Egypt disturbed by U.S. embassy's security warning

The spokesperson of the Egyptian foreign ministry said late Friday the ministry was disturbed by the security warning issued by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo.

The embassy neither coordinated with the foreign ministry nor notified any other Egyptian authority of the reasons for issuing such an alert or the nature of these security concerns, which in turn raises questions about the reasons behind issuing the alert, Ahmed Abu Zeid said in a statement.

The U.S. Embassy's warning advises citizens of the United States to avoid large gatherings and public spaces on Oct. 9 in Cairo, due to potential security concerns.

The spokesperson added that when contacted to clarify the reasons for issuing the security message, the U.S. embassy denied the presence of any particular reasons or security threats that triggered the alert, emphasizing that such alerts are standard precautionary measures taken during extended holidays that often lead to increasing numbers in public gatherings.

Abu Zeid further added that the Foreign Ministry deplored, during the call to the U.S. embassy, these unnecessary alerts that can have negative impacts, particularly on the economic front.

The spokesperson called upon all embassies in Cairo to exercise caution when issuing unnecessary or incomprehensible statements. Endit