At last, the violent rallies against the U.S. embassy in Cairo, in reaction to an anti-Islam video, and Egypt's laxidasical efforts to defend American assets, have yielded a real result: talks about $1 billion in debt relief and millions more in aid to Egypt are suspended, according to U.S. officials who spoke to the Washington Post on the condition of anonymity.
There will not be new aid approved for Egypt until after the November elections, and talks intended to ease to payment of funds that have already been approved are stalled, the officials said.
| If Romney wins there may not be aid after the election, either, at least aid without strings... |
The U.S. annual aid to Egypt comes to about $1.6 billion,
and the Obama Administration was fully prepared to continue providing this aid, despite the election of a new government in Egypt run by the Moslem Brüderbund. Indeed, President B.O. has proposed an additional $1 billion in debt relief for Egypt, whose debt to America stands at about $3 billion.
| Of course Champ did. He's favored the Muslim Brotherhood all along... |
The major hurdle in the path of U.S. funds to Egypt is the Republican House of Representatives which last year attached conditions to U.S. aid, most notably a requirement that the State Department certify that Egypt is abiding by its peace treaty with Israel.
Several Congress members have been proposing additional conditions. And there's been some pushback on the part of the State Department. For instance: this week, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, wanted to hold a hearing on U.S. relations with Egypt, but it was canceled because the State Department refused to send witnesses. DOS instead offered a private briefing for politicians, a congressional aide told Rooters.
According to the Washington Post, American and Egyptian officials were in the final stages of negotiating hundreds of millions of dollars in aid just as the protests went kaboom! outside the embassy and American flags were being set on fire.
And a delegation of 120 U.S. business leaders was in Cairo at the same time as well, as the State Department was trying to encourage foreign investment in Egypt.
| Here's a heretical thought: let Egypt collapse. Let the Egyptians see the result of 50 years worth of knavery, thuggery and foolishness on the part, not just of their political leaders, but of the entire country. Let Egypt go thud, let Israel be prepared in case the Egyptian leaders have a death rattle within them, and let the Arab world see what happens when the most powerful country in the world turns its back on them. Might be rather instructive. |
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