El-Sisi thanks US for support

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called his Egyptian counterpart late Monday, during which General Abdel Fatah El-Sisi "underscored his commitment to peaceful resolution of the ongoing protests, and thanked Secretary Hagel for US support." According to a statement released by the US Department of Defense, Hagel and El-Sisi "discussed progress in US and EU mediation efforts led by Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns and EU Special Representative Bernadino Leon." Both Burns and Leon are in Egypt in an attempt to ease tensions between rival political factions. Some 300 people have been killed in Egypt since early July, in the aftermath of the military overthrow of former president Mohammed Morsi. The Pentagon said El-Sisi, whom pro-Morsi activists blame for the violence, "affirmed the commitment of the interim civilian government to an inclusive political roadmap for all Egyptians."