When Is A Military Coup Not A Military Coup? When The White House Says So. [View all]

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Last week Senator Leahy called for U.S. aid to Egypt to be cut off. The coup in Egypt is clearly and indisputably the military overthow of a democratically elected government. Senator Leahy's call for cutting off aid came before the horrendous events of this morning.

Soldiers and police officers fired on hundreds of supporters of Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s ousted Islamist president, as they prayed before dawn on Monday during a protest outside the facility where he is believed to be detained, sharply escalating the nearly week-old crisis convulsing the country and further dimming any hope for a political reconciliation.
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At least 51 civilian demonstrators were killed and more than 300 were wounded, all or almost all of them by gunfire, health officials said. Dozens of witnesses said the soldiers and police officers had opened fire unprovoked, an assertion that was immediately challenged by the military authorities.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/09/world/middleeast/egypt.html?pagewanted=all

Responding to the ousting of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Wednesday, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said in a statement that U.S. law is clear that foreign aid "is cut off when a democratically elected government is deposed by military coup or decree."

"The Morsi government has been a great disappointment to the people of Egypt, and to all who wish Egypt a successful transition to responsive, representative government under the rule of law," said Leahy, who is chairman of the Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on the State Department and Foreign Operations. "He squandered an historic opportunity, preferring to govern by fiat rather than work with other political parties to do what is best for all Egyptians. Egypt’s military leaders say they have no intent or desire to govern, and I hope they make good on their promise."

"In the meantime, our law is clear: U.S. aid is cut off when a democratically elected government is deposed by military coup or decree. As we work on the new budget, my committee also will review future aid to the Egyptian government as we wait for a clearer picture. As the world’s oldest democracy, this is a time to reaffirm our commitment to the principle that transfers of power should be by the ballot, not by force of arms.”

vewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/sen-leahy-us-aid-to-egypt-is-cut


The White House said on Monday it is not in the best interests of the United States to immediately change its aid program to Egypt, where President Mohamed Mursi was removed from office by the military last week.

The U.S. government is not yet prepared to label the Egyptian military's overthrow of the government as a coup, a decision that would determine whether U.S. aid to the country would continue, White House spokesman Jay Carney said.


"There are significant consequences that go along with this determination and it is a highly charged issue for millions of Egyptians who have differing views about what happened," Carney told reporters at a briefing.

"We are going to take the time necessary to review what has taken place and to monitor efforts by Egyptian authorities to forge an inclusive and democratic way forward," he said.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/08/us-egypt-protests-usa-aid-idUSBRE9670VC20130708