US Senator Ben Cardin has firmly declared his intent to withhold military aid and arms sales to Egypt unless substantial improvements in human rights are observed within the country. In a statement issued on Saturday, the chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee emphasized the necessity of holding all governments, including Egypt, accountable for their human rights transgressions.
This announcement follows a recent request by US Representative Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, to the State Department. He urged a temporary suspension of a portion of military aid to Egypt contingent upon human rights compliance.
The heightened pressure comes in the wake of a federal indictment on September 22 against former Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, a Democratic Senator. The indictment was partly related to allegations of receiving bribes in exchange for leveraging his influence to assist Egypt's government. Menendez has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.
The Egyptian embassy in Washington has not yet issued a response to Cardin's announcement.
Cardin, who succeeded Menendez as the head of the Senate panel, stressed the importance of Egypt demonstrating progress in expediting the release of political prisoners and fostering an environment that accommodates human rights activists, civil society proponents, political opposition figures, and independent media outlets.
"I intend to fully exercise the committee's oversight responsibilities and my authority to block future foreign military funding and arms sales to the Egyptian government unless it takes concrete, meaningful, and sustainable measures to enhance human rights conditions within its borders," he asserted.
For decades, the United States has supplied Egypt with substantial military aid and other forms of assistance, a tradition dating back to Egypt's 1979 peace agreement with Israel. In recent years, a considerable portion of this aid has been withheld due to concerns regarding human rights violations under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's administration.
However, President Joe Biden's administration disclosed earlier this month that it had decided to waive human rights restrictions on $235 million of the aid, citing perceived security advantages for the United States. Nonetheless, it continues to withhold $85 million of the aid, which constitutes a fraction of the annual $1.3 billion allocated to Egypt.
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