The military coup d'etat that ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy brought with it some diplomatic complications for other nations -- namely, that they want to avoid calling it a coup. A description of this week's events -- the military placing the president under house arrest and naming a new leader of its choosing -- fit the definition of a coup. But labeling it as such could mean an end of U.S. military aid to Egypt, and subsequently a deterioration of relations with an important ally in the Middle East and North Africa. For now, Western nations have avoided using the word "coup," preferring to watch developments unfold, and pointing to the fact that popular sentiment appears on the side of the military.
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The overthrow of Egypt's Morsy meets most definitions of a coup
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But the events in Egypt are not universally being called a coup
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Calling it such may lead to a halt of aid to Egypt
@placeholder is a key player in U.S. foreign policy in the region, and anything to sour that relationship could have unintended consequences.