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Aid Proposals Put Egypt on Notice that U.S. Is Rethinking Relationship
(JTA) Ron Kampeas - Egypt's role in smoothing Israel's upcoming pullout from Gaza is helping to protect it, for now, from a tectonic shift in how the U.S. treats dictatorships. Longstanding efforts in Congress to call Egypt to account for its failure to cultivate a free, democratic society are bearing fruit, though they fall far short of the sweeping changes some have sought. In a voice vote last week, the House Appropriations Committee directed that half of the $50 million Egypt gets for democracy programs should go through non-governmental organizations, and that a portion of the $50 million it gets for educational programs should be earmarked for projects encouraging academic freedom. A week earlier, the International Relations Committee approved a State Department authorization bill that would shift $120 million in military aid to civilian assistance; prevent long-term financing of military purchases; and impose democratization conditions on the economic assistance.