Egyptians Cancel Meetings With U.S. Lawmakers After Aid Warnings

[Purveyor]

By Susan Cornwell

WASHINGTON | Mon Feb 6, 2012 6:43pm EST

(Reuters) - An Egyptian military delegation abruptly cancelled its meetings with U.S. lawmakers to return to Cairo on Monday after warnings from both Congress and the White House that Egypt's crackdown on non-governmental groups could threaten its $1.3 billion in annual U.S. military aid.

A spokesman for the Egyptian Embassy confirmed that the delegation had cancelled its meetings this week with U.S. lawmakers, but gave no reason.

Last week, the Egyptian army delegation met State Department officials who outlined both the U.S. position on the pro-democracy non-governmental groups and the new conditions that Congress recently imposed on American military assistance.

Nineteen Americans are among 40 foreign and Egyptian activists whose cases have been referred to criminal court by Egypt's army-backed government. A number of the U.S. citizens involved have sought refuge in the American Embassy.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/06/us-egypt-usa-whitehouse-idUSTRE8151YX20120206

[Owlet]

1. Good. Can we have some of the $1.3Bn they would have gotten

to fix up the crappy roads and outdated schools here in Connecticut? Lessee, now: 1,300,000,000 / 50 = $2.6 Mil. Not bad for a start. Can we piss off some other countries we're giving military aid to?