US has lauded the Egyptian military for its "constructive" role during the ongoing political unrest in the country and hoped that the force will continue its efforts towards stabilising the Arab state.
"We are very impressed the posture and the professionalism displayed by the Egyptian military...I think that broadly speaking the military has played a very important and constructive role in being a stabilising force on the ground, particularly relative to what the situation looked like prior to the weekend," Crowley said during his daily news conference.
"Yesterday was a bad day for Egypt. I think there are some indications the military is adjusting its movements today in response to that," he said.
US, including the Pentagon, is in daily contact with the Egyptian military in this regard. US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has spoken three times with Egyptian Defense Minister Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi since the demonstrations started in Egypt.
"To date we have seen them act professionally and with restraint," Pentagon spokesman Col David Lapan said, adding that "it’s a very fluid situation (in Egypt), so we are watching every single day."
Lapan said as of now about 625 US service members are based in Egypt, most of them as part of the UN Multinational Force and Observers in Sinai peninsula. "Their mission has not changed," he said.
Pentagon is conducting prudent planning if called upon to execute a noncombatant evacuation order. "I don't want to leave the impression that we’re actively planning and on the verge of something. As the situation develops, we’re always looking from a military standpoint at what’s happening, and what we might do should we be called upon," Lapan said
Meanwhile the White House said US is reviewing military aid to Egypt, but has not stopped sending aid. "We will evaluate the actions of the government of Egypt in making and reviewing decisions about aid," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said.