Pentagon Monitors Situation in Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon
WASHINGTON (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense Department on Wednesday said Defense officials are closely watching protests that have flared up in Egypt, Tunisia and Lebanon, as Pentagon hosts senior Egyptian military leaders for talks this week. The Defense Department is "monitoring closely" events in Tunisia, Egypt and Lebanon "as they evolve," Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said during a regular briefing. Morrell said the United States has no military-to-military relationship with Tunisia, but has a long-standing military-to-military relationship with Egypt and an evolving military-to-military relationship with Lebanon. Defense officials are hosting senior Egyptian military leaders this week for their annual bilateral defense talks, Morrell said. "That's just an example of how engaged we are with the Egyptians, even as these developments have taken place on the streets of Cairo, and elsewhere," he said.