Egyptian Reaction to Foreign Interferences

Since the end of western colonialism (after the W.W.II) the Arab world faced political, economic and military interference. Such interference continues until present time. What has changed is the political strategy followed by the US government. It has assumed the major foreign role in the Middle East region. President I. Eisenhower stated, during the early 1950’s, the end of British and French colonialism in the Middle East created a vacuum that the US needs to fill.

The Arab Spring Revolution, especially the Egyptian one, surprised the world, especially western societies.

The removal of the corrupt Mubarak, who was a puppet for the US and Israel, was a difficult political change to accept.

Since the beginning of the 2011 Revolution US government officials have been interfering in an overt and covert manner to influence the political direction of the Egyptian transitional government.

Aside of the US, several other foreign governments have also been involved in attempts to influence the political election in Egypt. The Egyptian press has reported that the Arab Gulf states, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the Emirates have send millions of dollars to various Islamic political groups who end winning the majority of parliament seats in the recent election. Furthermore, the Egyptian press stated that Germany and the US were also involved in transferring money to various Egyptian organized groups.

Such interferences are in violation of Egyptian law. The Egyptian government specifically raided the offices of the American political organizations such as the International Republican Institute for Democracy and the National Democratic institute who were operating illegally in Egypt. Their records were confiscated and the offices were closed. The press reported that 43 foreign and Egyptian people are under investigation and are prevented from leaving Egypt. Also 25 Egyptians are under investigation by the Egyptian Court. The American groups maintained that they were promoting democracy in Egypt and were supporting financially civil Egyptian organization. It was revealed that the above-mentioned American organizations contributed around $ 165 million to various Egyptian civil organizations. The Egyptian government wants to know who are the recipients of such aids.

The prevailing assumption in Egypt is that the American organizations are affiliated with the CIA. This information did not come as a surprise.

Some members of these American organizations were not permitted to leave Egypt until the investigation of their record is completed.

The US government reacted strongly. It threatened to stop US foreign aids to Egypt, which is of the amount of $ 1.55 billion, mostly military aid, unless American citizens are permitted to leave Egypt. Sam LaHood, the son of the American secretary of transportation, R. Lahood is one of those who are retained. The Egyptian public views towards American foreign aids to Egypt are negative. The majority wants it stopped, so that their country will not continue to be under the US influence as has been the case during the previous four decades.

Egypt is the second largest foreign aids recipient from the US after Israel. Members of the American congress who have been issuing threats to cut the foreign aids to Egypt are under the influence of “ AIPAC” and the other American organizations that are supporters of Israel.

The political decision which the Egyptian government took, by preventing around 19 Americans from leaving Egypt until the investigation is completed is understandable since they were operating illegally.

The question that I would like to address to American public officials is this:

Would they permit foreign political groups to interfere in the American federal elections under the banner to promote Democracy?