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

[Carl G. Estabrook]

Obama learnt his most important political lesson on the basketball court: fake left, drive right...

On Aug 20, 2013, at 5:36 PM, Robert Naiman <naiman at justforeignpolicy.org> wrote:

> 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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