[Peace-discuss] Reuters: White House Says U.S. Has Not Cut Off Aid to Egypt

[Robert Naiman]

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/08/20/world/middleeast/20reuters-egypt-protests-usa-whitehouse.html

August 20, 2013
White House Says U.S. Has Not Cut Off Aid to Egypt
By REUTERS

WASHINGTON — Media reports that suggest the United States has cut off aid
to Egypt are not accurate, a White House spokesman said on Tuesday, adding
that the Obama administration is still reviewing its options.

"That review has not concluded and ... published reports to the contrary
that assistance to Egypt has been cut off are not accurate," White House
spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters in a briefing.

He said Obama was convening a meeting with his national security team on
Tuesday to discuss Egypt and the review of U.S. aid to the country.

"I wouldn't anticipate any major announcements related to our aid and
assistance in the immediate aftermath of this meeting," Earnest said,
noting Obama holds such meetings regularly.

The Pentagon also denied reports that military aid had been cut off.

In recent years, Washington has authorized about $1.3 billion in annual
military aid and $250 million in economic assistance for Cairo.

Earnest also said that Egypt's detention of Muslim Brotherhood leader
Mohamed Badie was not in line with the standard that the United States
would hope to uphold in protecting basic human rights.

Earlier on Tuesday, Egypt's army-backed authorities detained Badie, the
Brotherhood's general guide, in the wake of the bloody suppression of
rallies demanding the reinstatement of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi,
who was toppled by the military last month.

Earnest said the aid review would take into account the actions of Egypt's
government, adding that violations of human rights "don't make the transfer
of aid more likely."

Earnest's comments on U.S. assistance follow media reports, citing an aide
to the Democratic U.S. senator who chairs the subcommittee that oversees
foreign aid, that the United States had quietly decided to suspend most
military aid to Egypt, at least temporarily.

"The State Department and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee
was told the transfer of military aid was stopped, that this is current
practice, not necessarily official policy, and there is no indication of
how long it will last," the aide to Senator Patrick Leahy said in an
emailed statement.

Earnest said the aid is under review but has not halted.

"Assistance is provided episodically. Assistance is provided in tranches,"
Earnest said.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Phil Stewart, Susan Heavey and Mark
Felsenthal; Editing by Sandra Maler and Bill Trott)

-- 
Robert Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
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