US Shuts Eyes to Abuses of Key Ally Egypt
The George W. Bush administration has called on the U.S. Congress to keep annual aid to Egypt of nearly $2 billion intact for the next fiscal year, despite a massive crackdown on pro-democracy activists and suppression of political dissent in the country.
On May 19 - the day after hundreds of protesters in Cairo and Alexandria were beaten and arrested by Egyptian security forces - a House of Representatives appropriations subcommittee approved the full amount sought by the administration, although not all lawmakers were happy with the move.
"When our major aid recipients engage in conduct that flies in the face of our own values, then we ourselves are tarnished," said Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin, the committee's senior Democrat, who pledged to seek a cut of $200 million from the $1.3 billion military aid package when the bill goes to full committee.
The White House, which once called on the most populous Arab nation to lead the way toward democracy and reform, has argued that U.S. strategic interests will be harmed if the aid that is used to prop up the authoritarian regime of 78-year-old Hosni Mubarak is cut.
Indeed, the government in Egypt appears to have succeeded in weaning Washington from demanding genuine reforms by offering unprecedented support for U.S. political and military ambitions in the oil-rich Middle East – in spite of their unpopularity in the region.
At a congressional hearing last week, administration officials were not shy to note that Egypt has backed U.S. interventions in the region, and generally supported Washington's pro-Israel foreign policy and efforts to open new markets for U.S. goods in the Middle East.
"Our strategic partnership with Egypt is a cornerstone of U.S. policy in this region. We share a vision of a Middle East that is at peace and free of terror," said David Welch, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs. Read more
See: Bush Democracy Doctrine, 2003(?)-2006, R.I.P.
On May 19 - the day after hundreds of protesters in Cairo and Alexandria were beaten and arrested by Egyptian security forces - a House of Representatives appropriations subcommittee approved the full amount sought by the administration, although not all lawmakers were happy with the move.
"When our major aid recipients engage in conduct that flies in the face of our own values, then we ourselves are tarnished," said Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin, the committee's senior Democrat, who pledged to seek a cut of $200 million from the $1.3 billion military aid package when the bill goes to full committee.
The White House, which once called on the most populous Arab nation to lead the way toward democracy and reform, has argued that U.S. strategic interests will be harmed if the aid that is used to prop up the authoritarian regime of 78-year-old Hosni Mubarak is cut.
Indeed, the government in Egypt appears to have succeeded in weaning Washington from demanding genuine reforms by offering unprecedented support for U.S. political and military ambitions in the oil-rich Middle East – in spite of their unpopularity in the region.
At a congressional hearing last week, administration officials were not shy to note that Egypt has backed U.S. interventions in the region, and generally supported Washington's pro-Israel foreign policy and efforts to open new markets for U.S. goods in the Middle East.
"Our strategic partnership with Egypt is a cornerstone of U.S. policy in this region. We share a vision of a Middle East that is at peace and free of terror," said David Welch, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs. Read more
See: Bush Democracy Doctrine, 2003(?)-2006, R.I.P.
posted by exoplanet at 8:46 PM
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