Sisi says Egypt willing to back anti-ISIS push

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Saturday he was willing to offer support to the campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) but said military action was not the only answer.

Sisi’s comments, which came during an interview with the Associated Press, come a day after the recently elected president is due to arrive in the United States for his first official visit to that country.

On action against ISIS, Saturday did not elaborate what kind of support Egypt might give but appeared to rule out sending troops, saying Iraq's military is sufficient and "it's not an issue of ground troops from abroad."

Instead, he spoke of a "comprehensive strategy" that confronts militants across the region, not just ISIS.

He said he had warned about the threat of terrorism in the region a year ago but others only understood when ISIS fighters overran parts of Iraq.

He also said supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood would be able to return to politics if they renounced violence.