GOP Hammers Obama for ‘Supporting the Wrong People’ in Egypt
EXCERPT
“The Ambassador’s remarks [were] a reflection of President Obama’s complete disregard for political reality and his administration’s failure to leverage our contacts within Egypt’s military and support efforts to steer Egypt away from Islamist radicalism,” McCaul told The Cable.
Patterson, who is reportedly in line for a promotion as assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, also came under criticism from Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), who said she appeared to “offer support for a regime with a rather checkered record of support for democratic processes and institutions.”
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Since Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, the U.S. has committed to a $1.3 billion annual package of military assistance to Egypt. Increasingly, this long-standing relationship has divided the neoconservative and anti-interventionist wings of the Republican foreign policy establishment. On the one side is Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham, who just months ago lobbied for an additional $480 million in budget assistance to Egypt. On the other side, is Sen. Rand Paul and a growing cadre of Republicans advocating for deeper cuts to foreign aid, with Egypt at top of the list.
“How can we have influence in troubled parts of the world when we cuddle up to regimes responsible for much of the trouble?” Paul said in a statement Monday. “The Obama administration announced in March that we no longer had enough money to continue giving White House tours due to the sequester. That same month, Secretary of State John Kerry met with Morsy and pledged $250 million in additional aid to Egypt.”
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[15:32] Al-Masry al-Yawm: Jihadist groups intend to target security headquarters in Sinai in case Morsi falls
[15:27] Russia Today: Egyptian tanks deploying on Gaza-Sinai border, eyewitnesses say
#breaking #Egypt president Morsi in a meeting with military head Sissi and the PM
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Patrick Kingsley 38m
Pro-#Morsi supporters are utterly outnumbered on the streets by his opponents. But 1000s r still out there. My piece: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/02/mohamed-morsi-loyalists-islamist …
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/02/mohamed-morsi-loyalists-islamist