Congress To Cut Aid To Egypt Over Gaza

House Okays Egypt Aid Cut Over Gaza Smuggling, Human Rights

By Reuters and Haaretz Service
Last update - 17:08 22/06/2007
Haaretz

The House of Representatives voted Friday to withhold $200 million in military funds for Egypt until Cairo shows it is stopping weapons-smuggling from Egypt to the Gaza Strip and improving human rights abuses.

The $34.2 billion foreign aid bill, for the fiscal year beginning on October 1, passed by a vote of 241-178. The Senate has not yet debated the bill.

The House bill also reiterates that no U.S. funds can be channeled to Hamas.

...The bill would also bar U.S. diplomatic operations in Libya until Tripoli pays off families of those killed in the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jetliner over Lockerbie, Scotland.

...Earlier this week, U.S. President George W. Bush announced after meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that the United States would increase its military assistance to Israel to ensure its "qualitative military edge" and sign a new agreement securing American aid to the country for the next decade.

Olmert told the president that an announcement on the increase in aid would be an expression of American support for Israel against the growing threats to its existence in the region.