McConnell challenges administration on aid to Egypt

WASHINGTON — For the first time in 20 years, Congress has publicly challenged the administration over U.S. aid to Egypt.

The challenge was by Sen. Mitch McConnell, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, as House and Senate members said Egypt has violated the terms of its peace treaty with Israel. Congressional sources said the violations include anti-Semitic attacks in the Egyptian-controlled media as well as the development of intermediate-range missiles in cooperation with North Korea.

The 1979 peace treaty led to the U.S. granting billions of dollars of annual aid to Egypt.

McConnell said he and his colleagues would examine the prospect of a reduction of U.S. aid of $2 billion to Egypt based on its policies toward neighboring Israel.

"Is this kind of relationship worth the request of $2 billion?"

McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, asked U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell during a Senate hearing on Tuesday. "I do not view foreign assistance as an entitlement and will be reviewing more closely country-specific aid packages."

The Bush administration has requested a foreign aid budget of $15.2 billion for fiscal 2002. This is an increase of two percent over that allocated for this year.

"So it's your view that the Egyptians are making, at this point, a constructive contribution to the process?" McConnell asked Powell. Powell's response was curt. "They play an important role in the region," the secretary said.

Powell, however, urged Congress not to cut military or economic aid to Egypt. This, as Powell acknowledged much of the criticism against the regime of President Hosni Mubarak, saying he had been a target by the state-owned press in Egypt.

Congressional sources said McConnell's attack against Egypt was decided after months of consultations in the House and Senate as well as meeting with the administration. Congressional sources said critics of Egypt in Congress have been frustrated by what they described as inadequate responses to their questions regarding Cairo's policies in the Middle East, particularly its missile development programs.

"Our message is to put both Egypt and the administration on notice," a congressional source said.