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US Should Reform, Not End Military Aid to Egypt

Egypt’s democratic transition is served by a new approach to US military assistance.
The aircraft carrier USS Enterprise transits the Suez Canal in Egypt in this February 15, 2011 handout photo provided by the U.S. Navy. The United States is moving warships and aircraft, including the USS Enterprise, into the Mediterranean Sea near Libya, according to U.S. officials. REUTERS/U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jesse L. Gonzalez/Handout (EGYPT - Tags: MILITARY POLITICS) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A T

President Obama’s dodging and weaving in response to political pressure to cut US military assistance to Egypt may not seem heroic, but it may be the correct strategy, or at least the beginning of one.

A balance between US strategic concerns and the interests of Egyptians, including both civilians and the armed forces, is possible and the means to achieve it is revision of the assistance program.

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