The government of the Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak is crossing its fingers. If a debate currently underway in the US Congress goes in its favour, it should soon be adding a neat sum to its coffers.
After more than three decades and $50 billion in military aid to Egypt, Washington is debating whether it should establish an endowment to give Cairo $4 billion in economic aid over the next 10 years. As we reported yesterday, the outlines of the proposed endowment were leaked to the American journal Foreign Policy, making public the details of a debate launched by US lawmakers late last year.
Proponents of the proposed trust fund argue that Egypt’s historic alliance with the US demands some sort of recompense; opponents argue it is an ingratiating gesture to a brittle regime that continues to violate human rights and democratic principles. While the debate over sending additional economic largesse to Egypt winds through Congress, we are more curious about the future of the aid that is uncontested – namely, the $1.3 billion that goes to the Egyptian military each year.
Foreign military aid is frequently a controversial affair, but until recently, such aid to Egypt has largely passed unscathed through the funding pipeline. Washington has traditionally subsidised Egypt for a variety of reasons, most of all to keep peace with Israel and support US policies in the region. Given that Mr Mubarak’s government recently extended the emergency rule that has been in place since 1981, it is a difficult time, indeed, to be discussing additional economic aid. Along with regularly tranches of military aid, it will undoubtedly be seen by Mr Mubarak’s government as an endorsement. Such a blank check undermines any incentive for Cairo to change.
http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100524/OPINION/705239911/1006/rss
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