10 avril 2012

The “NGOs” that spooked Egypt

History shows that the country is right to regard some U.S.-backed aid organizations warily

Egyptian protesters, left, spray burning aerosol over Muslim Brotherhood guards outside the Egyptian parliament.
Egyptian protesters, left, spray burning aerosol over Muslim Brotherhood guards outside the Egyptian parliament.  (Credit: AP)
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Cairo and Washington breathed a sigh of relief last month when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton approved military aid to Egypt. But their hopes for the future proved to be wishful thinking, as Egypt asked Interpol this week to issue red notices for the arrest of six Americans whom the Egyptians accuse of illegally stirring unrest. The Americans are all employees of three ostensibly private groups that Washington funds “to promote democracy” in Egypt and other countries. The State Department paid as much as $5 million in bail for the defendants, all of whom had to pledge to return for subsequent court proceedings. They did not do so, which legally makes them fugitives.
Washington is currently pressing Interpol to deny Egypt’s request, even as other countries in the region regard the American NGOs with suspicion. The United Arab Emirates has just banned one of the American groups, the National Democratic Institute (NDI), and a similar group from Germany, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Observers are waiting to see if other countries will issue similar bans.


Former BBC investigative journalist Steve Weissman is at work on a book, "Big Money: How Global Banks, Corporations, and Speculators Rule and How to Break Their Hold."   More Steve Weissman

Frank Browning reports on sex, science and farming for National Public Radio. He is the author of, among other books, "A Queer Geography" and "Apples."  More Frank Browning

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