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| Africa North | |
| US outrage as Egypt bars Americans from leaving | |
| 2012-01-27 | |
| CAIRO - Six Americans working for publicly funded U.S. organisations promoting democracy in Egypt have been barred from leaving the country, provoking angry demands in Washington that Cairo’s new military rulers stop “endangering American lives”. Among those hit by travel bans - one of those targeted called it “de facto detention” - is a son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, as well as other foreign staffers of the International Republican Institute and National Democratic Institute, officials at the two organisations said on Thursday. The United States said Egypt should reverse them: “We are urging the government of Egypt to lift these restrictions immediately and allow these folks to come home as soon as possible,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. A month after police raided the Cairo offices of the IRI, NDI and eight other non-governmental organisations, it raises the stakes for Washington, which had already indicated it may review the $1.3 billion it gives the Egyptian military each year if the probe into alleged breaches of local regulations went on. Some see it as a poor omen for Egypt’s fledgling democracy following last year’s overthrow of Hosni Mubarak. John McCain, the leading Republican senator who chairs the IRI, voiced “alarm and outrage” at a “new and disturbing turn” which included a travel ban on Sam LaHood, the group’s Egypt director and son of President Barack Obama’s transport chief. The younger LaHood said he was stopped at Cairo airport on Saturday and prevented from boarding a flight out. McCain, in a statement referring to Egypt’s ruling military council, said: “I call on the Egyptian government and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces to cease the harassment and unwarranted investigations of American NGOs operating in Egypt. “This crisis has escalated to the point that it now endangers the lives of American citizens and could set back the long-standing partnership between the United States and Egypt.” Visiting Cairo, the U.S. State Department’s top human rights official, Michael Posner, declined to comment on the travel bans, which some of the NGO officials affected said Egyptian officials have yet to confirm in writing. However, of the dispute over NGO registration in general, he urged the Egyptian government to “redress this situation”. He noted that the release of aid was dependent on Congress, where many disapprove of Egypt’s actions against the NGOs and which is waiting for reports from the State Department before voting. “The NGO issue is very much part of that package and as you know there has been considerable attention in the Congress to the restrictions on NGOs,” Posner told reporters. So we are very much engaged in trying to encourage progress on that issue.” Cairo-based political analyst Elijah Zarwan said the move would give ammunition to those in Congress seeking a review of aid: “This will clearly strain an already tense relationship between Egypt military rulers and Washington,” he said. Sam LaHood told Reuters that a judge had charged him and three other IRI employees with managing an unregistered NGO and being paid employees of an unregistered organization, charges that carry a penalty of up to five years in jail. His counterpart at the NDI, which like the IRI receives U.S. public funding and is loosely affiliated with one of the two major political parties in Washington, said she, too, was on the banned list for travel. But Julie Hughes told Reuters she was unaware of any formal charges against her or her staff. NGO officials said the ban affects four IRI staff, including three Americans and one other foreigner, and six foreigners from the National Democratic Institute (NDI), also including three U.S. citizens. Egyptian officials have made no comment on the bans. “These organisations have been operating for years. They meet with the government. Their funding is known,” said Heba Morayef of Human Rights Watch in Cairo. “There can be no motivation except a desire to control and silence the human rights community.” NDI’s Hughes said her organisation had submitted a registration request when it started up in Egypt in 2005, but after dealing with queries in 2006 the request went no further. She said the group was in regular contact with the authorities. “We have never received any official correspondence from the government of Egypt with problems or requesting us to cease,” Hughes said. “We are hoping ... this controversy yields a more constructive dialogue.”
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #12 Mubarak was a good guy. The fact that Obama hung him out to dry is proof of that. |
| Posted by: Scooter McGruder 2012-01-27 22:03 |
| #11 "If he lived in a real mostly feudal country, he'd be running a doughnut shop, or if he tried to rise past his level of competence, dead." Naaahhhh, Thing. He'd just be dead. He doesn't have a level of competence. |
| Posted by: Barbara 2012-01-27 21:55 |
| #10 He's only successful at feudalism because his little feudal power structure is situated in a larger republican society that he can cannibalize for profit. If he lived in a real mostly feudal country, he'd be running a doughnut shop, or if he tried to rise past his level of competence, dead. |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2012-01-27 21:44 |
| #9 lotp, I think he thought they'd find a way to hurt American interests without attacking him or his vassals personally. As usual, the headlong rush into feudalism is pushed by those least psychologically equipped to deal with feudalism. |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2012-01-27 21:34 |
| #8 "Is this administration really so naive as to think that they would respond like wealthy US liberals to his community organizer demands?" Of course, lotp. Silly you. Next question? |
| Posted by: Barbara 2012-01-27 20:14 |
| #7 So, Bambi openly undercuts Mubarak in a way that also undercut the military who were aligned with him. Is this administration really so naive as to think that they would respond like wealthy US liberals to his community organizer demands? |
| Posted by: lotp 2012-01-27 20:09 |
| #6 To me it smells like a finishing school where the children of the elites get foreign relations experience (necessary for future political career) under safe (until now) conditions. Well, yes. There aren't as many opportunities in State or the CIA (most of of the good-deeds and public relations work was farmed out to the IRI). And it's not just political elites either - NDI gets a sizeable portion of up-and-coming young people affiliated with (or sponsored by)various unions. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2012-01-27 14:09 |
| #5 Crainter, Ditto. IMHO, make them pay. Divide the US foreign aid to Egypt by 366 (this is a leap year) and deduct that amount for each day that the Americans are held. Then start ratcheting up the pressure from there; say putting delivery of military items and spare parts on hold. Tell the CIA to think up other ways to start pressuring the MB directly. |
| Posted by: Mike Ramsey 2012-01-27 12:14 |
| #4 Pappy. To me it smells like a finishing school where the children of the elites get foreign relations experience (necessary for future political career) under safe (until now) conditions. Kinda like kids of roman senators spending a couple of years as military tribunes in a legion stationed in a safe province. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2012-01-27 11:43 |
| #3 International Republican Institute is mainly funded by U.S. State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development and the National Endowment for Democracy. Board of Directors National Democratic Institute was created by the United States government by way of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) to channel grants for furthering democracy in developing nations. Board of Directors As can be assumed, each is loosely affiliated with the major US political parties, particularly the center-left factions of each. Technically, they're NGOs, but each performs some semi-official tasks that used to be performed by intelligence and other agencies. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2012-01-27 11:15 |
| #2 If they just wanted to rid themselves of a pesky NGO they'd deport these foreigners, or let them leave the country and refuse reentry. No one in the West would have payed attention. This is serious. It is a hostage situation and the hostage taker is the Egyptian regime. <speculation> This is part of the deal between the military and the MB. They want to exchange these hostages for Egyptian islamofascists in US custody, including the Blind Sheikh. The Taliban will be rewarded for 9/11 so why should Egyptians accept punishment for an attack that was trivial by comparison. </speculation> The Americans in question should be brought to the US embassy ASAP, lest they 'disappear.' And Tantawi should be told that |
| Posted by: Crainter Hitler5733 2012-01-27 06:24 |
| #1 Please. The Bellman has no plan except to tingle his bell. |
| Posted by: Muggsy Johnson7466 2012-01-27 00:48 |