Obama reiterates US support for Egypt

CAIRO (Xinhua) - Egyptian interim President Adli Mansour said Saturday that he received a letter from US President Barack Obama who reiterated Washington's commitment to helping the Egyptian people to democracy.

Obama said the United States would always be "a strong partner" to the Egyptian people as they shape their country's path for the future.

Obama said the Egyptian people were given "a second chance" to put the country's post-uprising transition back on track, according to Mansour.

Obama's letter was announced a few hours after clashes between supporters and opponents of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.

Official reports said 47 were killed in overnight clashes, while the field hospital of Rabia al-Adawiya, where Morsi's supporters staged an open-ended sit-in since June 28, said at least 200 of the supporters were killed and over 4,500 injured in clashes with security men.

Observers believe that the position of the United States has been "reluctant" since the ouster of Morsi earlier this month, hinting disapproval of Morsi's removal and refraining from labeling his overthrow as "a coup."

On Friday, US State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said it was in the US advantage to continue providing aid to Egypt.

"Our national security interests influence our policy as it relates to aid with Egypt," Psaki said, adding that "We reviewed the legal obligations and determined we did not need to make a determination one way or the other," referring to whether what happened in Egypt was a popular uprising or a military coup.