In this sensitive moment. Wow.
Our State Department emphasized that yes, Egypt is our ally.
The president's spokesman tried to mesh the conflicting statements:
"The President, in diplomatic and legal terms, was speaking correctly, that we do not have an alliance treaty with Egypt," Carney said during a press gaggle in Golden, Colorado, according to the White House press office. "'Ally' is a legal term of art. ..."
That's gonna hurt in the morning. Carney had to twist quite a lot to pretend that explanation works.
This administration has no business practicing this kind of diplomatic art. Good grief, they haven't mastered paint-by-numbers foreign policy.
They should stick to interpretive dance, or something.
UPDATE: So it depends on the meaning of the word "ally?"
Hey, maybe this is a job for that Secretary of Explaining Stuff.