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Egypt criticises US for trying to act as 'caretaker'

Egypt criticised the United States on Thursday for interfering in its affairs after Washington called for foreign monitors in this month's parliamentary elections and met with a group pressing for reforms.

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 Egypt criticised the United States on Thursday for interfering in its affairs after Washington called for foreign monitors in this month's parliamentary elections and met with a group pressing for reforms.

"The latest positions taken by the administration towards internal Egyptian affairs is something that is absolutely unacceptable," a foreign ministry statement said.

Egypt was particularly upset over a meeting this month between US President Barack Obama's national security advisors and a group of US foreign policy analysts who are pushing for reforms in Egypt, the statement explained.

The bi-partisan group was described as "the same type of groups that want to spread chaos in the Middle East."

On Monday, the State Department called on Egypt to hold a free election and allow international monitors to observe the November 28 poll. Past elections have been marred by violence and irregularities.

Egyptian rights groups say the vote has already been compromised by the arrests of hundreds of opposition activists.

"The Americans apparently insist on not respecting the specificity of Egyptian society with actions and statements that provoke Egyptian national feelings," the statement quoted an unnamed official as saying.

"It is as if the United States has turned into a caretaker of how Egyptian society should conduct its own politics," he said. "Whoever thinks that this is possible is deluded."

The official added that the country's ties with the United States were based on mutual respect, which the statement said would be honoured as long as the United States reciprocated the respect.

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