World Tribune.com

Egypt seeks military aid package from U.S. similar to Israel's

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Tuesday, March 27, 2001

WASHINGTON — Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is expected to ask the Bush administration to convert U.S. economic aid into increased funding for the military in Cairo.

Egypt has agreed to reduce economic aid in exchange for additional investments and technology transfer. But administration sources said Mubarak wants a formula that is similar to that agreed to between Israel and the United States.

That formula decreases U.S. economic aid to Israel by $120 million a year. Half of that amount, however, is converted into military aid to the Jewish state.

U.S. military aid to Egypt amounted to $1.3 billion for this year. Of that figure, $735 million was economic aid. Israel received this year $1.92 billion in military aid and $960 million in economic aid.

The sources said the White House has not formulated a response to the expected request by Mubarak. But they said the administration would not rule it out.

"This administration will probably not see things differently from its predecessors," a source following the issue said. "And that is that the military is important in Egypt and you want to keep them happy."

One obstacle to the Mubarak request will be Congress. Many in Congress who deal with the Middle East issues have suggested that military aid to Egypt be reduced and converted into economic aid.

Israel is said to have urged the White House and Congress to reduce U.S. military aid to Egypt. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon raised the issue with congressional leaders during their meeting in Washington last week.

Israeli Army Radio said Sharon called on the United States to end military aid to Egypt. The radio said the Egyptian regime has not supported the peace process with the Palestinians.

Sharon and the Bush administration have denied the report. "The prime minister did not raise the Egypt issue in his meetings with the American administration," Sharon's office said in a statement.

Mubarak was said to have been furious over the reported appeal by Sharon. The Egyptian president said he would consider changing Cairo's relations with Israel although he added that he is convinced that Sharon did not try to stop military aid to Egypt.

"If Sharon really said that, I will consider it to be an aggressive stance," Mubarak said. "We will have another attitude toward Sharon." On Monday, Mubarak told the state-owned Al Gomhuriya daily that he regards the chapter as closed and accepts Sharon's denial.

Tuesday, March 27, 2001


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