Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The United States has sought to maintain military
cooperation with Egypt amid rising unrest against its first Islamist regime,
a report said.

The Congressional Research Service asserted that the administration of
President Barack Obama and Congress have been closely monitoring the massive
protests against Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and the ruling Muslim
Brotherhood. In a report, CRS said Washington has set military cooperation
as a priority in relations with Cairo.

“More broadly, the administration and Congress also expect Egypt to
continue its military and intelligence cooperation with the United States and facilitate transit through the Suez Canal for U.S. warships and over flight rights for U.S. aircraft,” the report, titled “Egypt: Background and U.S. Relations,” said. “The Egyptian military also seeks to maintain its longstanding cooperation with the United States.”

On Jan. 15, the White House issued its first criticism of Morsi. An
Obama spokesman urged Morsi to reverse his call to hate Jews, remarks made when he was Muslim Brotherhood leader in 2010.

“We have raised our concerns over these remarks with the government of Egypt,” White House press secretary Jay Carney said.

Dated Dec. 6, 2012, the report said U.S. policymakers have been
grappling with the future of relations with Egypt as Congress was shaping
allocations for military and foreign aid. Author Jeremy Sharp said the administration and
the U.S. military wanted to work with Morsi to bolster security in the
turbulent Sinai Peninsula.

“The Obama administration seeks a stable Egypt that remains at peace
with Israel per the existing terms of the 1979 Israeli-Egyptian peace
treaty,” the report said. “It also seeks Egypt’s cooperation in preventing
terrorist groups in the Sinai Peninsula from destabilizing the region and in
brokering talks between Palestinians and Israelis.”

Egypt, despite increasing opposition in Congress, has been receiving
$1.3 billion in U.S. military aid since 1980. For fiscal 2013, the
administration has also sought $250 million in economic aid as well as
the transfer of $450 million to Cairo.

The report said U.S. military aid, allowed to accrue interest for Cairo,
covers as much as 80 percent of Egyptian military procurement. The Morsi
regime also continues to receive hundreds of millions of dollars worth of
U.S. surplus equipment.

“The Obama administration and many members of Congress are closely
monitoring developments in Egypt in the hope that civil strife does not
spiral out of control,” the report said.

The House has passed legislation that no U.S. aid to Egypt could be
transferred unless the secretary of state certifies that Cairo was honoring
its treaty with Israel. The bill also called for up to $250 million to be
allocated for Sinai security in fiscal 2013.

“Amongst segments of the American public and in Congress, there is some
suspicion of the Muslim Brotherhood agenda, not just regarding Israel but
also its espousal of liberal democracy and rights for women and religious
minorities,” the report said. “The events of Sept. 11, 2012, in which a
visiting U.S. business delegation dispatched to Egypt to expand trade and
investment was in Cairo while an angry mob attacked the U.S. embassy, may be
a harbinger of increased dissonance in U.S.-Egyptian bilateral relations for
years to come.”

  $1.3 billion in U.S. military aid, Congressional Research Service, Mohammed Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood, Report: U.S. policy goal was to retain military ties with Cairo’s new Islamist government, Suez Canal