Relations between Egypt and the United States have come under serious strain following charges being pressed against the latter nation. As of Sunday, Egyptian authorities have pressed criminal charges against 19 American citizens with regard to financing foreign non-governmental organizations. According to a The New York Times article published yesterday, authorities in Egypt are pushing blame on American organizations for the unrest seen on Egyptian streets. Furthermore, should the investigation heighten in intensity, the Obama administration has warned the troubled nation could lose about $1.5 billion in potential American aid? The Senate concluded that the money would only go to Egypt if they indicate they have made progress toward a democratic governmental system.
Groups who are under investigation include the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute, Freedom House and a journalist institute. Inevitably, for non-governmental organizations coming to Egypt from external countries, any activity they have in Egypt is consistently monitored by a secret service, restricted by pressure to perpetuate a positive relationship between America and Egypt.
The article details that many non-profit organizations had their Egyptian offices raided by police. Unfortunately, for many members working for these organizations, the fear of arrest is imminent. It appears counterproductive to solely blame American organizations for anger expressed on civilian streets. These individual organizations cannot shoulder all the responsibility for a breakdown of order in Egypt. The movement began with civilians, and where the desire for change came from is incredibly subjective. If such an investigation were to jeopardize potential aid that could assist the country, it would be against Egypt’s interests to alienate a potential friend. The situation would be slightly more justified if there were sufficient evidence that these organizations were oppressive.
How relations between America and Egypt fare amidst this controversial investigation will heavily depend on national attitudes. If American non-state actors were blamed for Egypt’s uprisings, the strain on the relationship would be catastrophic.
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