US deflects Pakistan anger on Mehsud

2 November 2013 Last updated at 20:07 ET

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Has the Mehsud killing ended Pakistan's chance for peace?

The US has responded to accusations from Pakistan that a drone strike that killed Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud had destroyed the country's nascent peace process.

A state department official said talks with the Taliban were an internal matter for Pakistan.

The statement insisted Pakistan and the US had a "shared strategic interest in ending extremist violence".

It also said it could still not confirm that Mehsud had been killed on Friday.

Pakistan has summoned the US ambassador to protest over Friday's drone strike that killed Mehsud.

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Analysis

Hakimullah Mehsud was killed a day before Pakistani officials say they were scheduled to send a three-member team to start peace negotiations with the Taliban.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told a local TV news channel, Geo, that the drone strike was an attempt to "sabotage" Pakistan's peace talks with Taliban.

But many believe Mehsud's death will leave the field open for groups that are known to have publicly favoured a rapprochement with Pakistan.

One of these groups is headed by Khan Said Sajna, the successor of Waliur Rehman, a militant commander who favoured talks with Islamabad and once contested the leadership of the Pakistani Taliban. Rehman was killed in a drone strike in May.

The country's foreign minister, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, said the strike on the local Taliban leader "is not just the killing of one person, it's the death of all peace efforts."

It came a day before a Pakistani delegation had been due to fly to North Waziristan to meet Mehsud.

Taliban revenge

Mr Nisar accused the United States of "scuttling" efforts to begin peace talks, and said "every aspect" of Pakistan's co-operation with Washington would be reviewed.

Information Minister Pervez Rashid said: "The US has tried to attack the peace talks with this drone but we will not let them fail."

The US state department spokesman said: "The issue of whether to negotiate with TTP is an internal matter for Pakistan, and we refer you to the government of Pakistan for further details."

The official added: "More broadly, the United States and Pakistan continue to have a vital, shared strategic interest in ending extremist violence so as to build a more prosperous, stable, and peaceful region.

"We have an ongoing dialogue with Pakistan regarding all aspects of the relationship and our shared interests, including security and counterterrorism cooperation, and we work together to address each others' concerns."

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had pledged to talk with the Taliban to try to end its campaign of violence, which has left thousands dead in bombings and shootings across the country.

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Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan: "The Americans have a lot to learn"

Mehsud was killed along with four other people - including two of his bodyguards - when four missiles struck their vehicle in the north-western region of North Waziristan, a senior Taliban official told the BBC.

Pakistani media say Mehsud's funeral has taken place at an unknown location in the tribal area of North Waziristan.

A Pakistani Taliban spokesman, Azam Tariq, vowed revenge, as Pakistan's security forces were put on high alert.

"Every drop of Hakimullah's blood will turn into a suicide bomber," he said. "America and their friends shouldn't be happy because we will take revenge for our martyr's blood."

The Taliban's ruling council met on Saturday to choose a new leader. Unconfirmed reports say regional commander Khan Said Sajna has been elected to the top job. .

The US said it had seen the reports but "cannot confirm one way or the other".

The state department official also said: "We are not in a position to confirm reports that Hakimullah Mehsud may have been killed in Pakistan."

As well as Mehsud, the previous Pakistan Taliban leader was killed in a drone strike, in 2009

Taliban setback

The US had a bounty of $5m on Mehsud's head. The state department described him as the head of the group which planned the failed bombing of Times Square in 2010 and said the Pakistani Taliban have a "symbiotic" relationship with al-Qaeda.

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Shopkeeper Usman Ali: "America has done a terrible thing"

Mehsud's death is seen as another setback for the militant group after the recent capture of a senior commander by US forces in Afghanistan.

Mehsud led the insurgency from North Waziristan and was thought to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of people.

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Hakimullah Mehsud

• Became overall leader of Pakistani Taliban in 2009, aged 30, after his predecessor, Baitullah Mehsud, died in a US drone strike
• Masterminded campaign against Nato convoys in Khyber tribal region and Peshawar
• Emerged as a prominent fighter after reputedly leading a raid that captured 300 soldiers
• In 2010, he appeared in a video alongside a Jordanian who later killed seven CIA agents in Afghanistan in a suicide attack

He came to prominence in 2007 as a commander under the militant group's founder Baitullah Mehsud, with the capture of 300 Pakistani soldiers adding to his prestige among the militants.

His second-in-command, Waliur Rehman, was killed in a similar drone strike in May.

In a rare interview two weeks ago, Mehsud told the BBC he was open to "serious talks" with the government but said he had not yet been approached.

Mehsud denied carrying out recent deadly attacks in public places, saying his targets were "America and its friends".

He had loose control over more than 30 militant groups in Pakistan's tribal areas.

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Toronto mayor: 'No reason' to resign

31 October 2013 Last updated at 21:18 ET

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Toronto Mayor Rob Ford ordered the press to leave his property

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has refused to quit after Canadian police said they recovered a video appearing to show him smoking from a crack pipe.

Mr Ford, who has denied smoking crack, said he had "no reason" to resign.

Police have not gone into detail about the content of the mobile-phone footage but say it is consistent with previous media descriptions.

The saga has captivated the city since reports surfaced in May of the video's existence.

The video, first brought to light by journalists who reported seeing it, has never been released publicly.

Earlier, Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair told media of the video they had recovered from a computer hard drive, the contents of which he said "contained video images which appear to be those video images previously reported in the press".

Police have not filed criminal charges against Mayor Ford in connection with the video.

'Disappointed'

"There is nothing on that video that would support the laying of criminal charges," Mr Blair said. But he added it was an "issue of significant public concern and... a problem for the city".

He said he was "disappointed" by the video's contents.

Mr Ford told a gaggle of reporters outside his office on Thursday following the police statement that he wished "I could come out and defend myself".

"Unfortunately I can't because it's before the courts, and that's all I can say right now... I have no reason to resign," he said.

In May the Toronto Star newspaper said it had been approached by drug dealers trying to sell the video; two of its reporters viewed the video, but the organisation declined to pay for it.

A Gawker journalist also reported seeing the video and the organisation raised more than $200,000 in an online campaign to buy it, before being told by a source the video was "gone".

A photo depicting Mr Ford with two young men, which Gawker said they were given by the drug dealer selling the video, became notorious when it emerged that one of the men, Anthony Smith, had been shot dead on a Toronto street. Two men are facing murder charges in that case.

Driver charged

Reports of the mystery video's existence triggered a massive police investigation into the mayor and his associates, specifically a friend and occasional driver named Alexander "Sandro" Lisi.

Mr Lisi has since been charged with marijuana trafficking and possession. Police said on Thursday that he now faced a charge of extortion in relation to the video.

Documents released on Thursday also revealed a lengthy police surveillance operation against Mr Ford, with officers going through his rubbish and monitoring late-night meetings between Mr Ford and Mr Lisi.

The documents were released by court order on Thursday after petitioning by leading Canadian media outlets.

Several of Mr Ford's aides have resigned and his chief of staff was sacked in recent months. Some were interviewed by police in the case.

Divisive figure

The case has riveted the city and its suburbs of just under six million people, Canada's largest. Mr Ford and his brother Doug, also a city councillor, have become divisive figures.

Mr Ford was elected in 2010 on a tough economic platform in which he promised to rein in spending and end the influence of special-interest groups.

His term in office has been plagued with allegations of substance abuse and regular confrontations with media, whom he accuses of organising a witch-hunt. He also narrowly escaped being removed from office in a conflict of interest case.

But he has drawn public sympathy with his folksy image and a very public battle with his weight.

Before Thursday's revelations, Mr Ford had pledged to run for re-election next year. He refused to comment to reporters at his home early on Thursday.

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US cuts food aid benefits for poor

31 October 2013 Last updated at 22:40 ET

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Just what exactly are food stamps in the US and how do they work? The BBC breaks it all down.

US food aid benefits are being cut from Friday as an extension of the government programme expires, while legislators fight over further cuts.

Benefits to the supplemental nutrition assistance program (Snap) will be lowered by $36 (£22) a month for a family of four, officials say.

Some 47 million low income Americans will be affected by the cuts.

Food aid in the US has grown to $80bn a year due to higher unemployment and rising food costs.

About one in seven Americans relies on Snap, also known as food stamps.

The benefits were originally expanded during the recent economic recession to stimulate the economy and help the poorest Americans.

Republicans in Congress are seeking further reductions to the programme and say it should be better targeted at the most needy.

Retailers and grocers around the US are concerned about the possible negative impact the reduction will have on consumer spending.

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Michael Rivers used to earn $27 an hour as a factory foreman, but now he lives on food stamps

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US court upholds Texas abortion law

1 November 2013 Last updated at 17:20 ET

A third of Texas abortion clinics can no longer provide the procedure after a federal court allowed new restrictions to take effect in the state.

The Republican-led state legislature passed a law in July requiring doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital.

Among other restrictions, it limits the use of abortion-inducing drugs.

A Thursday appeals court ruling reversed a lower court decision that the restrictions were unconstitutional.

On Monday, Federal District Judge Lee Yeakel ruled that the new requirement for doctors performing abortions to have patient-admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles (48km) unconstitutionally restricted women's access to abortion.

He barred the state of Texas from enforcing the requirement.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott then filed an emergency appeal against Mr Yeakel's decision.

And on Thursday, a panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed it, ruling the Texas law could take effect on Friday while an appeal is argued in the coming months.

Mr Abbott, a Republican, is expected to run for governor of Texas against Democratic State Senator Wendy Davis, who has been an outspoken opponent of the new abortion restrictions.

The legislation also bans abortions at the 20th week of pregnancy and requires doctors to perform abortions at special surgical facilities.

'Far from over'

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This restriction clearly violates Texas women's constitutional rights"

End Quote Cecile Richards Planned Parenthood foundation president

After the law passed in July, Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers in the state sued, arguing the law would force many to close.

In his ruling on Monday, Mr Yeakel found the admitting privileges provision "places a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion of a nonviable foetus and is thus an undue burden to her".

In overturning his decision, the court of appeals found the state had provided "a rational basis" for the physician hospital privilege requirement, including offering evidence it "fosters a woman's ability to seek consultation and treatment for complications directly from her physician, not from an emergency room provider".

"This unanimous decision is a vindication of the careful deliberation by the Texas legislature to craft a law to protect the health and safety of Texas women," Mr Abbott said.

Women's health advocates have argued the law will require women in some areas to travel several hours on two days to obtain abortions.

"This restriction clearly violates Texas women's constitutional rights by drastically reducing access to safe and legal abortion state-wide," Planned Parenthood Foundation President Cecile Richards said.

"This fight is far from over."

At one clinic near the Texas-Mexico border on Friday, women who had arrived for an initial consultation for abortions on Saturday were told by an administrator they would not be able to go ahead with the procedure.

The Associated Press reported some women stayed in the hope that something would change.

The clinic's doctor, Dr Lester Minto, said the law's hospital admitting privilege provision prevented him from performing abortions.

He said he feared some of the women might "do drastic things" if he was unable to terminate their pregnancies.

One woman at the clinic told the Associated Press she had already had several children with her husband and the pregnancy was not planned.

"I just can't afford to have another one," the woman said, on condition of anonymity.

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Obama: Iraq al-Qaeda 'more active'

1 November 2013 Last updated at 18:21 ET

US President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki have discussed how to counter a "more active" al-Qaeda in the country.

But following talks at the White House, nearly two years after the last US soldier left Iraq, Mr Obama did not unveil any new offer of military aid.

He stressed the importance of an inclusive and democratic Iraq.

Mr Maliki's visit to Washington DC, his first since 2011, comes as bloodshed hits a five-year high in Iraq.

'Fragile' democracy

In a joint statement released by the White House after Friday's two-hour talks, both the US and Iraq said there was an "urgent" need for additional aid for Iraqi forces.

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Unfortunately al-Qaeda has still been active and has grown more active recently"

End Quote President Barack Obama

"The Iraqi delegation stressed its desire to purchase US equipment as a means of strengthening long-term institutional ties with the United States," the statement read.

Mr Maliki has reportedly asked for Apache attack helicopters and other gear from the US. But Mr Obama did not announce any new military aid.

The Iraqi prime minister would not specify the details of his request for US assistance, but said Friday's meeting had been "very positive".

After their private talks, Mr Obama told reporters: "Unfortunately al-Qaeda has still been active and has grown more active recently.

"So we had a lot of discussion about how we can work together to push back against that terrorist organisation that operates not only in Iraq, but also poses a threat to the entire region and to the United States."

Mr Obama also told reporters the US wanted Iraq to pass an election law so Iraqis can discuss their differences politically instead of through violence.

Some US officials say Mr Maliki has ignored calls from Washington to give minorities a greater role in the government.

Many Sunni Muslims accuse Mr Maliki, a Shia Muslim, of marginalising them, spawning a resentment that extremists have sought to exploit.

Mr Obama said a functioning democracy in Iraq would honour all those who had died since the 2003 US invasion.

Mr Maliki vowed to strengthen the "fragile" democracy in his country.

Iraq has seen a spill-over of violence from the conflict in neighbouring Syria, where fighters linked to the Islamic State of Iraq - a Sunni militant umbrella group that includes al-Qaeda - have risen to prominence.

The Iraqi government has also faced widespread criticism over corruption and problems with the provision of basic services.

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Germany and Brazil in UN spy draft

1 November 2013 Last updated at 21:52 ET

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A summary of US spying allegations brought about by Edward Snowden's leak of classified documents

Germany and Brazil have asked the UN General Assembly to adopt a draft resolution calling for the right to privacy in the digital age.

The draft calls for an end to excessive electronic surveillance, noting that the illegal collection of personal data "constitutes a highly intrusive act".

Brazil and Germany have both been angered by allegations of large-scale US surveillance.

The allegations stem from revelations by US whistleblower Edward Snowden.

'Deeply concerned'

The draft resolution, which does not name individual countries, will be debated by a General Assembly committee focusing on human rights.

The draft calls on the 193-member assembly to declare that it is "deeply concerned at human rights violations and abuses that may result from the conduct of any surveillance of communications".

This includes "extraterritorial surveillance of communications, their interception, as well as the collection of personal data, in particular massive surveillance, interception and data collection".

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• Accessing internet company data
• Tapping fibre optic cables
• Eavesdropping on phones
• Targeted spying

The resolution, which will be voted on later this month, calls on all countries to protect the right to privacy guaranteed under international law.

While General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, they can carry significant moral and political weight if they win enough support.

The draft follows allegations that the US has been eavesdropping on foreign leaders, including Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, angering US allies in Europe and Asia.

Disclosures about the extent of US spying activity came from documents leaked to media organisations by former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden.

The German government earlier said it was keen to speak directly to Mr Snowden about US surveillance activities, after it was revealed the NSA had been bugging Mrs Merkel's mobile phone for years.

Mr Snowden had earlier met German Green MP Hans-Christian Stroebele in Moscow and expressed his readiness to brief the German government on NSA spying.

His lawyers said any meeting with German investigators would take place in Moscow, not Germany.

The German chancellor's anxiety about US spying overshadowed last week's EU summit, when she remarked with irritation that spying on friends is "really not on".

Ms Rousseff was angered by revelations that the NSA had hacked the computer network of Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras to collect data on emails and telephone calls.

US Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged on Friday that in some cases, US spying had gone too far.

He said he would work with President Barack Obama to prevent further inappropriate actions by the NSA.

Mr Snowden, 30, fled to Russia in June after leaking details of far-reaching US telephone and internet espionage. He has temporary asylum, allowing him to live in Russia, until July 2014.

Mr Snowden's lawyer said his client had started work on Friday for a major private website in Russia but did not disclose which site, citing security concerns.

The scale of the alleged US espionage has provoked international concern and calls for tighter supervision.

Asian countries have also protested at claims that Australia was involved in a US-led spy network, with Indonesia summoning the Australian ambassador to Jakarta.

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UK soldiers 'admit New York fight'

2 November 2013 Last updated at 11:49 ET

Four British Army soldiers have admitted being involved in a fight with an off-duty New York policeman, the Associated Press (AP) is reporting.

The soldiers in the Royal Regiment of Scotland, who were in the US on a rugby tour, were arrested after the brawl outside a New York city bar in August.

AP says the victim's report says he was punched and his phone was taken.

The four were sentenced in the US to community service and fined. They also face punishment by the Army.

Cuts and bruises

The off-duty officer suffered a broken nose, swollen jaw, a large cut to his neck, bruises and a cut inside his mouth requiring stitches, according to a police report.

The NYPD has previously told the BBC that one of the soldiers required stitches to an injury.

Documents filed with the New York Criminal Court showed that one of the soldiers, Thomas Shute, was fined $500 (£313) and fees of $250 (£157).

He was also sentenced to five days of community service and given a one-year conditional discharge after admitting misdemeanour assault.

Court records also showed that Ratu-losefo Yavala pleaded guilty on Friday to misdemeanour assault and petit larceny, according to AP.

Mosese Kurulala and Iliakini Raderua pleaded guilty to violations, which are not crimes under US law, AP added.

A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesman said: "All those who are found to fall short of the Army's high standards or who are found to have committed an offence under the Armed Forces Act are dealt with administratively (up to and including discharge) or through the discipline process, as appropriate.

"We have a common law and Data Protection Act duty to protect the personal information of our employees and, as such, we are not prepared to release any personal information relating to this case."

The four were Fijian nationals believed to be in New York to play a rugby match against the NYPD at the Mystic River Rugby Club in Boston.

Two other soldiers, Joeli Raduva and Filipe Vunisarati, were also charged after the 4am fight in the Murray Hill neighbourhood on 30 August, but it is unclear whether they have been released or face a hearing.

The MoD said all six were from the 1 Scots battalion - formerly known as the Royal Scots Borderers - part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

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LA airport suspect on murder charge

2 November 2013 Last updated at 23:05 ET

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Andre Birotte, California attorney, on the possible sentences for conviction

The man suspected of carrying out Friday's gun attack at Los Angeles Airport has been charged with murder.

Prosecutors say the death penalty could be sought if 23-year-old Paul Anthony Ciancia is convicted. He is in hospital after being shot by police.

A federal US security agent was killed and others wounded in the attack. Police are attempting to establish a motive for the assault.

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has now reopened fully.

About 1,550 flights with 167,000 passengers were affected, airport spokeswoman Nancy Castles said.

'Traitorous minds'

US Attorney Andre Birotte said Mr Ciancia was also charged with commission of violence at an international airport.

Mr Birotte said the gunman had pulled a ".223-calibre M&P-15 assault rifle out of his bag and fired multiple rounds at point-blank range" at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer Gerardo Hernandez, 39.

The attorney said the shots did not kill the officer, but the gunman returned to "shoot the wounded officer again".

Mr Hernandez's widow, Ana, said he was "a joyful person, always smiling and took pride in his duty to the American public".

The FBI has also given more details of a note found on the suspect.

David Bowdich, the head of the FBI's LA office, said: "In the note that was handwritten by the defendant, that was signed by the defendant, we found a statement where he made a conscious decision to kill multiple TSA employees.

"He addressed them at one point in the letter, and stated that he wanted to 'instil fear into their traitorous minds'."

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• Part of US Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration was created after 9/11 to beef up airport security
• But critics say the 50,000-strong agency is ineffectual and even unconstitutional
• Its introduction of full-body scanners and pat-downs at airports in 2010 was seen by many as highly intrusive
• The TSA has received thousands of complaints about discourtesy, delays at checkpoints and damage to luggage during screening

Mr Bowdich said investigators had not yet been able to interview Mr Ciancia.

The gunman appeared to target agents of the TSA, which manages security at US airports.

He pushed through screening gates and walked more than 100 yards (90m) into the secure area of the terminal before law enforcement officers caught up with him in a food court.

A law enforcement official told the Associated Press news agency that Mr Ciancia was shot in the mouth and leg by two airport police officers.

Bystander Leon Saryan told AP he had just passed through security and was looking for a place to replace his shoes and belt when he heard gunshots.

As he attempted to hide, the gunman approached him.

"He looked at me and asked 'TSA?' I shook my head no, and he continued on down toward the gate. He had his gun at the ready and, but for the grace of God, I am here to tell about it.''

Allen Cummings, the police chief of Pennsville, New Jersey, where Anthony Ciancia grew up, said the 23-year-old's father Paul had contacted him on Friday as he was concerned about his son in Los Angeles.

He said text messages received by family members had prompted the call.

"There was some things in there that made his family feel he may do harm to himself,'' Allen Cummings told reporters.

Mr Cummings said Paul Ciancia had also heard from a friend that his son might have obtained a gun.

The police chief said he had contacted Los Angeles police, who sent a patrol car to Anthony Ciancia's apartment. Two roommates said they had seen him a day earlier, and that he had appeared fine.

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Pair guilty of Bangladesh war crimes

3 November 2013 Last updated at 02:19 ET

A UK Muslim leader and a US citizen have been sentenced to death over crimes committed during Bangladesh's 1971 war of independence.

UK-Bangladeshi Muslim community leader Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin and Ashrafuzzaman Khanwas were being tried in absentia by a special tribunal in Bangladesh.

They were found guilty on 11 charges relating to the abduction and killing of 18 independence supporters.

Verdicts in similar cases have sparked violent reactions in Bangladesh.

The proceedings of the International Crimes Tribunal have come under criticism from several rights groups, including the New York-based Human Rights Watch, which has described the trials as flawed.

'Encouraged killings'

Prosecutors said Mueen-Uddin was a member of the al-Badr militia group which fought alongside the Pakistani army, against independence for what was then East Pakistan, later Bangladesh.

They said he was involved in the killing of pro-independence activists, including academics and journalists, in the final days of the war.

"They encouraged, they gave moral support to and participated in the killing of 18 intellectuals," judge Mujibur Rahman Mia told a packed court in Dhaka, reported the AFP news agency.

Later senior judge Obaidul Hassan told the court: "Justice will not be done if they are not awarded capital punishment," AFP said.

Mueen-Uddin, who lives in London, and Khan, a New York resident, both originally come from Bangladesh.

The tribunal's attempts to get them into the dock failed. They denied the charges against them, which their lawyers have described as politicised.

Their trial was completed within just over three months - largely because the tribunal-appointed defence lawyers did not have the co-operation of the families of the accused, reported Bangladesh's Daily Star.

The lawyers could not even get one defence witness to testify whereas the prosecution called 25, it said.

The court's previous judgements include death sentences for former and current senior leaders of Bangladesh's main Islamic party, the Jamaat-e-Islami and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

More than 100 people have died since January in violent protests set off by those verdicts handed down by the International Crimes Tribunal.

It was set up in 2010 by the current Awami League-led government to try alleged local collaborators of the Pakistani army during the war of independence, when three million people died, according to official figures.

But opposition parties have accused it of pursuing a political vendetta against its opponents.

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Kerry in unannounced visit to Egypt

3 November 2013 Last updated at 06:06 ET

US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived on an unannounced visit to Egypt as he begins a tour of countries in the region.

Mr Kerry, the most senior American official to visit Egypt since the ousting of President Mohammed Morsi in July, will stay only a few hours.

The visit comes at a time of tension between Washington and Cairo. Mr Morsi is due to go on trial on Monday.

Mr Kerry will go on to tour countries in the Middle East and North Africa.

John Kerry's visit to Cairo was kept under wraps by US officials until he landed - although Egyptian state media did announce his arrival - the first time a US secretary of State has travelled to Egypt on what is known as an unannounced visit for security reasons.

The BBC's Kim Ghattas, travelling with Mr Kerry, says it is the kind of precaution that characterises trips by US officials to countries like Afghanistan and Iraq.

This is a sign of US concerns about continued instability in the country, but it is also a reaction to the high level of anti-American resentment in Egypt, our correspondent says.

Although Washington has not declared the military takeover that deposed the Islamist Mr Morsi a coup, it has de facto suspended military aid to Egypt in compliance with US law.

This has angered supporters of the army, while supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood also feel bitter and accuse the US of letting them down.

Mr Kerry's visit comes a day before the trial of Mr Morsi who is accused of inciting the killing of protesters outside the presidential palace in December 2012.

But the State Department said the timing of Mr Kerry's visit was not connected to the trial, our correspondent adds.

Mr Kerry was meeting the interim leaders that assumed control following July's ouster - President Adly Mahmud Mansour, Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi, Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy and army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

He is also reported to be meeting, behind closed doors, members of Egyptian civil society alarmed by a crackdown in which hundreds of people have died.

Trade and defence

Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan and Morocco are among the countries on the next stages of Mr Kerry's itinerary, which spans 3 to 12 November.

After his Egyptian visit, Secretary Kerry will go on to the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

The Saudi government has recently expressed its disappointment with what it sees as America's hesitant approach in Syria and a lack of support for the new Egyptian government.

Mr Kerry is expected to discuss defence and trade issues with officials, with Syria likely to be high on the agenda across the region.

The secretary of state will also meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders to discuss the peace process in Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

He will then travel to Algeria and Morocco towards the end of the nine-day trip to chair strategic dialogue meetings.

Mr Kerry may also have to face difficult questions over allegations of widespread US spying.

In the wake of revelations sparked by leaks from ex-US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, Mr Kerry said last week that spying by the US National Security Agency may have gone too far.

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