World Events and the BibleWEB Notes: Make a good note of this article. Why did the United States block aid to Egypt?Because of the crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood. NOT because Christians are being killed and their churches destroyed by Muslims. Are you still sure your president is a “Christian”?
(World Tribune) – The administration of President Barack Obama has blocked U.S. military aid to Egypt. Officials said the White House decided to halt most of the $1.3 billion in U.S. military aid to Egypt for fiscal 2014. The officials said the decision reflected Obama’s frustration over the refusal of Egypt’s military to halt its crackdown on the ousted Muslim Brotherhood movement.
“We will continue assistance to help secure Egypt’s borders, counter terrorism and proliferation, and ensure security in the Sinai,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. “We will continue to provide parts for U.S.-origin military equipment as well as military training and education. We will, however, continue to hold the delivery of certain large-scale military systems and cash assistance to the government pending credible progress toward an inclusive, democratically elected civilian government through free and fair elections.”
In a briefing on Oct. 9, Ms. Psaki did not cite the U.S. combat platforms that would be withheld from Egypt. But officials said this would include the F-16 Block 50 multi-role fighters, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, Harpoon missiles, M1A1 main battle tanks and fast attack craft.
Officials said the administration has already withheld $585 million of U.S. military aid allocated in fiscal 2013. They said the money was frozen amid a review ordered by Obama of U.S. relations with Egypt.
“The United States continues to support a democratic transition and oppose violence as a means of resolving differences within Egypt,” Ms. Psaki said. “We will continue to review the decisions regarding our assistance periodically and will continue to work with the interim government to help it move toward our shared goals in an atmosphere free of violence and intimidation.”
This marked the first time that Washington announced a suspension of major weapons programs for Egypt, which received more than $40 billion in U.S. military aid since 1980. Over the last three years, Obama rejected
attempts by Congress to cut the $1.3 billion in annual U.S. military aid to Cairo. “We’ll continue support in areas like education that directly benefit the Egyptian people,” Obama told the United Nations on Sept. 24.
“But we have not proceeded with the delivery of certain military systems, and our support will depend upon Egypt’s progress in pursuing a more democratic path.” Officials said the Defense Department was the only agency to have opposed Obama’s decision. They said Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel telephoned
his Egyptian counterpart, Abdul Fatah Sisi, and assured him that U.S.military aid would continue.
Congress did not embrace Obama’s decision. Some Democrats warned that a military aid cutoff could harm any remaining U.S. influence in Egypt. “The Egyptian military has handled the recent transition clumsily, but
they have begun a democratic transition which will serve the Egyptian people well in the future and have also worked to maintain regional stability,” Rep. Eliot Engel, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs
Committee, said. “During this fragile period we should be rebuilding partnerships in Egypt that enhance our bilateral relationship, not undermining them.” – World Tribune: Obama cuts military aid to Egypt over continuing crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood
http://brandontward.blogspot.com/2013/10/obama-cuts-military-aid-to-egypt-over.html#.Ulf27FDbOSo