The multi-month row between the US and Egypt’s military junta has reached serious levels in recent weeks, as top US officials have openly threatened to revoke all aid from the junta to punish it for charging Americans with illegally peddling political influence ahead of the parliamentary elections.
Because Egypt is one of the top recipients of US aid, American threats to revoke the aid were seen by many as something too big for Egypt to resist. But comments from one of the top MPs in the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) suggest Egypt isn’t going to take this lying down.
MP Essam El-Erian, the chairman of Egypt’s Foreign Affairs Committee, pointed out that the US aid wasn’t just a “no-strings attached” gift by the administration, but a required US contribution under the terms of the 1979 Camp David Accords. Revoking the aid, then, would be a negation of that treaty, and would have the parliament pushing for a renegotiation of some of the more onerous terms.
Which would not only be a major loss for the US, but would be a political gain for the FJP. Many Egyptians have been irked by that treaty’s restrictions, and recent polls also show a strong majority who don’t want to receive aid from the US in the first place, particularly given the US attempts to meddle in their political process.
What started as a few raids against a few US-funded NGOs looks like a full-scale diplomatic split now, and the dramatic US overreaction may give Egypt’s new power brokers the excuse they need to revisit the terms of their treaty with the US and Israel.
As I understand Ron Paul's policy position, he would revoke U.S. aid to both Egypt and Israel under this treaty. I say this should be done, and without waiting for his election as President. Clearly, the money given to the Egyptian military (not to the state) has thoroughly corrupted that military and the nation it governs. The money paid them by the U.S. dwarfs the Egyptian economy and has resulted in Egyptian generals owning most of the assets of the nation. Meanwhile, the one venture in which all that military aid may have been applied usefully – an Egyptian intervention in the murderous campaigns of the government of Sudan against its people, was strangely ignored. And I hardly need mention how the politics of Israel has been corrupted by U.S. dollars being used to permit its degeneration into the most belligerent and hated state in its region. So tell the Egyptians that if they will release the American workers for "democracy" they are prosecuting and let them return home, we will cease sending our money over their entirely, which will not only relieve them of the burden of our yoke, but will make the most significant contribution to the advance of the goals of those workers and make their continued presence superfluous – the democratization of Egypt and the civilization of Israel.
Good for Egypt! That was diplomacy at it´s best, and I can´t stop laughing.
Average American citizens have been paying through the nose for too long bribe monies to Egypt and Jordan so that they would sign a peace deal with "unpeaceful" Israel, against their best interests. Well you can pay mistresses money for only so long and they eventually become disillusioned and want more. The time has arrived, stop paying "support" to Egypt, Jordan and Israel and let those dollars do some good in our country.
So, now, they're begging for the bribes. Nice!