coup.
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