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U.S. to Withhold Millions in Military Aid from Egypt over Human Rights
(Wall Street Journal) Vivian Salama - The Biden administration has notified Congress that it would withhold $85 million in aid conditioned on the release of political prisoners, officials said, and some lawmakers are pushing to withhold another $235 million amid growing calls to penalize Cairo for its human-rights record. The conditional aid tied to Egypt's human-rights record represents a fraction of the overall $1.3 billion in U.S. military aid each year. Last year, the Biden administration withheld $130 million of foreign military aid to Egypt over human rights, while allowing some funds to go through because of a determination that Cairo had made progress on political detentions. Egypt has continued to work with the U.S. on issues related to security in Gaza and ensuring safe passage of U.S. ships through the Suez Canal, despite the decision to withhold some aid in recent years.