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Now Is Not the Time To Block U.S. Aid To Egypt

By Ken Sofer

Amid the continuing political turmoil in Egypt, which left over 50 dead in Port Said in the past week, several members of Congress are threatening to block the $1.5 billion U.S. economic and military assistance to the government in Cairo. Roughly $450 million in promised economic support for Egypt is already on hold in Congress, despite White House efforts to get the money released.

While Egypt’s progress under President Muhammad Morsi towards an open, democratic state has been frustrating and often ineptly managed, the United States needs to remain engaged in efforts to influence the political and economic transition in Egypt, as well as bolster security in one of our most important allies. Both actions will require continued support for a full range of U.S. policy tools — including the annual security and economic assistance the U.S. has delivered since 1979 — and a more robust diplomatic engagement with the multiple centers of power that have emerged in Egypt during the past two years.

U.S. assistance and support for Egypt must be reformed in the long run to reflect new realities, but ending aid to Egypt is a blunt tool that should be reserved for red lines in the relationship, such as a coup d’état, a sharp authoritarian turn, or Egypt reneging on its treaty obligations with Israel. As incoming Secretary of State John Kerry recently stressed, now is not the time to rashly cut off support to Egypt. Clearly, Egypt’s people and leaders will determine its trajectory, but the United States can play a positive role in shaping outcomes.

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Congress should release American aid to Egypt to help stabilize the country’s intertwined political, economic and security crises. Egypt remains in the very early stages of what will likely be a protracted period of change. With so much uncertainty and change in the broader region, the United States must continue to invest in building a stronger foundation for an ongoing, mutually beneficial partnership with Egypt as it makes its long, slow march towards true democracy.

For more on the current clashes in Egypt and U.S. options, see “Advancing U.S. Interests and Values at a Time of Change in Egypt” by Brian Katulis, Peter Juul, and Ken Sofer.