Egypt said US President Barack Obama's condemnation of its violent crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood protesters were not based on “facts”, and will empower and encourage violent Islamist groups.

The death toll in the crackdown in Cairo and beyond is now known to be more than 638 lives lost, although the Muslim Brotherhood claims it’s more like 2,500.

Earlier, President Obama interrupted his Martha’s Vineyard vacation to address Wednesday’s violence.  He cancelled planned joint military exercises with Egypt.

“While we want to sustain our relationship with Egypt, our traditional cooperation cannot continue as usual when civilians are being killed in the streets and rights are being rolled back.

“The Egyptian people deserve better than what we’ve seen over the last several days,” Obama said. “And to the Egyptian people, let me say, the cycle of violence and escalation needs to stop.”

But that toothless response drew criticism from allies, foes, and journalists, including the Wall Street Journal’s Tom Gara who tweeted, “US announces it is canceling brunch with Egypt this weekend.”

Obama does not make decisions rashly, and that’s served him well in the past.  But the slow deliberation of the US response shows the precarious position the White House has found itself in.  America has pumped billions in foreign aid into Egypt for decades, propping up the military with the understanding it would keep insurgents under control, maintain peace with Israel, and keep the oil tankers moving through the Suez Canal.  Obama’s remarks on Thursday did not touch on that US$1.3 Billion in foreign aid, which the US needs to influence outcomes in Egypt.