Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates Rush to Congratulate Egyptian Military on Transition

Mohamed Morsy, the now-ousted president of Egypt, is still protesting the military coup that is forcing him from office, but at least two countries have wasted little time in congratulating his successor. (Above, Morsy is seen visiting Saudi Arabia in happier times.)

From King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia came a message released by the Saudi Press Agency. "I appeal to Allah Almighty," the king tells interim president Adly Mansour, "to help you to shoulder the responsibility laid on your shoulder to achieve the hopes of our sisterly people of the Arab Republic of Egypt." The king also congratulated the military officers who arranged the coup, who "managed to save Egypt at this critical moment from a dark tunnel God only could apprehend its dimensions and repercussions, but the wisdom and moderation came out of those men to preserve the rights of all parties in the political process."

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, also congratulated Egypt on its transition, saying in a statement that "the UAE has full confidence that the great people of Egypt will be able to overcome the current difficult moments that the country is experiencing in order to reach a safe and prosperous future." The Emirati minister also singled out the military for praise, adding that "the great Egyptian army proves, once again, that it is the strong shield and the protector that guarantees that the country is a land of institutions and law that embraces all the components of the Egyptian people."

Well, then. It’s pretty clear who the two Gulf countries were rooting for.