The Biden administration is set to deny $130 million of military aid to Egypt over human rights concerns, US State Department officials said on Friday, in a rare punishment of a key ally, even though it fell short of expectations of rights groups.
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Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in September that the aid would be withheld if Egypt did not address specific human-rights-related conditions Washington has set out, which activists say included the release of certain individuals deemed political prisoners.
Rights groups had called on the administration to block the entire $300 million of foreign military financing to Abdel Fattah el-Sissi's Egyptian government. Sissi, who ousted the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013, has overseen a crackdown on dissent that has tightened in recent years.
"While the Secretary has not made the final decision, if there are no major developments over the next couple of days, the Secretary will re-program the $130 million to other national security priorities as he previewed in September," a State Department official said in a call with reporters.
The portion of the aid withheld accounts for 10% of the $1.3 billion that was allocated for Egypt for the fiscal year 2020. This amount has been appropriated to Egypt every year since 2017, according to a congressional research report.
But Friday's announcement comes after the administration earlier this week approved the potential sale of air defense radars and C-130 Super Hercules planes to Egypt for a combined value of more than $2.5 billion, raising doubts about the impact of the withheld amount.
Advocates welcomed the decision to withhold $130 million but also expressed partial disappointment.
"This was the right decision. Egypt's atrocious human rights record should leave no room for compromises from the US government. But we also saw $2.5 billion in US arms sales to Egypt notified this same week. ... It's not much more than a slap on the wrist given those handouts," said Sarah Holewinski, Washington director at Human Rights Watch.
US officials say the relationship with Egypt is complex. The most populous Arab country is a vital ally and Washington is still committed to supporting it for its "legitimate defense needs". They also add that the $2.5 billion sale is a deal that specifically serves US interests.
"They're sort of emblematic in the types of things we would like to see Egypt procuring because these are things that have direct relations to US security interests more broadly," one of the State Department officials said.
Meanwhile, the United States announced plans to reroute $67 million of military assistance for Lebanon's armed forces to support members of the military as the country grapples with a financial meltdown.
According to a notification sent to Congress, the State Department intends to change the content of previously appropriated foreign military funding for Lebanon to include "livelihood support" for members of the Lebanese military, citing economic turmoil as well as social unrest.
"Livelihood support for (armed forces) members will strengthen their operational readiness, mitigate absenteeism, and thus enable LAF members to continue fulfilling key security functions needed to stave off a further decline in stability," said the notification to Congress, seen by Reuters.
Washington is the biggest foreign aid donor to Lebanon. US officials had pledged additional support in October.
The news was praised in Washington.
"It is in the United States national security interest to help these servicemen make ends meet and continue supporting the Lebanese people, and I'm really glad to see the administration putting our security assistance dollars to Lebanon toward that goal," Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said in a statement.
Sunni Muslim leader Saad al-Hariri announced his departure from Lebanese politics this week, opening the way for the Shi'ite Hezbollah to extend its sway over the country.
Hariri's departure opens a new phase in Lebanon's politics, governed by a system of sectarian power-sharing, and adds to uncertainty in a country suffering a financial crisis that marks its biggest threat to stability since the 1975-90 civil war.
More than half of Lebanon's 6 million people have fallen into poverty. The World Bank says it is one of the sharpest modern depressions, with the currency plunging more than 90% and the financial system paralyzed.
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