Bush, in Shift on Egypt, Links New Aid to Rights
By Peter Slevin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 15, 2002; Page A01
The Bush administration will oppose any additional foreign aid for Egypt to protest the Egyptian government's prosecution of human rights campaigner Saad Eddin Ibrahim and its poor treatment of pro-democracy organizations, administration sources said yesterday
Advocacy groups, which have pressed the administration to speak out more boldly against Ibrahim's imprisonment, praised the new move yesterday. Tom Malinowski, of Human Rights Watch's Washington office, said the decision could be "the most significant step the United States has ever taken to defend human rights in the Arab world."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19561-2002Aug14.html
Egypt: Won't Bow to U.S. Pressure over Ibrahim
August 15, 2002 09:38 AM ET
CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt said on Thursday it would not bow to U.S. pressure over its jailing of an Egyptian-American activist, whose conviction was criticized as politically motivated by rights groups.
http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=politicsnews&StoryID=1333666
At least it's a first step in the right direction. Now, if the US can actually flex enough diplomatic muscle to persuade Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to concede on this issue it would be a boost for all of Egypt, and the Middle East.
Here's hoping it works!
Casey
---- This message was posted by Casey to the Virus 2002 board on Church of Virus BBS. <http://virus.lucifer.com/bbs/index.php?board=51;action=display;threadid=26111>
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