WaPo Editorial Board: NGO Crisis a “Witch Hunt”

On Tuesday, the Washington Post editorial board argued that the U.S. government must be prepared to withhold promised military aid to Egypt should the Egyptian government refuse to back off its investigation into U.S.-funded nongovernmental organizations operating in Egypt. This article followed a similar call made by the editorial board to condition Egypt’s aid. Last week, employees from the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Republican Institute (IRI) were barred from leaving the country pending the investigation into the NGOs’ activities. The Washington Post called the travel ban an “extraordinary provocation”, and described the investigation as a “witch hunt”. The U.S. administration must take an “uncompromising stand,” with a clear warning that military aid will be withheld if the campaign against NGOs is not ended, WaPo argued.

U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner reiterated the U.S. government’s view that the restrictions on the barred Americans were “unfair” and “onerous,” but also praised the ongoing democratic transition in Egypt. In a related move, Egyptian Justice Minister Adil Abdel Hamid returned a letter sent to him by U.S. Ambassador Anne Patterson about the Americans barred from travel. Abdel Hamid said the letter “is not supposed to be directed to the minister of justice and … the ambassador is not the concerned party,” adding that the letter should be addressed to the investigating judges.