A security source said Cairo airport authorities had received a notification from the US embassy in Cairo that Patterson would leave aboard an Egypt Air flight to New York on Friday.

The state news agency MENA said on Wednesday that the US embassy notified Egyptian authorities that Patterson’s term in Cairo has ended.

According to the state agency, Patterson will be replaced by a caretaker ambassador until a permanent replacement is named.

The US Department of State has cabled Egyptian authorities about nominating veteran diplomat David Satterfield, head of the Multinational Force and Observers mission in Egypt, to serve as temporary charge d’affaires until a new ambassador is named.

Patterson has garnered wide criticism from Egyptian political movements over statements seen as interference in Egyptian internal affairs.

The US and Egypt political relations have entered new phase over the current crisis of the Arab country over which the US government seeking to have direct intervention.

President Barack Obama claimed earlier that the US is conducting a “full evaluation” of its ties with Egypt and “can't return to business as usual" after the violent crackdown on protesters.

Obama said that US aid to Egypt is unlikely to influence the military’s crackdown of protesters.

"My sense with Egypt is that the aid itself may not reverse what the interim government does," Obama said in a CNN interview airing Friday.

"So what we're doing right now is doing a full evaluation of the US-Egyptian relationship."

Analysts say that the US lavishes billions of its tax dollars on Egypt to influence the events in the country and make Cairo abide by the Camp David accords with Israel.

NJF/NJF