| U.S. officials have defended American | | | | Egypt, and specific issues such as the |
| assistance programs for Egypt, calling the | | | | postponement of municipal elections and |
| U.S. relationship with the key Mideast ally | | | | roundups of pro-democracy activists. "The |
| crucial to stability in the region. | | | | problem that we see in 2006 is more in the |
| | | | general political environment, incarceration |
| In a recent report, the Government | | | | of people whose jailing would appear to have |
| Accountability Office (GAO), the | | | | a political motivation, bringing some of the |
| investigative arm of Congress, says the U.S. | | | | judges who were involved in the review |
| government has failed to develop specific | | | | process of the elections into some sort of |
| methods to measure the effectiveness of | | | | judicial scrutiny is also a problem, a |
| billions of dollars in aid to Egypt. | | | | continued problem with the right of peaceful |
| | | | assembly," he said. |
| For a long time, Egypt has been second only | | | | |
| to Israel in the amount of economic and | | | | Welch says Egypt appears to take one step |
| military support assistance, although in | | | | back for every step forward. What would not |
| recent years U.S. funding has also had to | | | | help, he adds, is any move by members of |
| address needs in Iraq and Afghanistan. | | | | Congress to withhold U.S. aid from Egypt |
| | | | which would have negative consequences. "I do |
| Since 1979, Egypt has received about $60 | | | | not support any withholdings. I think on the |
| billion in military and economic aid, with | | | | economic reform side, we have ambitious and |
| about $34 billion coming in the form of | | | | important objectives that can be facilitated |
| foreign military financing (FMF) grants. | | | | by E.S.F (Economic Support Funds). On the |
| | | | military side, I believe this partnership is |
| However, as aid has continued to flow to | | | | of strategic importance to the U.S. and |
| Egypt each year, President Hosni Mubarak and | | | | withholding anything in that area would have |
| his government have come under sharper | | | | consequences," he said. |
| criticism from lawmakers unhappy with the | | | | |
| pace of democratic reforms and the treatment | | | | The G.A.O. report says the Defense Department |
| of political dissidents. | | | | has not defined expectations for the |
| | | | modernization of Egypt's military, and |
| At Wednesday's hearing of the House Middle | | | | recommends setting benchmarks for these and |
| East Subcommittee, Congresswoman Ileana Ros | | | | other goals to help U.S. lawmakers address |
| Lehtinen cited what she called cosmetic | | | | the question of balancing economic and |
| changes by President Mubarak that she says | | | | military aid to Egypt. |
| have ignored fundamental calls for reform | | | | |
| from the Egyptian people. | | | | Wednesday's House hearing was cut short by |
| | | | congressional votes, but not before lawmakers |
| Assistant Secretary of State David Welch | | | | renewed criticism of the jailing of Egyptian |
| praised Egypt's first-ever contested | | | | democracy activist and opposition politician |
| presidential elections last year, while | | | | Ayman Nour. |
| noting that parliamentary polls were marred | | | | |
| by irregularities and serious incidents of | | | | In a letter to President Mubarak, Democratic |
| violence. | | | | Congressman Adam Schiff and Republican Frank |
| | | | Wolf urge the Egyptian leader to pardon Nour, |
| He says Washington continues to express | | | | who was convicted on forgery charges, if his |
| concern about the pace of political reform in | | | | appeal before an Egyptian court is rejected. |