US scraps military drills with Egypt _ but not aid

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

CHILMARK, Mass. (AP) — President Barack Obama scrapped plans for joint American-Egyptian military exercises Thursday, announcing the first concrete U.S. reaction to the spiraling violence in and around Cairo but stopping well short of withholding $1.3 billion in annual American military aid.

The president, speaking from his rented vacation home on Martha's Vineyard, warned that continued fighting would lead Egypt down a "dangerous path," and he called on both the government and protesters to show restraint. He said that while close engagement with Egypt was in U.S. national security interests, "our traditional cooperation cannot continue as usual when civilians are being killed in the streets and rights are being rolled back."

In a statement, Egypt's interim government warned that Obama's statement, "while it's not based on facts ... can empower the violent militant groups' and encourage them in their destabilizing discourse."

Egypt is facing "terrorist actions targeting government and vital institutions" by "violent militant groups," the statement said. The interim government expressed sadness for the killings of Egyptians and pledged that it's working to restore law and order.

Egypt's political upheaval has put the Obama administration in an awkward diplomatic position. The White House strongly supported the pro-democracy protests that forced out longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011, but it has refused to condemn the military's removal of Morsi, who was subsequently elected in the country's first democratic balloting.

If the U.S. were to declare Morsi's ouster a coup, the Obama administration would be legally required to cut off military aid.

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-national/20130815/US-United-States-Egypt/

Edited August 16, 2013 by The Patriot

[Jacque67 7,328]

CHILMARK, Mass. (AP) President Barack Obama scrapped plans for joint American-Egyptian military exercises Thursday, announcing the first concrete U.S. reaction to the spiraling violence in and around Cairo but stopping well short of withholding $1.3 billion in annual American military aid.

The president, speaking from his rented vacation home on Martha's Vineyard, warned that continued fighting would lead Egypt down a "dangerous path," and he called on both the government and protesters to show restraint. He said that while close engagement with Egypt was in U.S. national security interests, "our traditional cooperation cannot continue as usual when civilians are being killed in the streets and rights are being rolled back."

In a statement, Egypt's interim government warned that Obama's statement, "while it's not based on facts ... can empower the violent militant groups' and encourage them in their destabilizing discourse."

Egypt is facing "terrorist actions targeting government and vital institutions" by "violent militant groups," the statement said. The interim government expressed sadness for the killings of Egyptians and pledged that it's working to restore law and order.

Egypt's political upheaval has put the Obama administration in an awkward diplomatic position. The White House strongly supported the pro-democracy protests that forced out longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011, but it has refused to condemn the military's removal of Morsi, who was subsequently elected in the country's first democratic balloting.

If the U.S. were to declare Morsi's ouster a coup, the Obama administration would be legally required to cut off military aid.

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-national/20130815/US-United-States-Egypt/

I think military aid should be cut off

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I think military aid should be cut off

Are you a Republican?

McCain: Congress should review aid cutoff to Egypt if violence erupts

“If they go ahead and crack down in a violent way. I’m afraid the Congress of the United States would have to consider carefully the elimination of aid,” McCain said on "Fox News Sunday."

http://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/316527-mccain-congress-should-review-aide-cutoff-to-egypt-if-violence-erupts

[Peikko 1,575]

Cutting off aid to the Egyptians hurts the US more than it does the Egyptians. Most of the aid ends up in the pockets of US arms manufactures - aid will not be cut off.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Israelis assured Egyptian military there’d be no cutoff in US aid, NYT says

The New York Times has a lengthy reported piece on how US efforts to cut a deal in Egypt to resolve differences peacefully between the Muslim Brothers and the leaders of the military coup were undercut by a variety of forces.

The emirates, along with Saudi Arabia, had swiftly supported the military takeover [in early July] with a pledge of billions of dollars, undermining Western threats to cut off critical loans or aid.

The Israelis, whose military had close ties to General Sisi from his former post as head of military intelligence, were supporting the takeover as well. Western diplomats say that General Sisi and his circle appeared to be in heavy communication with Israeli colleagues, and the diplomats believed the Israelis were also undercutting the Western message by reassuring the Egyptians not to worry about American threats to cut off aid.

When Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, proposed an amendment halting military aid to Egypt, the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee sent a letter to senators on July 31 opposing it, saying it “could increase instability in Egypt and undermine important U.S. interests and negatively impact our Israeli ally.” Statements from influential lawmakers echoed the letter, and the Senate defeated the measure, 86 to 13, later that day.

After the piece first appeared online, the Times appears to have added this paragraph:

Israeli officials deny having reassured Egypt about the aid, but acknowledge having lobbied Washington to protect it.

Raising the issue, if it's the Israelis lobbying, why isn't AIPAC a foreign agent?

http://mondoweiss.net/2013/08/israelis-assured-egyptian-military-thered-be-no-cutoff-in-us-aid-nyt-says-and-israel-denies.html

[Dan and Judy 614]

Israel said they lobbied, That dosen't mean they lobbied through AIPAC.

Im not saying they didn't, but the connection is not made in this article

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Israel said they lobbied, That dosen't mean they lobbied through AIPAC.

Im not saying they didn't, but the connection is not made in this article

Who do you think AIPAC pushes policy for - Latvia ?