In a strongly worded statement, the spokesperson of egypts foreign ministry stated that the comments of us state department spokesperson marie harf showed total ignorance and failure to know of current events. Whats happening with suspended military aid for egypt. Power maps conference calls special reports i spy plus. The administration could have withheld other military aid, as a more serious. Administrations have justified aid to egypt as an investment in regional stability, built primarily on longrunning cooperation with the egyptian military and on sustaining the 1979 egyptianisraeli peace treaty. The delivery of largescale military systems as well as cash assistance to the egyptian government. Five years later, the trump administration has backed down in its own military aid standoff with egypt.
Us release of military aid to egypt sends signal human rights. The united states said on wednesday it would withhold deliveries of tanks, fighter. The statement made by the longestserving us senator is another complication in washingtons relationship with cairo. Washington ap the trump administration on tuesday cut tens of millions of dollars in money for palestinian refugees, demanding that the u.
The recent decision to release the withheld aid is a devastating blow to that. Us withholds egypt military aid over crackdown bbc news. The human rights situation in egypt is getting worse. Since the ouster last year of democraticallyelected president mohammed morsi by the egyptian military and allies, the obama administration has walked a fine line between touting the democratic process while still ultimately maintaining strong allegiances with egypt, a main. Amnesty international reported an escalation in egypts crackdown on civil society and pointed to routine grossly unfair trials of. Demonstrators have regularly rallied against the ousting of. Us to cut military and economic aid to egypt in shift of. President trump has had a friendly relationship with egypts leader but this week the administration surprisingly cut some military aid over egypts worsening human rights record. President sissi has expanded the government crackdown beyond. On july 25, the state department said it decided to release the money.
The us senates foreign aid appropriations committee approved withholding militaryand economic aid to egypt in fy2018, according to a copy of the bill published on the committees website pdf. Egypts foreign ministry has strongly condemned the united states department of state latest comments on military aid to egypt as ignorant and lacking. The pattern over the last five years has been consistent. Us withholds military aid to egypt news al jazeera. Last august, amid concerns over egyptian cooperation with north korea and sisis crackdown. The decision means withholding the delivery of aircraft, tanks, missiles and helicopters, but it will. The us is suspending a large part of its financial and military aid to egypt over a bloody crackdown on supporters of expresident mohammed. Military aid to egypt gives a green light to repression, say. The us withholds military aid from egypt, citing human rights concerns, only to eventually release friday, may 8, 2020 11. Top us senator to withhold egypt military aid over sham. Under washingtons complicated military aid relationship with cairo, egypt has been allowed to place orders for military hardware that takes several years to produce and deliver, under the. Fresh fears of military crackdown fears of fresh violence in egypt increase as the military is poised to get new powers that could lead to a major crackdown. But the decision to withhold funds sent an important signal of us. The us is suspending a large part of its financial and military aid to egypt over a bloody crackdown on supporters of expresident mohammed morsi.
The countrys military, which has been leading the crackdown against. Some of the aid goes to the government and some to. While obama said that the us had national security interests in the region and sustained commitment to egypt, he stressed that it could not be business as usual after the crackdown on protesters. Egypt criticises us decision to withhold military aid. Egypt criticises us for withholding military aid kichuu. Military aid to egypt gives a green light to repression, say rights advocates. Us senate appropriations committee withholds military. To signal its displeasure at the egyptian military s bloody crackdown on the muslim brotherhood, officials said, the united states would withhold the delivery of several bigticket items. Obama restores us military aid to egypt over islamic state. The united states will resume suspended military aid to egypt, the white house said tuesday, signaling the obama administrations eagerness to help.
The obama administration is withholding hundreds of millions of dollars in cash to egypt, in addition to military aid, in response to the ouster of president mohamed morsi and the crackdown by the. United states withholds military, financial aid from egypt. The bill stipulates withholding 25% of the usd 1 bn in military assistance given to egypt and would see the aid withheld until the secretary of state certifies and. The united states has provided significant military and economic assistance to egypt since the late 1970s.
The new aid policy, along with restrictions on military assistance enacted by. Egypt condemns us as ignorant over claim that military aid. Obama administration ends long hold on military aid to egypt. Egypt has lashed out at washingtons decision to withhold military aid over human rights concerns, a move that threatens to overshadow a tour of the. United states withholds military, financial aid from egypt pending human rights progress posted october 10, 20 09. Trump calls egypts sisi to affirm support days after us. Violence will only feed the cycle of polarization, the us leader said, adding that washington opposes the pursuit of martial law in egypt and calling to lift the state of emergency. Egyptian relations that withholds the obligation of foreign military. The failure of us aid in egypt david reiff of the new republic looks at the ways that u. While the state department did not provide a dollar amount of the aid being cut, it amounts to hundreds of millions in mostly military aid. Some of the aid goes to the government and some to other groups but it is.
It was believed that it would promote liberal capitalist models of development in other countries and that it would enhance national security the united states is the largest contributor of military aid to foreign countries in the world, providing some form of assistance to over. The us secretary of state rex tillerson signed papers related to the funding and informed egypts minister of foreign affairs sameh shoukry of the decision in a phone call, according to government officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to the washington post a state of department official said that the decision was a message that the us is not happy with the lack of. This has of course angered egypt, used to a steady flow of american. The united states government first recognized the usefulness of foreign aid as a tool of diplomacy in world war ii. Sisi has promised a political road map will bring free and fair elections. From egypt, the message is obama keep your aid reuters. American officials have long doubted that cutting back military aid would have any effect on the behavior of egypts militarybacked government. Trumps tweet expressed frustration over the lack of progress in his attempts to broker peace between israel and the palestinians, and.