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US withholds Egypt military aid over crackdown
[BBC.CO.UK] The US is suspending a large part of the $1.3bn (£810m) in aid it gives to Egypt's military.The delivery of large-scale military systems as well as cash assistance to the Egyptian government would be withheld, said the state department. It said "credible progress" must be made towards free and fair elections. A review was launched in August after a crackdown by the authorities on supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi ...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the One Man, One Vote, One Timeprinciple, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator... left hundreds of people dead. "We will continue to hold the delivery of certain large-scale military systems and cash assistance to the government pending credible progress toward an inclusive, democratically elected civilian government through free and fair elections," state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. Officials said the freeze amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars in aid. Washington also plans to halt a $260m cash transfer and a $300m loan guarantee. It is also halting the delivery of Apache helicopters, as well as Harpoon missiles and tank parts, officials said. The BBC's Kim Ghattas in Washington says the suspension of aid is more symbolic - a slap on the wrist - than a painful cut in essential aid. The US will continue to provide health and education assistance, and money to help Egypt to ensure security in the increasingly volatile Sinai peninsula. The freeze was not intended to be permanent, it added. Posted by: Fred 2013-10-10 |
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