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Egyptian govt 'annoys US' 

News24 

Washington - The state department expressed annoyance on Tuesday with the Egyptian government for refusing to grant timely access for the United States consular officials to an American being held for allegedly plotting terrorist attacks.  

Egyptian authorities had told US officials that no consular access would be granted until after the investigation was completed.  

State department spokesperson Sean McCormack said: "That's not an acceptable standard."  

He acknowledged that the Vienna Convention, which mandated consular access to the government of a citizen arrested on foreign soil, did not specify a time frame for granting such access.  

The identity of the American had not been disclosed. He was detained along with a number of Europeans and citizens of Arab countries,  They were suspected of plotting attacks in several Middle East countries, including Iraq.