The US has urged Egypt's leadership to stop "arbitrary" arrests of Muslim Brotherhood members, warning against targeting any particular group. White House spokesman Jay Carney said, "You're working against yourself if your effort is to be inclusive." UN chief Ban Ki-moon also warned against excluding any party. Ban "made clear that there is no place for retribution or for the exclusion of any major party or community in Egypt," in a telephone call with Egypt's Foreign Minister Kamel Amr on Thursday.
On Thursday, the Obama administration and UN both expressed concerns about Egypt's decision to issue arrest warrants for the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood and nine senior figures of the movement. Carney said, "The only way this is going to work successfully... is if all parties are encouraged and allowed to participate and that's why we've made clear that arbitrary arrests are not anything that we can support."
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki went further, saying the arrests contradicted reassurances they had received by the Egyptian military and authorities of inclusivity. US policy makers would monitor the situation closely as they review decisions on assistance to Egypt, she added.