US 'not aligned' with any party in Egypt transition: Obama

WASHINGTON: The United States is "not aligned" with any political party or group in Egypt following the ouster of Mohamed Morsi, President Barack Obama said Saturday.

Obama, who spoke with members of his National Security Council via conference call about the situation in Egypt, "reiterated that the United States is not aligned with, and does not support, any particular Egyptian political party or group," according to a White House statement.

"The United States categorically rejects the false claims propagated by some in Egypt that we are working with specific political parties or movements to dictate how Egypt's transition should proceed," it said.

"We remain committed to the Egyptian people and their aspirations for democracy, economy opportunity, and dignity. But the future path of Egypt can only be determined by the Egyptian people."

Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei was chosen Saturday as premier to help lead Egypt out of a deepening crisis, official sources said. The news was greeted with cheers in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

"Interim president Adly Mansour has tasked Mohamed ElBaradei with forming a new government," the official MENA news agency reported.

ElBaradei, now 71, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 for his work as the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

He returned to Egypt in 2010 and became a prominent opponent of veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak in the lead-up to the 2011 uprising that overthrew him.

The White House called on Egyptians to "come together in an inclusive process that allows for the participation of all groups and political parties."

"We urge all Egyptian leaders to condemn the use of force and to prevent further violence among their supporters, just as we urge all those demonstrating to do so peacefully," it said.