There has been a military coup in Egypt, and yet Barack Obama continues foreign aid to Egypt in absolute defiance of American law. Why is Congress not shutting him down? The Cato Institute’s Doug Bandow explains exactly what has transpired in Egypt and how President Obama is on the wrong track.
Egypt is a disaster veering toward catastrophe. President Barack Obama’s decision to ignore U.S. law by continuing financial aid will only exacerbate the situation. The administration’s signal achievement is that almost everyone in Egypt now blames America, which has provided almost $75 billion in financial assistance to Cairo over the years.
Egypt became a top aid recipient after Anwar Sadat switched sides during the Cold War. His government was paid even more for making peace with Israel. Washington argued that the stability seemingly purchased was a good deal. No longer, however.
First, the law requires halting assistance. If the administration doesn’t want to obey, it should urge Congress to amend the law. Only by applying a Clintonesque twist can what happened in Cairo—the army arresting the president and top aides, prosecuting opponents, shutting television stations, detaining journalists, freezing assets, and shooting demonstrators—be called something other than a coup. In fact, the Associated Press detailed how the military planned its takeover for months and aided the group Tamarrod in building opposition to former president Mohamed Morsi.
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