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Egypt's Assault on Civil Society
(New York Times) Editorial - The last thing post-Mubarak Egypt needs is to pick a fight with the U.S. Yet the military rulers have done just that, demonstrating contempt for civil society and an old ally. On Dec. 29, security forces raided as many as seven nongovernmental groups in Cairo, including three American-financed democracy-building groups - the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute and Freedom House. On Thursday, the Egyptian government confirmed that it had barred at least six Americans - including I.R.I.'s Egypt director, Sam LaHood, the son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood - from leaving the country. Egypt's military receives $1.3 billion in annual aid from Washington. It is beyond us why the generals would keep pressing this destructive dispute. They must let Mr. LaHood and the others go immediately.