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Should the U.S. Consider Cutting Military Aid to Egypt?
(Atlantic Monthly) Shadi Hamid - In June, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and its allies dissolved parliament, reinstated martial law, and decreed a constitutional addendum stripping the presidency of many of its powers. After protesters brought down President Hosni Mubarak, the U.S. wagered that a military-led transition would facilitate (and manage) the democratization process while safeguarding U.S. interests. SCAF pledged to hand over power by July 1, yet that deadline has come and gone. SCAF continues to undermine Egyptian democracy, apparently confident that there will be few, if any, real consequences to its relationship with the U.S. There is a widespread perception in Egypt and the broader Middle East that American demands can be ignored if they fall outside of the core U.S. interests: the peace treaty with Israel, over-flight rights (in case there is military action against Iran), access to the Suez Canal, and counter-terrorism. Anything else is seen as just rhetoric. The writer is director of research at the Brookings Doha Center and a fellow at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution.