Leahy: our law is clear: aid to the Egyptian military should cease unless they restore democracy.

[cali]

"Recent events in Egypt, beginning with the overthrow and imprisonment of elected government officials and the shooting of civilian protesters by the military, warrant the strongest condemnation from the international community and from people of goodwill the world over. Spiraling conflict and bloodshed threaten Egypt's future in the short term and far beyond. I commend President Obama for reaffirming the principles our country stands for and calling for an immediate end to the violence and martial law. We want an Egypt that moves toward democracy and not toward dictatorship. The legislation reported by my committee last month ties our aid to the restoration of a democratically elected government in Egypt, in a three-stage process. In the meantime, while suspending joint military exercises as the President has done is an important step, our law is clear: aid to the Egyptian military should cease unless they restore democracy."

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/reaction-of-senator-patrick-leahy-on-developments-in-egypt-219786221.html

[MineralMan]

1. Military aid to the entire Middle East should cease.

We've bungled everything we have done in that region.

[cali]

2. Leahy is referring specifically to the law when he calls for Egyptian military aid to cease.

I tend to agree that all military aid to the region should stop, but that's not going to happen. I know that one of the reasons Leahy feels the way he does, is that the U.S. is setting (or rather cementing) bad precedent here.

[MineralMan]

3. Whatever we do will be wrong. The US and the rest of the West

have no business meddling in that region. It hasn't worked, ever, and will not work in the future.

The only answer is to allow the region to find its own balance. That will not be a pretty process, but our bumbling meddling in the region has no beneficial effect whatsoever. It never has, and never will.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023466732

[Comrade Grumpy]

4. Leahy is correct. That is the law. I don't expect the Obama administration to apply it.

[cali]

5. He should be correct. He wrote it and its called the Leahy Law

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leahy_Law

[winter is coming]

6. Does that mean we get to cut our military funding, too? n/t

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. I said this yesterday and got slammed

because they thought it was an Obama attack

I say bring in President Carter
he's respected and is a peace maker