Washington split on Egypt aid, raising more questions on who the US backs

Fox News ^ | August 18, 2013

[yoe]

Washington appeared no closer Sunday to agreeing on whether to cut off U.S. aid to Egypt, raising further questions about which side the United States is taking amid the escalating and deadly political protests in the Middle East country.

The disagreement divides political parties as well as the White House, the House and Senate, roughly five weeks after the Egyptian military overthrew President Mohammed Morsi, an Islamist and member of the Muslim Brotherhood Party.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told “Fox News Sunday” that foreign aid essentially goes to “dictators and despots,” which doesn’t help the United States “win the hearts and minds of the people.”

The U.S. gives Egypt about $1.5 billion annually, second only to the roughly $3 billion given each year to Israel

[yoe]

I thought that an interim 'president' was put in place before the military stepped in....One of the biggest issues is whether Morsi was removed in a military coup, which would mean U.S. aid would automatically be suspended.

Anyone got a time line? Please post it.

[Standing Wolf]

If we were still a constitutional republic with a legitimate foreign policy, we'd let Egypt solve its own [fill in the blank] problems.

[AdmSmith]

Unfortunately, it seems that Congress and the media will force 0bama to cut aid to Egypt. The effect of this is that Russia will have a free hand in Egypt and later in the whole ME, although they were almost kicked out. 0bama is more or less supporting the fundamentalist Muslims in Egypt and Syria due to the mismanaged foreign policy. No one in the ME will trust US for many years.

[AdmSmith]

Mahmoud Badr, whose petition campaign helped to bring down Egypt’s Islamist president, insists the bloodshed that has followed is a necessary price for saving the nation from the Muslim Brotherhood.

And he has a message for U.S. President Barack Obama, who has expressed alarm at the violent crackdown on the Brotherhood that has led to more than 700 deaths: “Don’t lecture us on how to deal with the Brotherhood’s terrorism.”

As for aid money, he says, Obama can keep it - and “go to hell”.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/17/us-egypt-protests-tamarud-idUSBRE97G07220130817

[grania]

No one in the ME will trust the US for many years

Why should they? Continuing to give aid to the military as it slaughters people is not what the US is supposed to be about.

[AdmSmith]

Perhaps you should read this

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2013/08/cairos-liberals-backing-the-military.html

[hosepipe]

Liberalism—”Tax the bejesus out of them”.

Conservatism—”If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

Libertarianism—”Mind your own business”.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks AdmSmith. I think the good news is, Zero will not allow himself to be pushed around, or to take the rap for what happens if Egypt disintegrates, and the grandstanders and demagogues in Congress won’t have the votes to get anything done.

Rand Slams Congress for Funding Egypt’s Generals:
‘How Does Your Conscience Feel Now?’
Foreign Policy | 15 Aug 2013 | John Hudson
Posted on 08/15/2013 5:44:10 PM PDT by Hoodat
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3055253/posts

Sen. Rand Paul is hammering his fellow senators for keeping billions in financial aid flowing to Egypt’s military — even as Cairo’s security forces massacre anti-government activists.

[nuconvert]

Putin isn’t wasting any time -

In Egypt Crisis, Russia Sees Opportunity
http://thediplomat.com/the-editor/2013/08/16/in-egypt-crisis-russia-sees-opportunity/

[nuconvert]

Putin isn’t wasting any time -

In Egypt Crisis, Russia Sees Opportunity
http://thediplomat.com/the-editor/2013/08/16/in-egypt-crisis-russia-sees-opportunity/

[nuconvert]

Putin isn’t wasting any time -

In Egypt Crisis, Russia Sees Opportunity
http://thediplomat.com/the-editor/2013/08/16/in-egypt-crisis-russia-sees-opportunity/

[GOPJ]

American families are taxed enough. Our ‘leaders and defenders’ are going to have to get their kickbacks from someplace other than foreign aid... No more money to ANY Arab hellhole.

[GOPJ]

American families are taxed enough. Our ‘leaders and defenders’ are going to have to get their kickbacks from someplace other than foreign aid... No more money to ANY Arab hellhole.

[AdmSmith]

Mubarak’s Muslim Brotherhood Prophecy
http://www.meforum.org/3586/mubarak-muslim-brotherhood

[nuconvert]

He had the mb pegged correctly.
If only he could have been less of a military dictator and not had such a police state, maybe he wouldn’t have been forced out?