US cancels $130m military aid for Egypt over rights concerns

 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken in September approved the release of $300m in foreign military financing to Egypt but withheld another $130m unless the government addressed "specific human-rights related conditions" by the end of January [File: Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters]

The Biden administration has stated that $130 million in military aid to Egypt will be canceled due to human rights concerns, only days after the US authorized a large $2.5 billion arms deal to Egypt.

 

Egypt has not completed the prerequisites to obtain the $130 million in foreign military financing that has been on hold since September, according to the State Department. The money will be diverted to other programs, but no further details were provided.

 

The government made no mention of the $130 million freeze in the announcement of the cancellation, despite the fact that it had approved a $2.5 billion sale of military transport planes and radar systems on Tuesday.

 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken authorized $300 million in foreign military financing for Egypt in September, but withheld another $130 million unless the government met "certain human-rights related requirements" by the end of January.

 

The deadline for achieving those standards is approaching quickly, according to the agency. "The [Egyptian government] has made significant progress on the requirements, but has yet to meet all of them." As a result, the secretary expects to reallocate the $130 million beyond January 30 to other national security priorities."

 

When asked about the apparent discrepancy, US officials maintained the military help and the arms transaction had nothing to do with each other.

 

According to US officials, Egypt will cover the $2.2 billion cost of the 12 Super Hercules C-130 cargo planes, as well as the $355 million cost of the air defense radar equipment.

 

 Source: AP and Aljazeera