aid to egypt online debate
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/13/2019 Aid to Egypt Online Debate
1/7
Pacific Northwest State The Intelligencer Edition #1
AID TO EGYPT?Resolved,the United States should cease economic and
military aid to Egypt in light of the current government's
method of obtaining power.
1Junior State of America
-
8/13/2019 Aid to Egypt Online Debate
2/7
Pacific Northwest State The Intelligencer Edition #1
Online Debate
Resolved, the United States should cease economic and
military aid to Egypt in light of the current government'smethod of obtaining power.
Pro: Uma Ilavarasan
Con:Austin Weinstein
BackgroundThe violent situation in Egypt (its first democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi,
was overthrown by a combination of anti-government sentiment and the military on July 3, 2013, an
event that was followed by continued protests by Morsis supporters, 54 of whom were killed by
security forces at Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque on July has called into question Americas continued
aid to the nation; funds amount to 1.3 billion US dollars per year, and consist mostly of military
assistance. Many classify Morsis deposition as a military coup, which would require the United
States, by law, to cease its monetary aid to Egypt. Others argue that his removal was not an
unwarranted seizure of power, but an accurate reflection of the peoples will (with 14 million or more
protesting, perhaps the largest political event in human history) in the face of a stagnant economy,
and gasoline and power shortages.
Tensions have been festering in Egypt since Morsis June 30, 2012 inauguration (he won
51.7% of the vote): as the former head of the Freedom and Justice Party, the political wing of the
Muslim Brotherhood (a group long illegal in Egypt), he faced claims that he was more loyal to his
MB brethren than Egypt itself, and that the MB was attempting to wage a cultural war on Egypt. In
the aftermath of July 3, pro-Morsi protestors have faced untold violence (the aforementioned
massacre featuring prominently), and MB o#ces have been closed, its leaders arrested (including
Mohammed Badie, the head of the Muslim Brotherhood), and television stations that support the
MB have been shut down. This has lead some to the conclusion that Egypt is returning to a
Mubarak-era crackdown on dissent, an essential component of democracy. As a result, the
question comes down to whether the United States government should cease its economic and
military aid to Egypt in light of the current government's method of obtaining power?$
2Junior State of America
-
8/13/2019 Aid to Egypt Online Debate
3/7
Pacific Northwest State The Intelligencer Edition #1
PRO: Uma Ilavarasan
The protests begin on June 30, the one-year anniversary of Mohammed Morsis inauguration
to the presidency, spurred by that leaders authoritarianism and whispers of an Islamist agenda
running rampant Egypts fledgling democracy, a charge seemingly corroborated by Morsis Freedom
and Justice party membership (the FJP is the arm of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood that fieldscandidates for o#ce). The next day, the Egyptian military threatened to take over the government if
warring politicians (secularists, more extremist parties, and MB leaders themselves) could not
quickly craft a successful conclusion. The military made their loyalties to harmful paradigms, and
their distaste for the MB, painfully clear on July 2 with their slaughter of 18 people (exact figures are
not available) and injury of 200 protestors at a pro-Morsi rally. This tumultuous half-week culminated
in Morsis removal from o#ce, the arrest of senior MB members, the suspension of the constitution,
and shadowy plans for a future presidential election. The interim government, currently in place, is
led by president Adly Mansour; no dates have yet been set for the aforementioned elections. The
actions taken by the Egyptian military (and originally backed by religious and secular leaders) define
a coup, despite the US governments unwillingness to designate them as such. Members of thestate department, and Congress, know that defining the decisions of El-Sisi and his cronies as
dictatorial, and marking them as illegitimate, would necessitate ending the 1.5 billion dollars in aid
to Egypt the United States annually dispenses and threaten already tenuous relationships in the
region. The legal obligation to cease the provision of funds, is at least equalled, perhaps trumped,
by the United States moral obligations (obligations that are unfortunately predicated on a reality the
US seems unwilling to recognize): the interim government has stifled dissent, failed to respond to
the persecution of Coptic Christians, and further normalized sexual assault. Thus, the United States
shouldcease economic and military aid to Egypt in light of the current governments method of
obtaining power.
Section 508 of the Foreign Assistance Act clearly states none of the funds
appropriated...pursuant to this act shall be obligated or expended to finance directly any assistance
to any country whose duly elected head of government is deposed by military coup. A coup
assuredly occurred: a democratically elected leader (Mohammed Morsi) was thrown out one year
into his term in favor of a bizarre semi-junta (events, of course, orchestrated by the elmilitary, though
with considerable civilian backing). It would seem obvious, then, that the US should stop funding
the Egyptian military (the greatest beneficiary of the previously mentioned 1.5 billion). However, the
Take Care Clause (Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution says that the President shall take Care
that the Laws be faithfully executed) has led some to believe that the situationin Egypt calls for a
suspension of this law (otherwise, again, the President and his government are legally bound to the
halting of fund dispensation). The emergency circumstances that would negate the Take Care
Clause are simply not present. This is not to say that the events unfolding in Egypt are not horrific,
problematic, and inflammatory, but that the United States is not a direct player in the conflict and is
not threatened by an Egyptian attack; the fact that modern-day Egypt can be characterized by
those three adjectives is an indicator that the US must stop condoning coup-behavior and follow its
own laws. Additionally, the US has failed to declare an obvious coup a coup, which is intensely
3Junior State of America
-
8/13/2019 Aid to Egypt Online Debate
4/7
Pacific Northwest State The Intelligencer Edition #1
problematic in and of itself. The selective nature of Section 508s application renders it ine%ective,
and counters its purpose. Not naming this beast a coup constitutes presidential negligence, and an
inability to fulfill the job partially outlined by the Take Care Clause.
Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is both an ine%ective and troublesome ruler, emphasized by the current
lack of election plans, and the suppression of pro-MB voices through arrests and violence.
Immediately after the coup took place, the new regime seemed a positive development; gas lines
were shorter, electricity showed more constancy in presence. These initial gains, however, have
degenerated into losses exacerbated by the presence of an undemocratic government. El-Sisi and
his a#liates have imprisoned Morsi and fellow MB members that populate the upper echelons of
this political organizations hierarchy, while bringing ex-president and dictator Hosni Mubarak out of
jail. The latter move signaled to many protestors, and to the international community, the lack of
reformist sentiment in the new government;. Demonstrations have splintered into bloodshed and
distrust, as members of the police force and military break up existent protests with weapons and
degradation. The Egyptian governments ine%ectual responses to the abuses of Coptic Christians
by Morsi supporters as part of a larger backlash, further speaking to the ine#
ciency and disregardof the institution. During protests, large numbers of women were sexually assaulted as well, in a
climate of overwhelming impunity. El-Sisis government has o%ered no course of redress for these
females, preferring to follow the low standards of responsiveness to sexual crimes set by his
predecessors. These factors combine to demonstrate that El-Sisi is no improvement, no purveyor of
democracy to his people; his current actions seem to indicate a return to the same authoritarian,
oppressive tendencies of the past. The human rights abuses carried out under his watch, too, are a
call to action.
The United States must stop providing aid to Egypt because of that actions illegality under
Section 508 of the Foreign Assistance Act and the flagrant human rights abuses apparent under El-
Sisi and Mansours direction.$
4Junior State of America
-
8/13/2019 Aid to Egypt Online Debate
5/7
Pacific Northwest State The Intelligencer Edition #1
CON: Austin Weinstein
Egypt currently receives the 5th-most aid of any country to whom the United States sends
aid. This past year, the U.S. authorized a 1.55 billion dollar aid package to Egypt. 250 million of that
aid is economic in purpose, the rest of the aid is military. This aid is in the form of F-16s, Abrams
tanks, and other proprietary (thats important later) military equipment . A military coup (Yes Ill call it
1
a coup) this summer replaced the democratically-elected President Mohammed Morsi with a
military leader, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. After a period of diplomatic uncertainty, The U.S. ended
portions of that economic (not military) aid in response to the raids (or crackdowns) that killed at
least 600 protesters that supported President Morsi. That begs a very important question. What was
the U.S. doing aiding Egypt in the first place?
The story of U.S. aid towards Egypt begins in 1978. As a condition of the Egyptian-Israeli
peace accords (also known as the Camp David Accords), the U.S. supplies aid towards both Israel
and Egypt to ensure this peace . The keystone of Israeli-Egyptian peace is this aid. This resolution2
proposes to cut o%all military aid towards Egypt. This would be an e%ective rejection of the Camp
David Accords, and an a%ront towards both Israel and Egypt.
But lets look at the aid in modern diplomatic terms rather than in the frame of reference of
1978. What happens if we cut the aid?
& Egypts view: Were seen as in opposition of the el-Sisi regime, and in favor of the Muslim
Brotherhood (regardless of whether or not this is true). We lose an important ally, and the guiding
force of the region. As the term goes, So goes Egypt, so goes the Middle East (a.k.a. why the
Camp David Accords was one of the biggest diplomatic achievements ever).
& Israels view: Israel is a big fan of el-Sisi because he has brought stability to Egypt and has beganwresting control over the volatile Sinai peninsula. Were seen against Egyptian stability, against el-
Sisi, and against a stable mid-east. We also lose ground with an ultra-important ally, whos not so
keen on us after the Iranian nuclear deal.
& U.S. view: We gain.the favor of the human rights community for taking a stand against a military
leader.
5Junior State of America
' Meyer, Theodoric. "F.A.Q. on U.S. Aid to Egypt: Where Does the Money Go, And How Is It Spent?" ProPublica. Pro1
Publica Inc., 9 Oct. 2013. Web. 13 Dec. 2013. .
' Snowden, Edward. "US Embassy Cables: Egypt's Strategic Importance to the US.theguardian.com. Guardian News2
and Media, 28 Jan. 2011. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.
-
8/13/2019 Aid to Egypt Online Debate
6/7
Pacific Northwest State The Intelligencer Edition #1
Some argue that cutting o%aid wouldnt even matter, as Saudi Arabia has pledged to make
up the di%erence if the U.S. cuts aid . That argument forgets that the U.S. aid is not in hard cash,3
rather it is in proprietary military technology, a condition that greatly sweetened the deal when it first
began. In addition, we lose Egypt as an ally, and were seen as abandoning the region by Saudi
Arabia and an array of important gulf states.
When el-Sisi took power from the democratically-elected Mohammed Morsi, many people
sprung up saying that a. this was coup and b. according to the Foreign Assistance Act, the U.S.
must cut aid to the country. I dont dispute that this was a military coup, it was, by definition, a
military coup. I also dont dispute that according to the text of the law, we should cut aid to Egypt.
But, as we discovered this summer, the U.S. found a clever trick to circumvent this condition . They4
simply didnt call it a coup. I support this action, not because it is the proper action, but because it
is the logical action. If what we have to do to maintain mid-east peace, and keep important allies is
circumvent some diplomatic language, Im all for it. In fact, I have my own qualms with this coup
clause. Its excessively idealistic (think of the million circumstances where an radical regime is
overtaken by a moderate rational one) and ignorant of the diplomatic realities and circumstancesthat I mentioned.
el-Sisi isnt perfect. Hes not even very good. Nor average. He kinda sucks. Hes been harsh
on dissenters and he hasnt done much to improve the country. But he supports maintaining a
democratic Egypt--they just have to work out a solution that is best for a stable, prosperous,
democratic Egypt. President Mohammed Morsi led the country into economic stagnation, took
nearly dictatorial measures that he used to further an Islamist agenda that upon which he had
promised not to act, and was less of an ally to the U.S. than el-Sisi appears to be. The first Egyptian
experiment into democracy did not work. el-Sisi supports a new constitution that seems to rectify
the mistakes in the first (reminiscent of U.S. under the Articles of Confederation needing the
Constitution) . Cutting U.S. aid would e%ectively denounce el-Sisi, cause untold problems politically5
in Egypt, disrupt the Egyptian re-transition into democratic rule, and all of the diplomatic problems I
previously mentioned.
I argue that keeping the U.S. aid intact, maintaining a stable region, keeping crucial allies,
and placating important friends is more important than standing by an idealistic, impractical clause
that would make only the Human Rights Watch happy.$
6Junior State of America
' Sly, Liz. "Backing Egypts Generals, Saudi Arabia Promises Financial Support."Washington Post. Je%Bezos'3
Moneypit, 19 Aug. 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. .
' Landler, Mark. "Aid to Egypt Can Keep Flowing, Despite Overthrow, White House Decides." The New York Times. The4
New York Times Company, 25 July 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. .
' Spencer, Richard. "Egypt Military to Retain Key Powers in New Constitution." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 235
May 0021. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. .
-
8/13/2019 Aid to Egypt Online Debate
7/7
Pacific Northwest State The Intelligencer Edition #1
Works Cited
Images:
http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/99/90099-050-0302422F.jpg
http://multimedia.pol.dk/archive/00772/Mideast_Egypt_New_L_772348a.jpg
http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/infocus/egyptchange021011/e01_08967231.jpg
Footnotes
Landler, Mark. "Aid to Egypt Can Keep Flowing, Despite Overthrow, White House Decides." The New York
Times. The New York Times Company, 25 July 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. .
Meyer, Theodoric. "F.A.Q. on U.S. Aid to Egypt: Where Does the Money Go, And How Is It Spent?"
ProPublica. Pro Publica Inc., 9 Oct. 2013. Web. 13 Dec. 2013. .
Sly, Liz. "Backing Egypts Generals, Saudi Arabia Promises Financial Support."Washington Post. Je%Bezos'
Moneypit, 19 Aug. 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. .
Snowden, Edward. "US Embassy Cables: Egypt's Strategic Importance to the US."Theguardian.com.
Guardian News and Media, 28 Jan. 2011. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. .
Spencer, Richard. "Egypt Military to Retain Key Powers in New Constitution." The Telegraph. Telegraph
Media Group, 23 May 0021. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. .
CreditsWritten by Uma Ilavarasan(Background and Pro) andAustin Weinstein(Con)
Formatted and Compiled by Hari Mahesh
Posted on the Website by Julian Boss
Pacific Northwest Website:states.jsa.org/pnw/
Pacific Northwest Twitter Page:https://twitter.com/pnw_jsa
Pacific Northwest Instagram: http://instagram.com/pnw_jsa
Pacific Northwest Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/183505885114580/
Junior State of America Facebook Page:https://www.facebook.com/JuniorState
Are you interested in writing for future Online Debates?
Contact either Uma Ilavarasan, your Director of Online Literature,or Hari Mahesh, your Director of Publicity, and they will assign you
to online debates on future editions of the Intelligencer.
7Junior State of America