CAIRO: United States Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced he would be in Egypt for meetings with new President Mohamed Morsi and the country's top military official, Hussein Tantawi next week. The Pentagon said on Thursday that besides his visit to Egypt, Panetta would head to Israel, Jordan and Tunisia as part of a regional trip. Panetta's trip to Egypt comes only two weeks after a visit by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who also met Morsi and Egypt's top general. The statement from the Pentagon said Egypt's transition to democracy will top the agenda. It comes as the military and Morsi continue to battle over power in the country, despite the president taking over power on June 30. The military has said it would not allow one group, or party, from taking control of Egypt, ostensibly referring to the growing popularity of the Muslim Brotherhood, a conservative Islamic group that won nearly half of seats in Parliament and now controls the presidency. “The secretary is very much looking forward to meeting with senior Egyptian officials and to encourage them to continue the political transition that's taking place,” said Pentagon spokesman George Little. “I wouldn't want to get too far ahead of the discussions, since they're taking place next week.” In Israel and Jordan, Panetta will “engage close allies who share our concerns about Syria and Iran,” Little said.
