White House Says It Won't End Aid To Egypt Military

[Purveyor]

Source: USA TODAY

Comments come amid reports that aid would be halted to pressure the military.

Oren Dorell, USA TODAY 2:20 p.m. EDT October 9, 2013

The White House batted down reports that it plans to cut all military aid to Egypt's military over its crackdown on political opponents, but threats to cut any aid to a regime in the midst of a power struggle could backfire.

"You're basically putting pressure on the military when they're dealing with a major and increasingly violent crisis," said Anthony Cordesman, a Middle East analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies who has advised the U.S. State Department, Defense Department, and intelligence community.

"We've seen in Pakistan and elsewhere what happens when we assume people are so dependent on U.S. aid. You end up alienating the majority of the population."

Egypt receives $1.5 billion a year from the United States. News media reports say the Obama administration is poised to slash hundreds of millions of dollars in military and economic assistance to Egypt to register displeasure with the slow pace of restoration of democratic rule.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/10/09/us-egypt-military-aid/2951487/

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[boomer55]

1. how bout cut that aid and send it to our furloughed federal workers here? n/t

[Joel thakkar]

2. CUT IT FOREVER

What is the need of foreign aid? Why do USA needs to give foreign aid to pak, egypt etc?

How much money did they give to USA as an AID during the 2008-09 crisis?

USA will send $56 billion to foreign aid in 2013. How about spending it on food stamps, head start, meals on wheels or just saving it to reduce deficit?

If republicans really want to cut down in govt spending, this should be there 1st demand.

[Alamuti Lotus]

4. Subservient lackeys won't buy themselves... hence the "aid" *nt

[azurnoir]

3. thanks I was wondering about the veracity of reports that

the US was cutting aid to the 'new' Egyptian government

[dipsydoodle]

5. I think you'll find that aid will be reduced.

Which new government ? Its a coup.

[azurnoir]

6. well yes it's a coup however

the reason I put dit-dits around 'new' was this government seems to be made up of old Mubarak loyalists and considering that I find it quite hard to believe that the US would cut off aid to them when it was continued under the elected MB government

[dipsydoodle]

7. Good point.

.

[Comrade Grumpy]

9. The Morsi government was democratically elected; the new government is the result of a coup.

The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 requires that we freeze aid to countries that have suffered coups.

Also, the Morsi government, while it did some nasty things, did not gun down a thousand people in the streets of Cairo.

[Comrade Grumpy]

10. Good. The generals don't deserve it or need it. Their Saudi buddies can chip in.

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. USA Today has now extensively updated the story at your link in the OP

"U.S. cuts Egypt military aid, won't end it". It might be less confusing to update the OP.