Pentagon urges 'restraint' in Egyptian unrest

Pro-democracy protesters and the Egyptian government — including its military — should use "restraint" to avoid an escalation in the days ahead, Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Friday.

An Egyptian military delegation was at the Pentagon this week for pre-planned talks with American military officials. That group has cut short its trip in order to return to Egypt, where citizens are revolting against the regime of President Hosni Mubarak, a longtime U.S. ally.

U.S. military officials did discuss the volatile situation in the north African nation with the Egyptian delegation, Cartwright told reporters at the Pentagon.

But they did not issue official guidance on how Washington or Pentagon brass want the government in Cairo to handle the situation, Cartwright said.

"And they did not tell us how they were going to handle it," Cartwright said, adding conversations about the demonstrations took place "in the hallways between sessions" and were not part of the official agenda.

The vice chairman said "everyone involved" should "exercise restraint."