(AFP Photo)
United States senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham are expected to arrive in Cairo on Monday afternoon amid what the US perceives as a global terror threat to hold talks with different political stakeholders.
A spokeswoman for the US embassy in Cairo confirmed that the senators would be arriving on Monday but did not offer specific information on who they would meet.
Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdel Atty confirmed McCain and Graham would arrive at 4pm on Monday. He also did not have a specific schedule of meetings but said they would “probably” meet with the interim president, vice president and other government officials.
Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El Haddad said the Anti-Coup Coalition was discussing whether they would meet with the Republican senators.
The senators’ arrival coincides with the visits of US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and European Union Envoy for the Southern Mediterranean Bernardino Leon. The senators are expected to hold a press conference on Tuesday.
Speaking on Sunday on CNN, Graham confirmed that he and McCain would be visiting Egypt. Graham discussed the threat of terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda saying: “I know it’s dangerous but we need to be there with our diplomats giving a unified message to Egypt.” He continued: “Do not let these people drive us out of the Mid[dle] East. Do not let them make us abandon our friends like now Yemen, Israel, [and] the king of Jordan.”
He said that Al-Qaeda are “on steroids” following the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi in September 2012.
Former US presidential candidate McCain believes that the ouster of Mohamed Morsi as president at the beginning of July was a military coup, and called for the US to cut aid to Egypt in accordance with laws regarding foreign funding.
Graham serves on the US senate committees on appropriations, armed services, budget and judiciary. McCain serves also serves on the armed services committee as well as indian affairs, homeland security and governmental affairs and foreign relations.
McCain and Graham were both part of a delegation that visited Egypt in January and met with former president Morsi.
The US has closed 19 embassies in Middle East and Africa from 5-10 August as a precaution against potential terrorist attacks.
