A Game of “Mercy”

Translator's note: The original title in Arabic refers to a game called "biting fingers." Here, it is translated to a similar American game called "mercy."

The problem of foreign funding for civil society organizations in Egypt escalated in a way that suggests it will last a long time. A judge approved the prosecution of 19 American citizens working for these organizations. Investigations showed that the Americans, in addition to a number of Egyptians and citizens of other countries, were working in Egypt without authorization and had received enormous amounts of foreign funds that were spent for political purposes.

In light of these investigations, the court ordered that about 40 people be banned from traveling, including a number of employees of the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute. Among them is Sam LaHood, the son of the American Secretary of Transportation, and some of them hold Serbian (what got Serbs into this game?), German or Egyptian passports!

These proceedings did not please senior officials in the American administration, which expressed its anger that the Egyptian judicial authorities dared to arrest the American employees, investigate them and confiscate documents and computer equipment from their offices. Nearly 40 members of the U.S. Congress rushed to protest to the U.S. Department of State and pressure it to cease American aid to Egypt, which amounts to $1.3 billion, or to suspend the aid until the American employees are released.

The American administration argues that these organizations have been working and dealing with Egyptian rights groups for many years and that the question of their obtaining authorization was not something the authorities were interested in under the former regime. Under the veil of working to spread democracy and defend freedoms, these organizations were holding meetings, distributing funds and undertaking projects. In a report in the American newspaper The International Herald Tribune, it was written that the International Republican Institute held its important meetings abroad so as to avoid raising suspicions or upsetting its good relations with the former president's government!

It seems that the problem is traceable to the former regime's way of dealing with American organizations working in the field of human rights and democracy promotion: They were allowed to work without a permit. Through legal loopholes and political agreements, these organizations' transfer and disbursement of funds was greatly facilitated, and Egyptian rights groups receiving American aid were not harassed as long as they remained under the close supervision of the security forces.

It is clear that the direct reason for the regime’s approach stems from the fact that Egyptian organizations were banned from receiving aid from any other internal agencies, so they were left victim to what aid and grants foreign countries (the United States and the European Union) offered. They were thus able to accomplish some goals that helped promote human rights. Despite the fact that U.S. law prohibits rights groups from political action in the United States, they were given free rein in Egypt. Of course, it is understood that when American funds dried up, it would lead to vicious upheaval among Egyptian civil society organizations when security forces launched an attack against the organizations' offices last December. This also explains the savage onslaught against the investigations being conducted by the judiciary!

Egypt is going through a dangerous stage that exposes it to foreign intervention and international conspiracies. Whatever the reasons, what is currently taking place is a game of "mercy'' between Egypt and the United States; it is meant to force Egypt to open its doors to U.S. interference without oversight or accountability. Thus, American aid came offering both threats and incentives.

At the European Security Conference in Munich this week, Hilary Clinton launched a fierce attack against Egypt's military rulers’ crackdown on American and local pro-democracy organizations. The Secretary of State threatened that Egypt's stance towards civil society organizations could effect U.S.-Egypt relations and influence the allocation of yearly aid or even lead to its suspension.

Washington sees no justification for the raids on the American organizations. As it seems, however, it has no objection to making an exception for them and granting them special status that exempts them from the legal accountability to which other organizations are subject. This is the cause of the controversy between the two countries: democracy means the rule of law, and this is what the United States applies in its own country, but it objects when Egypt does so!

There is no question that the unstable conditions in Egypt have begun tempting many foreign and Arab forces to try to profit from and attack the manifestations of Egypt's sovereignty. And we will soon see and hear the reactions from abroad when the deposed president is transferred from his current health resort to the Tora Prison hospital!