US waives human rights rules to send military aid to Egypt
The State Department has authorized the release of $1.3 billion in aid to Egypt despite human rights concerns from US lawmakers, Al-Monitor has learned.
The State Department has approved the release of the full $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt despite the Trump administration’s admission that Cairo has actively prevented civil dissent and cut down on democratic reforms.
In a memo sent to Congress and obtained by Al-Monitor, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo waived human rights conditions that apply to $300 million in US aid, calling the Arab nation “important to the national security interests of the United States” for providing access to the Suez Canal, overflight rights and fighting terror in the Sinai desert and along its borders with Libya and Sudan.
