September 10, 2011

U.S. told Egypt it must rescue Israeli embassy workers or suffer ‘consequences,’ sources say

Officials involved in attempt to resolve mob attack on Israeli embassy in Cairo say U.S. Secretary of Defense Panetta managed to speak with head of Egypt's ruling military only after 2 hours of repeated calling.

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Egyptian army soldiers stand guard to stave away demonstrators attempting to come close to the Israeli embassy in Cairo on Sept. 10. Photo by REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El-Ghany

The United States told Egypt’s military rulers during an attack on the Israeli embassy in Cairo that they must act quickly in order to prevent Israeli personnel from being attacked by Egyptian protesters, Haaretz learned on Saturday.

According to senior U.S. source that were involved in the attempt to resolve the Cairo incident, U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta called Supreme Military Council head Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, conveying what the source called an forceful message concerning the need for speed in Egypt’s ending of the embassy attack.

Read more at Haaretz.com.