Biden administration debating whether to call military takeover in Myanmar a ‘coup’

By Kylie Atwood and Kevin Liptak, CNN

Updated 4:46 PM ET, Mon February 1, 2021

Videos from Myanmar show ‘textbook example’ of military coup 04:11

Washington (CNN)The Biden administration is having an internal debate over whether to call the military takeover in Myanmar a coup, according to a State Department official and an administration official.Officially declaring it a coup, which the administration has not yet done in any of their statements on the matter, would legally bind the US to cut off foreign assistance to the country. The State Department legal office is studying this determination and is likely to take the lead on this matter, the officials said.There is no legal requirement for the US to formally declare a military takeover to be a coup, but the administration will make that