Pentagon Official: Canceling Foreign Military Aid To Egypt Will Cost Billions

Egyptian soldiers keep guard on the border between Egypt and the southern Gaza Strip September 3, 2013. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

U.S. Faces Substantial Losses If Egypt Aid Halted: Official -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The U.S. government faces billions of dollars in potential costs if it decides to cancel foreign military aid to Egypt, a senior Pentagon official told Reuters on Wednesday.

Richard Genaille, deputy director of the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, said he hoped the Obama administration reached a decision soon on whether to continue $1.23 billion in U.S. military assistance to Egypt, given the large number of weapons shipments in the pipeline.

"We're kind of antsy about that," Genaille said after a speech at the ComDef industry conference in Washington. "There's a whole bunch of contracts out there. The bills keep coming in and we've got to be able to pay them somehow otherwise we go in default."

Washington is reviewing the U.S. military aid to Egypt and an additional $241 million in economic aid after the country's military ousted the Muslim Brotherhood-backed government on July 3 and then cracked down on protesters last month.

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My Comment: I say .... why give aid to Egypt when many see the U.S. President and the country that he runs like this.

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President Obama's Interview With CNN (Key Points On Egypt And Syria)

Obama Tells CNN Key Decisions Nearing On Syria, Egypt -- CNN

(CNN) -- The time is nearing for a potentially definitive U.S. response to alleged Syrian government atrocities and an increasingly violent military crackdown in Egypt, President Barack Obama said in an exclusive interview broadcast Friday on CNN's "New Day."

The U.S. remains "one indispensable nation" in the volatile Middle East and elsewhere, Obama told "New Day" anchor Chris Cuomo.

"We have to think through strategically what's going to be in our long term national interests."

Asked by Cuomo whether the U.S. government is now facing a "more abbreviated time frame" on key decisions in Egypt and Syria, Obama repeatedly gave a one-word response: yes.

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More News On President Obama's Comments On Syria And Egypt

Transcript of President Obama's interview on "New Day" -- CNN
Obama: Syria will 'require America's attention' -- CNN
Obama says won't rush into costly Syria entanglement -- Reuters
Despite 'grave' concern on Syria, Obama stresses cautious response -- Reuters
Obama: Syria chemical weapon claim a 'grave concern' -- BBC
Reported Syria Gassing ‘Big Event of Grave Concern,’ Obama Says -- ABC News
Obama Expresses Concern Over Syria -- Wall Street Journal
Obama Says Report of Syria Chemical Weapon Use ‘Troublesome’ -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Obama Has 'Grave Concerns,' but No Action Yet on Egypt and Syria -- Atlantic Wire
Obama calls alleged Syrian chemical weapons attack 'a big event' -- FOX News
Obama: Syria allegations of chemical weapons 'a big event of grave concern' -- NBC
Obama: U.S. aid to Egypt no longer 'business as usual' -- CNN
Obama: US 'can't return to business as usual' with Egypt after crackdown -- The Hill
Obama defends cautious tack on Egypt, Syria -- L.A. Times
Obama: Cutting Egypt aid may not reverse actions -- AP
What You Need to Know About Obama's Early-Morning CNN Interview -- National Journal

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U.S. Secretly Suspends Military Aid to Egypt

Senator: Obama Administration Secretly Suspended Military Aid To Egypt -- Daily Beast

The White House has quietly placed military aid to Egypt on hold, despite not saying publicly whether the Egyptian military takeover was a coup, Josh Rogin reports exclusively.

In the latest example of its poorly understood Egypt policy, the Obama administration has decided to temporarily suspend the disbursement of most direct military aid, the delivery of weapons to the Egyptian military, and some forms of economic aid to the Egyptian government while it conducts a broad review of the relationship. The administration won’t publicly acknowledge all aspects of the aid suspension and maintains its rhetorical line that no official coup determination has been made, but behind the scenes, extensive measures to treat the military takeover of Egypt last month as a coup are being implemented on a temporary basis.

The office of Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the head of the Appropriations State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, told The Daily Beast on Monday that military aid to Egypt has been temporarily cut off.

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More News On U.S. Aid To Egypt

Report: U.S. quietly freezes military aid to Egypt, senator says -- Haaretz/AP
Leaving Military Aid Intact, U.S. Takes Steps to Halt Economic Help to Egypt -- New York Times
U.S. says it may cut aid to Egypt, but no decision yet -- Reuters
US Reviewing Aid To Egypt -- Voice of America
Apache Helicopters to Boats for Egypt Under U.S. Review -- Bloomberg
U.S. faces dilemma over aid to Egypt amid deadly violence -- CBS
U.S. Military Aid to Egypt: An IV Drip, With Side Effects -- Mark Thompson, Time
Wickham: Aid cutoff to Egypt would do nothing -- DeWayne Wickham, USA Today

WNU Editor: Most Americans in a recent poll are against sending aid to Egypt.

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Could President Obama Have Given A More Tougher Response Against The Egyptian Regime

Is That Really A Tough Enough Response, Mr President? Obama Cancels Joint Military Exercise With Egypt As Death Toll Of Cairo Massacre Soars To 525 - But He Says Nothing About The Billions Of Dollars In Aid -- Daily Mail

* 'The cycle of violence, and escalation, needs to stop,' said Obama, but he turned his back on reporters as they asked whether U.S. aid money will stop as well
* 45 minutes after he spoke, a White House pool report said: 'The president is golfing'
* 'Our traditional cooperation cannot continue as usual when civilians are being killed on the streets and rights are being rolled back,' he said
* The military-exercise cancellation was expected - they haven't been held since 2009 - but Obama will still have to address the issue of aid money
* Horrifying images showed the moment an armored vehicle filled with police was pushed off a bridge
* Sky News cameraman Mick Deane, a 61-year-old father of two, was shot and killed in the massacre
* Interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi regrets bloodshed but does not apologize for deaths
* Muslim Brotherhood calls for a protest march this afternoon as Western leaders condemn the violence

President Barack Obama stopped his Martha's Vineyard vacation for seven minutes on Thursday to describe a subtle shift in U.S.-Egyptian relations following a massacre in Cairo that left at least 525 people killed.

'We deplore violence against civilians,' Obama said. 'We support the universal rights essential to human dignity, including the right to peaceful protest. We oppose the pursuit of martial law, which denies those rights to citizens under the principle that security trumps individual freedom, or that might makes right.'

And in a move that will be seen as a safe, middle-ground reaction, Obama announced that the U.S. government will not hold a planned joint military exercise with Egyptian forces in September.

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Update: TRANSCRIPT: President Obama’s remarks on Egypt -- Washington Post

My Comment: The majority of Americans .... by far .... do not support U.S. aid and/or involvement in Egypt .... hence this should be a no-brainer for President Obama .... he should have said that what happened in Egypt was a coup, and cut off the aid. But .... not surprising .... that did not happen .... and it will not happen .... and the Republicans only response has come from Senator McCain .... everyone else has been moot. But what really got to me was this .... America's most important ally (after Israel) is Egypt .... but 45 minutes after giving his statement on the utter chaos in Egypt President Obama is off to play an afternoon of golf .... no emergency meeting of officials .... no leadership .... nothing. Talk about giving the impression to the Middle East (and to Egyptians specifically) that you do not care.

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Is The White House Underestimating Egyptian Support For The Muslim Brotherhood?

Despite Carnage, Muslim Brothers Win Little Sympathy In Cairo -- Yasmine Saleh and Tom Finn, Reuters

CAIRO (Reuters) - Normally crammed with cars and people, the chaotic streets of Cairo were strangely quiet on Thursday, with many shops still shuttered the day after security forces crushed supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood.

While distraught relatives waited to claim the hundreds of dead, there was little sympathy on show for the Brotherhood among Egyptians who said the Islamists had pushed too far.

The government has imposed a night-time curfew for at least a month and many people had clearly decided to stay home. Some of those who did venture out, pinned the blame on the Brothers.

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My Comment: There are consequences if the U.S. is miscalculating on what is happening in Egypt .... this is one scenario.

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President Obama Condemns Egypt Over Violence, Cancels U.S.-Egyptian Military Exercises

U.S. President Barack Obama makes a statement about the violence in Egypt while at his rental vacation home on the Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard in Chilmark August 15, 2013. REUTERS/Larry Downing

Obama Condemns Egypt Over Violence, Cancels Joint Military Exercise -- NBC

CAIRO – President Barack Obama strongly condemned Egypt’s interim government Thursday, saying the United States was canceling a planned joint military operation in protest over violent clashes that left at least 525 dead.

He also called on Egypt’s army-backed interim government to cancel the month-long state of emergency it imposed after Wednesday's clashes, and to respect the rights of minorities.

“The cycle of violence needs to stop,” he said in Massachusetts where he is on a working vacation.

Obama said Operation Bright Star – a joint biennial military exercise that had been due to take place in the Sinai region next month - would not now happen. It followed the decision last month to halt a planned delivery of F-16 fighter jets.

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More News On President Obama's Remarks On the Unrest In Egypt

TRANSCRIPT: President Obama’s remarks on Egypt -- Washington Post
Obama condemns Egyptian military crackdown on civilians -- CNN
Obama cancels U.S.-Egyptian military exercises -- USA Today
Obama condemns Egypt violence, cancels joint military exercises -- Reuters
Obama Cancels US-Egyptian Military Exercise -- ABC News/AP
US cancels military exercises with Egypt over violence, Obama condemns crackdown -- FOX News
Obama, denouncing Egypt crackdown, cancels joint military exercise -- Haaretz/Reuters
Obama tells Egypt "traditional cooperation cannot continue" -- Jerusalem Post
Obama On Egypt Crisis: 'We Deplore Violence Against Civilians' -- Huffington Post

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Will The U.S. Cancel It's Next Military Exercise With Egypt?

U.S. Weighs Canceling Military Exercise With Egypt -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The United States is considering calling off a major military exercise with the Egypt after Egyptian security forces killed scores of protesters on Wednesday, U.S. officials said.

The bloodshed appears to have forced U.S. President Barack Obama's administration to consider adopting a more muscular stance toward the Egyptian military, which toppled Mohamed Mursi, Egypt's first freely elected president, on July 3.

The United States, which gives Egypt $1.3 billion in military aid and about $250 million in economic aid each year, has been reluctant to cut the funding for fear of antagonizing the military and losing what influence it has in the Arab world's most populous nation.

As a first step, two U.S. officials said, the administration might respond to the violence in which more than 200 people were killed by scrapping the "Bright Star" exercises, which occur every two years and are a major point of pride for the Egyptian military.

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My Comment: This joint U.S. - Egyptian military drill has always been seen as a cornerstone of U.S.-Egyptian military relations .... beginning in 1981 after the Camp David Peace Accords between Egypt and Israel were signed. Cancelling it will be sending a message .... but what will have an even greater impact will be to cut off Egypt's military aid completely. Unfortunately .... I suspect they will not.

Update: Kerry Turns Against the Egyptian Military He Once Hailed -- The Cable/Foreign Policy

Update #2: There will be no change in U.S. policy .... U.S. Condemns Crackdown but Announces No Policy Shift -- New York Times

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Has U.S. Diplomacy Failed In Egypt?

A Massacre In Cairo And A Failure Of US Diplomacy In Egypt -- Dan Murphy, Christian Science Monitor

The US strained mightily to avoid calling Morsi's ouster a coup and to continue military aid. Egypt's military answered back today.

Since the military coup that ousted the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi from the Egyptian presidency on July 3, the Obama administration has bent over backwards not to call it a "coup."

The reasoning behind this decision was that Egypt's military is the most powerful force in the country and that alienating and punishing them for their action would both undercut US influence and create the conditions for a broad military crackdown. And, besides, the massive protests against Mr. Morsi leading up to him being deposed and arrested showed he couldn't lead or stabilize the country any more himself.

So while principled talk about "democracy" and getting militaries out of politics is one thing, the world of realpolitik is something else. While emissaries from Obama danced around the "coup" question, the US government refused to announce a cut off in the Egyptian military's $1.3 billion annual subsidy, and continually urged restraint and reconciliation.

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My Comment: US diplomacy never had a chance in Egypt .... this is a fight among Egyptians, and it is best if we just stay out of it.

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U.S. - Egypt Alliance On Verge Of Collapse

America’s Alliance With Egypt Is On Verge of Collapse -- Youssef Ibrahim, New York Sun

America’s intricate alliance with Egypt, woven over four decades, is standing on the verge of collapse over the failure of the Obama administration to comprehend the revolution that ousted the Muslim Brotherhood from power in Cairo.

In a cascade of mutual recriminations over the past three days, President Mansour and his prime minister, Hazem Biblawi, described two senior American senators, sent as emissaries of President Barak Obama, as “delusional” and “liars.”

The two senators arrived with demands to release all Muslim Brotherhood leaders being held under arrest and to integrate the party into the new revolutionary government. Otherwise, they warned, the Obama administration will cutoff all financial and military aid to Egypt.

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Update: Anti-U.S. Hostility Ramps Up in Egypt -- Wall Street Journal

My Comment: The Israeli and Arab press are saying essentially the same thing. To put it bluntly .... the U.S. has no coherent policy towards Egypt right now .... instead .... U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is focused on forcing the Israelis to give concessions to the Palestinians on peace talks, and President Obama has gone silent. Even the choice of a new U.S. Ambassador to Egypt is being condemned in Egypt. My suggestion to the White House is simple .... stay out of this mess .... the Egyptians are going to sort this out amongst themselves .... U.S. involvement will only harden everyone's opinions.

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