Saad Ibrahim imprisonment halt further US aid, Egypt rejects pressure
Egypt-USA, Politics, 8/16/2002

The US President George Bush has decided not to give new aid to Egypt in protest of sentencing Saad Eddine Ibrahim, a researcher and human rights activist, according to American officials on Thursday.

The American officials who asked not to be identified said that Bush had decided not to give Cairo new financial aid because no answer was received from Egypt regarding the concerns expressed by Washington over trying and convicting Saad Eddine Ibrahim.

A high ranking US official said "we will not give new aid in this phase because there is no answer from Egypt concerning Ibrahim's case." Another American official said "new aids are not expected to be sent with the extent Ibrahim case has reached." Those American officials confirmed information issued on Thursday by the Washington Post and Chicago Tribune saying that Bush will shortly inform the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, in writing, about his decision. The officials said that this decision will not affect the current aid programs estimated at $ 2 billion in its two military and civilian parts.

However, the American decision comes at a time when the Egyptian President asked for increase in aid to Egypt by 150 million dollars after the US Congress had approved to give Israel 200 million dollars in the framework of the "terrorism fighting" campaign.

On the other hand, the Egyptian foreign minister Ahmad Maher said that "Egypt will not accept pressure, and everyone knows that." He added, "the case of Ibrahim was settled by the court and we had clarified our position towards this matter and we are not in need to explain once again that we do not interfere in the judicial affairs, and we ask all to honor our judiciary, the same way we honor their judiciary." He concluded by saying "any attempt for pressure will be of no result."

Just two weeks ago Maher criticized the American stand on this issue. The Washington Post said that the US administration started detailed discussions for promoting democracy after its regret concerning the Egyptian legislation relating the activities and financing of local organizations and societies active in this regard. The US had denounced the sentence issued for a 7 year imprisonment against the sociology teacher at the American university in Cairo and the director of Ibn Khaldoun center for human rights.

A sentence against Ibrahim was issued on June 29 by the Supreme State Security Court which confirmed an earlier sentence approved on May 2001 after Ibrahim was convicted of receiving financial aids from the European Union, illegally, and "issuing damaging and distortion campaign " against Egypt abroad.

Previous Stories:
  US to reduce monitor force in Sinai, as some still talk of war   (8/3/2002)
  Denunciations of Egyptian activists jail sentence, 16 Muslim brothers sentenced   (7/31/2002)
  Egypt will not be subject to pressures by any country   (7/22/2002)

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