The U.S. State Department on Wednesday outlined its position on former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi’s government:

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Morsi’s government “wasn’t a democratic rule … What I mean is what we’ve been referencing about the 22 million people who have been out there voicing their views and making clear that democracy is not just about simply winning the vote at the ballot box”.

Washington’s acknowledgement comes as the U.S. recommitted to delivering four F-16 fighter jets to Cairo – part of an order of 20 planes expected to be completed by the end of the year as part of a $1.5 billion military aid package. Egypt’s interim government welcomed the position:

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Badr Abdelatty, said the comments “reflect understanding and realization … about the political developments that Egypt is witnessing in the recent days, as embodying the will of the millions of Egyptians who took to the streets starting on June 30 to ask for their legitimate rights and call for early elections”.

Meanwhile various Gulf nations moved to assist the interim government in stabilizing Egypt’s reeling economy, which new revelations indicate was substantially worse than the Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood-linked government had been willing to publicly acknowledge.

A New York Times report cataloged a $12 billion cash inflow from Gulf nations into Egypt since Wednesday, including $4 billion from Kuwait. Egypt’s economy had in May already slipped to Great Depression levels, as Morsi’s efforts to appease his base and institutionalize Islam cost Cairo critically needed assistance from Europe and international institutions.

[Photo: Cabtfor / Wiki Commons]