It is true that most of the US military aid to Egypt gets re-invested into America because Egypt buys American weapons. Egypt, of course, is not the only country that purchases weapons in the US (regardless of any trade or aid agreements) and I am not about to get into the pros and cons of capitalism….suffice it to say that Egypt’s economy is much more dependant on the US than the American economy is on Egypt. Ironically, this is one of the goals of the US aid program: foster the Egyptian economy so that it can stand, independantly, and participate and compete in the global sphere.

As an American citizen and taxpayer, I am happy that my money helps to build health clinics, provides laptops to students, access to clean water, ect. I am also happy to support defenders of freedom of speech – even if it is only one person out of the 20,000 that is used as an example. Bringing press and media attention to one person is better than nothing at all, right? Of course, there is curroption and ill-intentions within this system – no system is without its flaws.

I am in full support of conditions that are attached to the military aid to Egypt for the FY 2008, as passed by the House of Representatives. It should be noted that as of 7/24/2007, this bill has not yet been passed by the Senate, which means that these conditions might not even become part of the aid package at all.

I have been following this aid to Egypt issue closely, and I simply do not understand why it hits such a nerve. I keep hearing and reading that people (not just the government representatives, but the average Egyptian) feel the conditions are an unwanted form of meddling in domestic affiars, but that’s the point – Egypt’s domestic affairs are a mess of violations of human rights.

It’s very obvious that no money comes freely, and all 3 of these conditions would be to the benefit of the Egyptian people, so what is all the fuss about? If these 3 conditions are put into place now, then maybe next year there will be more conditions, and pressure will continue to be increased until true reform takes place.

Ranting about American policy (that has nothing to do with US aid to Egypt) does not answer the question as to why judicial reform, stopping the smuggling of arms, and training a police force that is unfortunately so well known for violence and torture would be a bad thing for Egypt.

As previously stated, the Egyptian gov’t is dependant on US aid. Dependant – NOT ENTITLED. I believe that every tool possible should be used to try and promote democracy, human rights, and reform in Egypt – especially when that tool is as powerful as money.

Everyone should visit http://www.egypt.usaid.gov to see where the US aid money to Egypt is really going. Hopefully that will foster some true understanding of the intentions of US aid money.

From 1975 to 2006 Egypt received $1.03 BILLION DOLLARS in US/AID for the sole purpose promotus of democracy and governance. If this isn’t happening (and we know it isn’t) them the USA goverment needs to hold Persident/Dictator Mubarak accountable. Did I write the USA goverment?? YES!

Hatered, bombs, and killings serve no useful purpose. Peace to all.

Your position seems to have been reduced to the proposition, “Israel is an international player”, for which we have only your bare assertion. The two noteworthy operations Israel has conducted away from the Middle East have been the Entebbe Raid when Israeli commandos rescued Israeli citizens held captive after their airliner was hijacked and flown to Uganda. The other was the arrest of Adolf Eichmann in Argentina. If you think Israel has anything to apologize about for either of those actions, you have another think coming.

Your demonization of Israel seems to be based on empty phrases like “an international player”. I doubt anyone find that persuasive who wasn’t persuaded in advance.

When I talk about the deaths Israel and the United States are responsible for, I am not just talkling about the Israeli-Arab conflict. The United States has engaged in political and military interventions, not just in the Middle East, but also in Africa, Asia, and South America. While many think of Israel’s political and military interventions only in Palestine, Israel is an internation player, like the United States.

See books like Profits of War, Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network by Ari Ben-Menashe and The Other Side of Deception by Victor Ostrovsky.

Israel and the United States are responsible for more deaths and destruction of property, than Hezbollah and any other Muslim group, put together.

This is an ignorant but common thing to say. The great wars in the Middle East have been the Iran-Iraq War and the Afghanistan wars. More people were killed in any one of a dozen individual battles in the Iran-Iraq War than have died in the entire history of the Israel-Arab Conflict (generally estimated to be around 70,000 total). The wars in Afghanistan have killed and injured millions.

The conflict between the Arabs and the Jews produces far more headlines and angry opinions than other conflicts, not more casualties.

I know there are other countries that don’t have great human rights. The topic posted is about the United States giving aid, so I am discussing the United States.

HeiGou wrote, “Accepts? This is a crime why? So what if the Saudis want to keep their money in American banks? The whole world does. So what if the Saudis want to buy weapons? Where’s the beef here?”

The United States is always announcing sanctions against countries that have terrible human rights violations, so why would it accept money from a country that has a terrible human rights record?

HeiGou wrote, “Perhaps because these claims of deformed babies are utter and total lies? There is no evidence that the rate of deformities has gone up at all and the evidence from Yugoslavia is that DU is mildly toxic but otherwise harmless. It is true that the countries that are sending Jihadis to Iraq are getting a lot of refugees back. So?”

No they are not “utter and total lies.” There have been plenty of reports of American soldiers who have babies who are deformed due to their exposure to depleted uanium in Iraq. SO can you imagine how worse it is for the Iraqis who have to live, eat, and sleep in the contaminated land for the rest of their lives?

HeiGou wrote, “You mean the fruits of Hezbollah terrorism.”

Israel and the United States are responsible for more deaths and destruction of property, than Hezbollah and any other Muslim group, put together.

HeiGou wrote, “Sorry but what does the US get back from the Middle East exactly?”

First let me point out that the United States buys more oil from Canada and Mexico, than Saudi Arabia. But the United States does not get as much investment money from these two countries as it does from Saudi Arabia. The Saudis invest hundreds of billions (maybe trillions) in the U.S.

HeiGou wrote, “The US makes very little money selling weapons and the majority of people it does sell weapons to are its close Western allies. Who tend not to use them. The Wars of the world are fuelled by Soviet, (and now Russian) weapons and knock off copies made in places like China and Egypt.”

There you go again making up facts as you go along. Here is an article that discusses U.S. weapon sales.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2006/11/13/us_is_top_purveyor_on_weapons_sales_list/

It says “According to the annual assessment, the United States supplied $8.1 billion worth of weapons to developing countries in 2005 — 45.8 percent of the total and far more than second-ranked Russia with 15 percent and Britain with a little more than 13 percent.

Arms control specialists said the figures underscore how the largely unchecked arms trade to the developing world has become a major staple of the American weapons industry, even though introducing many of the weapons risks fueling conflicts rather than aiding long-term US interests.”

HeiGou wrote, “Nothing is ‘exploited’ in Africa. Diamonds are also worthless in the ground – indeed it is only the artificial Western De Beers monopoly that gives them any value at all.”

Those interested in getting a better understanding of what is going on the Congo, should read this http://zmagsite.zmag.org/JulAug2006/snow0706.html