In an embarrassing turn of events, the United States has found itself in quite a dilemma facing off against a feisty Egyptian female cabinet minister. Fayza Aboul Naga whose been a bit of a thorn in the side of those interested in maintaing the status quo was determined to bring a case against NGOs operating in Egypt without proper notification and permissions from the "new" guys in charge, citing issues with suspicious funding activities and questionable motives.
The US states its position is party neutral and purely focused on training and assisting Egyptians in the finer points of the Democratic political process. The State Department contends the US's only interest is to see free and fair elections take place in Egypt and thereby reinforce the solid relationship America has enjoyed for decades.
The dustup came to the fore in December when Egyptian security felt they had sufficient evidence to suggest the US and others might not be totally on the up and up. Feeling the NGO's were just fronts for the CIA and special interest groups simply meddling, instigating and manipulating events to its own ends, they decided to raid 17 offices of 10 groups, grabbing documents and equipment.
Of the 43 defendants in the case, 16 are from the States, among them Sam LaHood, son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Others have taken refuge at the US embassy in Cairo.
The 43 worked for the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, and Freedom House. If convicted, they could face up to five years in prison.
In response, the US has threatened to cut off up to $1.3bn in military aid and another $250m in economic assistance to Egypt over the row. While this pressure may have gotten the attention of the three judges trying the case as well as the military, its had little if any impact on Aboul Naga's efforts to "restore the rightful balance of power with the United States". Aboul Naga accuses the US of using the NGOs as leverage to pressure and subjugate Egypt.
Worse, when polled Egyptians appear willing to forgo the US's military aid as few see that annual "care package" benefitting the people. From the Egyptian's perspective, the military aid buys the bullets to keep them in check. Perhaps if the 1.3bn was going to economic aid and only 250m allocated to the military the US would have a stronger bargaining position.
So far, Aboul Naga has been able to make a strong case based on widespread Egyptian consensus that foreign influence in Egypt's violent transition, could easily mask the NGOs secret promotion of a US-Israeli agenda. That BTW is more than a reasonable assumption. It don't take a genious to appreciate the US's primary objective is to ensure the Egyptian-Israeli Treaty is not tampered with in any way.
Considering the dossier of said trial includes statements from twelve additional government witnesses, including officers from the internal security services and a former NGO employee, many of whom stressed that foreign-funded civil society groups were a threat to national security and an attempt to infiltrate Egypt and manipulate events, the US may want to tread lightly with the threats.
While Egypt has tolerated the NGOs involved in the case to work openly for years, the former government of Hosni Mubarak held them at bay, neither granting them the go ahead nor prosecuting them. Now the groups face charges of operating without approval - an allegation that can easily be proved - and illegally receiving foreign funds. You can't piss on the mummies anymore
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