CAIRO (AP) - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has used her first meeting with Egypt's new Islamist president to press him to start a dialogue with military leaders as a way of preserving the country's transition to democracy.
Mohammed Morsi took office on June 30, but remains in a political standoff with the generals who have ruled Egypt since President Hosni Mubarak was ousted last year. Right before his inauguration, the generals stripped him of many powers and kept them for themselves.
Clinton said resolving the impasse "requires dialogue and compromise." She said the United States is doing all it can to "support the democratically elected government and to help make it a success in delivering results for the people of Egypt."
The meeting at the presidential palace kicked off a series of high-level sessions aimed at stabilizing Egypt's fledgling democracy and its increasingly shaky alliance with the United States.
A large crowd massed outside Clinton's hotel, chanting and carrying anti-American signs.
Associated Press