US aid to Egypt - latest

[dipsydoodle]

US aid

Former US state department lawyer John Bellinger sets out the US legal position on the $1.5bn question of whether it was coup.

He says it will fall to his successor at the state department to decide:

The review of whether Section 508 has been triggered is generally led by the legal Adviser of the State department and may take several weeks or longer. But it may be difficult for the legal adviser to conclude that the house arrest of Mohamed Morsi and suspension of the Egyptian Constitution do not amount to a military coup.

The consequences of a cut-off of assistance would be significant, including for US companies. The US provides $1.5bn in aid to Egypt each year, much of which is used to buy US military equipment.

(Via @blakehounsell)
This helps explain why the word "coup" was absent from Obama's response.

2 minutes ago here : http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/04/egypt-revolution-new-president-live-updates

That's the general purpose of aid - recycling . In this case to the MIC.

[ananda]

1. Boy, that was an eyeopener!

We send "aid" to other countries so they'll buy our military products.

If this isn't a real scandal, I don't know what is.

[malaise]

2. This

But it may be difficult for the legal adviser to conclude that the house arrest of Mohamed Morsi and suspension of the Egyptian Constitution do not amount to a military coup.

It was a fucking coup!

[bike man]

3. It would be nice to see ALL foreign aid, cash and military equipment, suspended for

everyone.

Imagine if all that money that is available for foreign aid but not for US aid were used for the US homeless, jobless, hungry, elderly and/or in need of medical care.

It won't happen.