Senator: Obama Administration Secretly Suspended Military Aid to Egypt

[Recursion]

Interesting

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/08/19/senator-obama-administration-secretly-suspended-military-aid-to-egypt.html

The U.S. government has decided privately to act as if the military takeover of Egypt was a coup, temporarily suspending most forms of military aid, despite deciding not to announce publicly a coup determination one way or the other, according to a leading U.S. senator.

In the latest example of its poorly understood Egypt policy, the Obama administration has decided to temporarily suspend the disbursement of most direct military aid, the delivery of weapons to the Egyptian military, and some forms of economic aid to the Egyptian government while it conducts a broad review of the relationship. The administration won’t publicly acknowledge all aspects of the aid suspension and maintains its rhetorical line that no official coup determination has been made, but behind the scenes, extensive measures to treat the military takeover of Egypt last month as a coup are being implemented on a temporary basis.

The office of Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the head of the Appropriations State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, told The Daily Beast on Monday that military aid to Egypt has been temporarily cut off.

“(Senator Leahy’s) understanding is that aid to the Egyptian military has been halted, as required by law,” said David Carle, a spokesman for Leahy.

[cali]

1. not so secret now.

good.

[morningfog]

2. "U.S. government has decided privately to act as if the military takeover of Egypt was a coup"

Sometimes our government sounds like a bunch of idiots. It is a coup. It was a coup from day one. Because they have to try and save face due to their earlier indecisiveness, these kinds of absurd statements are made.

Glad they are "temporarily suspending most forms of military aid," whatever the hell that means. I guess better late than never.

[cali]

3. so right. interesting how this reveals how steamed Leahy was about this

after all, it's the Leahy Law that dictates that aid be suspended.

http://www.leahy.senate.gov/issues/human-rights