[Reuters] Will Rasmussen - The brevity of President Bush's four-hour touchdown in Egypt on Wednesday at the end of his Middle East tour reflects the diminishing importance of the U.S.-Egypt relationship. Egypt has been a major recipient of U.S. aid money for the past 30 years. But U.S. aid represented only 1.4% of Egypt's gross domestic product in 2006, compared to about 10% in 1980. With its economy booming and petrodollars pouring in from the Gulf, some Egyptians are questioning whether the aid is worth any concessions to the U.S.
2008-01-15 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive