Obama Administration Cut Funding To Promote Democracy In Egypt, Disappointing Human Rights Activists

[Imperialism Inc.]

The full article is more nuanced than a 4 paragraph clip allows. Please read the entire thing.

Obama Administration Cut Funding To Promote Democracy In Egypt, Disappointing Human Rights Activists
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/28/obama-cut-egypt-funding_n_815731.html

...

In its first year, the Obama administration cut funding for democracy and governance programming in Egypt by more than half, from $50 million in 2008 to $20 million in 2009 (Congress later appropriated another $5 million). The level of funding for civil society programs and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) was cut disproportionately, from $32 million to only $7 million. Though funding levels for 2010 are not yet available, they are expected to show an increase to $14 million, says Stephen McInerny, the director of advocacy at the Project on Middle East Democracy. He notes that the Bush administration slashed economic aid to Egypt in the 2009 budget but kept the funding for democracy and governance programs constant, while Obama cut funding to those programs in an effort to make the cuts more proportional and under pressure from the American embassy in Cairo.

The White House and the State Department did not return emails for comment.

In addition, the administration limited funding only to NGOs registered with the Egyptian government, oversees such groups broadly and can dissolve them for violations like receiving foreign funding. Most human rights groups are not registered with the government, according to an Egyptian academic interviewed by the U.S. Embassy. The widely-criticized change,
taken in the wake of intense pressure from Egyptian officials for the U.S. to stop funding non-registered groups, reversed a Bush-era policy of funding all NGOs and civil society programs.

"The speech in Cairo raised expectations a lot that a new era was near with sustained support for human rights and dignity" said Bruce K. Rutherford, the author of "Egypt After Mubarak: Liberalism, Islam and Democracy." "The administration chose not to follow through on that
for a variety of reasons, cutting the support for civil society programs in half, etc. There was the perception that he did the opposite of what he said he would do and there is anger and
disillusionment at the U.S. and Obama in general among almost everyone I talk to in Egypt."

...

[frazzled]

1. Exactly what was this 'promoting democracy in Egypt' program?

Obviously something promoted by the last administration. Was it on the order of providing all that money to Ahmed Chalabi and his ilk to 'promote democracy in Iraq"?? If so, this administration was well advised to stay out of neocon game playing in the region. I trust our current State Department and its Secretary a lot more than the last on these scroes.

Take anything you hear from Egyptian expats who are speaking out currently with a grain of salt. We have needed to do that for both Iraqi and Iranian groups here in the U.S.

[Imperialism Inc.]

2. The only details offered were that the administration caved to pressure from

Egypt to limit support to only groups that were registered with the government.

Is Bruce Rutherford, quoted at the end of the clip, an Egyptian expat? I'm not sure what you are referring to there.

[frazzled]

5. I'm referring to ...

people I've heard interviewed on radio, in newspapers, etc.

I just want to make it clear that we (here) don't know that much about Egypt, Egyptian politics, the players here and abroad, etc. Three days ago nobody here cared about Egypt and knew even less. Today everyone's an expert. We don't know exactly what kind of pressure or what kinds of decisions this administration made in determining to reduce the previous Bush administration aid. Some of the groups that administration promoted have not turned out in the past to be reliable players. It's hard for me to believe that Hillary Clinton would sanction removing essential NGOs from the roster, or fail to support human and civil rights. I would prefer to hear from her and her state department.

[Imperialism Inc.]

7. I'd definitely like to hear more information too.

I would however point out that the primary sources for the article are people who are experts. The article goes on to talk about Obama applying pressure for reform behind the scenes. It suggests that the funding move was done to improve relations with the Mubarak government. This seems reasonable to me if they were trying a strategy of putting pressure on him personally.

The article goes on to say that the administration realized their mistake and moved to correct it. That's why I encouraged reading the whole thing. I was trying to give information and at the same time avoid it being placed within the Obama is an corporate stooge/Obama is an angel battle that is a constant here.

But the new administration started off on the wrong foot, says McInerny. "One of the big mistakes was adopting this policy of USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) funding only going to organizations that were registered," he says. "Privately, the administration realizes that but they still have that policy." McInerny feels that the administration improved its policy on such issues in its second year. "They sent some really bad signals the first year and since then they've realized their mistakes and are doing a much better job on civil society issues."

The administration emphasized establishing warmer ties with Egypt to avoid the public "name and shame" tactics of Bush, while urging political reforms in private, according to diplomatic cables posted by WikiLeaks on Friday.

[bluestateguy]

3. It's not the United States' responsibility to promote democracy anywhere but here

and we fall short in many ways here in the US.

I would be suspicious of any so-called plan to promote democracy in other countries, so I am glad the money was cut.

[Imperialism Inc.]

4. That seems a little short sighted to me.

Surely we want some influence over what may happen if a particular regime falls. And surely we want to provide, at very least, moral support to groups working for reforms. Many have pointed to working with pro-Democracy groups in Iran as an alternative to blowing them up.

[Astraea]

8. Hear, hear

There's been too much meddling in other countries' business, and the notion that the government is promoting democracy is often dubious.

[madrchsod]

6. bush`s state dept gave money to every NGOs.

obama only gives money to "official" NGOs

[EFerrari]

9. Hmmm. Rutherford looks like an academic

and Aladdin Elaasar is a journalist. Both have respectable credentials (i.e., not fake journalists from a right wing propaganda mill).

McInerney at the Project on Middle East Democracy has an academic background and has been at this NGO for some years. The mission statement seems, on its face, to slightly oppose an American ME policy that privileges "stability" over democracy. Interesting organization w/ a very wide spread of advisors (Common Cause to the IRI). http://pomed.org/about-us/