During a visit to Cairo on Saturday, Secretary of State John Kerry called Egypt an “important partner” in the coalition of nations against ISIS. Kerry hailed the nations “an intellectual and cultural capital to the Muslim world” and said it has a “critical role” to play in defeating the Islamist militant group. Almost 40 countries have agreed to join the coalition. However, the U.S. has said it will not partner with Iran or Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government. NATO member Turkey also refused to join.
