Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The United States has reported the arrest of an embassy staffer in Egypt.

The State Department said a U.S. embassy employee was arrested in Cairo last month. The detainee, an Egyptian national identified as Ahmed Al Aiba, has been held for three weeks without charge.

“We have been in touch with the government of Egypt and have requested additional information about his case,” State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said.

In a briefing on Feb. 12, Ms. Harf said Al Aiba was arrested over the weekend of Jan. 25 while he was off-duty. She acknowledged reports that Al Aiba had been meeting the ousted Muslim Brotherhood movement, banned by the new military-backed regime.

“The United States has not designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization,” Ms. Harf said. “We have been very clear in Egypt that we will work with all sides and all parties to help move an inclusive process forward.”

Officials said the State Department was overseeing a U.S. dialogue with
the Brotherhood despite the military overthrow of Egypt’s first Islamist
president in July 2013. They said the administration of President Barack
Obama was urging Cairo to include the Brotherhood in future elections.

“We will continue talking to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt as part of
our broad outreach to the different parties and groups there,” Ms. Harf
said. “Our folks that are on the ground there have been talking to the
Muslim Brotherhood and other groups as well.”

  Ahmed Al Aiba, Egypt arrests U.S. embassy staffer in Cairo for meeting Muslim Brotherhood members, Marie Harf, Muslim Brotherhood