Egypt’s interim prime minister said it would be a mistake on the part of the US to halt its substantial military aid to Cairo, while indicating in a defiant tone that Egypt would "live with the circumstances" if Washington decided to cease aid.
The Obama administration is facing increasing pressure to halt
the billion-dollar-plus yearly aid that it supplies to Egypt’s
military, as bloodshed continues in the wake of President Mohamed
Morsi’s ouster.
Regardless, Hazem el-Beblawi signaled that the country’s current
military regime could sustain the loss.
"Let's not forget that Egypt
went with the Russian military for support and we survived. So,
there is no end to life," he said. "You can live with different
circumstances."
Congress has been echoing hesitation at continued American
support of the country’s military leadership in the wake of what
is widely seen as a coup - which according to US law would
mandate and likely end aid to Egypt.
The White House has managed to avoid publicly declaring Morsi’s
ouster by the country’s armed forces a military coup, though word
came this week that the administration had nonetheless quietly
put a halt to delivery of certain military hardware to the
country.
El-Beblawi told ABC News on Tuesday that the potential halt of US
military aid to his country would “be a bad sign and will badly affect the
military for some time.”
Several countries in the region, most vocally Saudi Arabia, have
already said that they would be stepping in to fund Egypt’s
military if the US or the European Union were to withdraw aid.
“The kingdom stands with Egypt
and against all those who try to interfere with its domestic
affairs,” Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah said during a
televised speech on Friday.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, recently
traveled to Europe in support of Egypt’s interim military
government. The country reportedly delivered a blank check to
Cairo, according to a New York Times report.
Aid from regional allies was quick to arrive to Egypt following
Morsi’s ouster. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab
Emirates promised Egypt a combined $12 billion in loans, grants,
and fuel shipments. According to Reuters $5 billion of that aid
has already arrived.
Egypt’s army-backed interim government appears to be moving
quickly to invest those loans to fund projects and
infrastructure, spurring the economy through direct government
investments in a bid to bolster the country’s stability.
Despite reports of suspended US aid, the White House has denied
that any decisions have been reached.
"That review has not concluded
and published reports to the contrary that assistance to Egypt
has been cut off are not accurate," White House spokesman
Josh Earnest told reporters in a Tuesday briefing.