Egypt's al-Sisi slams Hagel over aid suspension
Egypt does not appreciate the way in which the US hints at suspending aid from time to time, army chief Gen. Abdel Fatah al-Sisi communicated in a strongly worded message to US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel during a conversation last Thursday.
This is especially true when dealing with a country the size of Egypt, the military leader added.
Egypt rejects any external pressure that seeks to affect its domestic affairs, Sisi said, according to a military source quoted on Friday in the London- based daily Al-Hayat.Among those standing in line to replace US aid are the Gulf countries.
After Morsi was deposed, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates promised Egypt a total of $12b. in loans, grants and fuel shipments. The aid has kept the economy afloat and may give Egypt some policy flexibility.
“Compared to Gulf aid, American aid is peanuts. It won’t financially affect Egypt and could easily be filled by Gulf countries,” said Abdullah al-Askar, chairman of the foreign affairs committee in Saudi Arabia’s Shoura Council, an appointed parliament that has only advisory powers. “People in the Gulf do not see [cutting the aid] as a democratic message. Otherwise why is America allowing the Syrian regime to continue killing people every day?” Both Saudi Arabia and Egypt – America’s most important allies in the Arab world – are frustrated with US policy and see Washington as an indecisive superpower.
“The US position is not clear and not understood and comes at a time when Egypt needs help,” a government official said. “For sure the US will lose the support of the Egyptian people and it is natural that the void it leaves by its loss of the Egyptian people will benefit another power in the world.”And you thought that Obama would improve American relations with the Arab Muslim world....
Labels: Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Barack Hussein Obama, Chuck Hagel, Egyptian army, Egyptian Revolution
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:47 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home