Obama's comments on Egypt:

[cali]

President Obama said Thursday his government "strongly condemns" violence in Egypt, and as a result is canceling U.S.-Egyptian military exercises scheduled for next month.

"We do not believe force is the way to resolve political differences," Obama said in a statement to reporters from his vacation home in Martha's Vineyard, Mass.

Obama did not announce any suspension of other forms of aid to Egypt, saying U.S. "engagement" with the military government in Cairo will help it transition back to democracy.

The president also did not describe the military's removal of President Mohammed Morsi as "a coup," a declaration that would required ending aid that adds up to about $1.3 billion a year.

<snip>

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/08/15/obama-egypt-morsi-riots-military-government/2658835/

[leveymg]

1. It's like the kid smashed the car into a bus, and the Dad won't even take his allowance away.

The lesson here is, overthrow democratically-elected government and commit massacres, and we'll continue to pay you, anyway. Unless you're Syria, of course.

What's the message here?

The U.S. supports human rights abuses, unless we want to get rid of you.

[leftynyc]

2. I'm pretty sure the President

cannot cut off aid - that's Congress's job and a measure to do that failed.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/07/31/rand-paul-attempt-to-cut-off-aid-to-egypt-fails/

[kelliekat44]

4. He didn't even ask Congress to do it. nt

[leftynyc]

5. So you know that as a fact?

What the military is doing is contemptible but I simply cannot defend the Muslim Brotherhood. My back doesn't bend that far.

[sabrina 1]

8. What the military is doing in Egypt is now genocide. The UN needs to get involved since we know the

US will wait, as they did before the overthrow of Mubarak who killed over 800 unarmed civilians, became imminent.

Over 500 civilians have now been killed across Egypt. And it looks like it isn't going to stop until someone or something intervenes.

Reports today say El Baradei has resigned because of the violence.

[leftynyc]

10. I haven't heard a peep out of the UN

and don't really expect that impotent and useless body to get involved since the bloodshed continues in Syria also.

[former9thward]

16. The President determines whether aid will be cut off or not.

The Foreign Assistance Act forbids the appropriation of aid to “any country whose duly elected head of government is deposed by a military coup or decree.” That is why Obama refuses to call the military coup a coup. If he did the law requires aid be cut off. He wants to continue the aid to the dictatorship.

[leftynyc]

17. Congress passed that act (in 1961)

They still hold the purse strings and a President cannot decide on his own to cut off (or give more) money. The President may decide foreign policy but Congress decides the money.

[former9thward]

19. The law is clear.

If the President determines a coup has taken place then the money gets cut off. It doesn't matter how much has been appropriated for it. It is his decision not congress.

[leftynyc]

20. NOBODY in our government

has called it a coup. And could you point me to the part of the law that makes that determination the President's job and not Congress's. I couldn't find it.

[former9thward]

23. The main body of the law is 350 pages.

Not counting scores of amendments and laws that tie directly into the main law. So I am afraid I can't take the time point to where the President makes the determination whether a coup has occurred or not. But the Constitution reserves foreign policy to the Executive branch exclusively. Congress appropriates money to carry out that foreign policy but relations between the U.S. and foreign governments is up to the President.

[leftynyc]

24. But that was my point

Even if the President wants to cut the aid, Congress would have to agree not to send the money. This is what that whole Rand Paul thing was about the other day.

[former9thward]

25. No that money has already be appropriated.

If no one does anything then Egypt gets its money. That can be stopped by either of two acts. 1) the President says its a coup and then under the language of the present law the money stops or 2) If Congress passed a new law overruling the old law stopping money for Egypt. Of course the President would also have to sign the new law. #2 is what Paul tried but got nowhere.

[The Magistrate]

3. As Expected, Ma'am

It is long-standing U.S. policy, not just the policy of this administration, that the Moslem Brotherhood must not control Egypt's state apparatus, and this policy has been, and will be, pressed without scruple or qualm....

[cali]

6. Policies change. I agree this has been a long standing one, but don't forget

that the U.S. policy supporting Mubarak changed as events on the ground there changed.

Unlike you, I don't pretend to know what will happen in this highly volatile and fluid situation.

[The Magistrate]

7. This One Will Not, Ma'am

Deposing Mubarak was not a fundamental change in policy, as he was simply the visible face of military rule in Egypt, which has been the fact of government in Egypt since Col. Nasser's coup. The military remained in charge when Mubarak was deposed, and indeed dictated the terms of his departure.

[The Magistrate]

13. True, Ma'am

The Brotherhood was the beneficiary of their efforts because it had superior organization. A disciplined bloc will always best a fractionated mass, even if at considerable numeric disadvantage.

[dipsydoodle]

18. Chile 9/11/73 more like it.

Complete with US support.

[The Magistrate]

21. True Enough, In Broad Outline, Ma'am

Though in Iran, the fundamentalists were the heart and sinew of the rebellion, and the liberals merely a useful face to present to the West, particularly left elements there. There was never any doubt who was going to run things once the Shah was gone.

[Coyotl]

9. Under American law, when is a coup a coup?

How is it that the Egyptian junta is still receiving aid from the US when such contravenes US law? Simple, ignore the coup?

[leveymg]

22. Was Mubarak democratically elected?

The coalition that opposed and toppled Mubarak with the Army's acquiesence split after his ouster - the Brotherhood won the subsequent election, which was found by int'l observers to have been fair and democratic. Morsi may not have ruled that way, but that's another issue.

Not all coups are alike. Only the second one that ousted Morsi fits the 1961 Foreign Aid Act's outline.

[Coyotl]

26. Mubarak resigned.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2011/02/201121125158705862.html

[Coyotl]

28. They were the leaders of which countries receiving aid from the USA?

Maybe this law does not apply in their case???

[Aerows]

15. The DC diet®

90% bullshit, guaranteed!™