The State Department said the US is “very concerned” about the situation in Egypt; refusing to take sides, the US called for the Morsi government to reduce the violence and be more responsive to the Egyptian people. About 500 Marines from a crisis-response unit have deployed to Spain and Italy. On July 5 the US military will aim for first successful missile intercept test since December 2008; two similar tests in 2010 were failures. Another test with a newer warhead is slated for later this year; if successful, the planned expansion of the current ground-based interceptor system will begin.
