Egypt names 19 Americans facing trial

CAIRO - Egypt has released the names of 19 Americans who face trial over activities of their nonprofit groups in Egypt, a case that has soured U.S.-Egypt relations.

One of the 19 is the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Sam LaHood, director of the International Republican Institute, and five other Americans are in Egypt. The others have left, according to a statement from the Egyptian prosecutor's office.

Among the Americans indicted by the Egyptian public prosecutor over alleged illegal activities by their pro-democracy groups are: Charles Dunne, director of Middle East and North Africa programs at Freedom House; and Julie Hughes, director of the National Democratic Institute.

Also included are American members of the International Center for Journalists, a journalism nonprofit: Patrick Butler, vice president, and Natasha Tynes, Program Director.

Altogether, 43 people face trials over illegally operating in Egypt and receiving funds from abroad without permission from Egyptian authorities for their human rights and pro-democracy groups. Egypt charges that they fund and support anti-government protests. The groups deny that.

Egypt to prosecute 43 NGO workers
Americans seek refuge in embassy in Egypt
Egypt forces raid pro-democracy offices

Egyptian Cabinet minister Mohammed Amr said the government cannot interfere in the work of the judiciary.

"We are doing our best to contain this but ... we cannot actually exercise any influence on the investigating judges," he reporters at a security conference in Munich, Germany Sunday, before the announcement that charges would be filed against the foreign activists.

Protesters demand that the ruling military council speed up transfer of power to civilians saying that they are an extension of the old regime and that they have mismanaged the country's transitional period. The military took power after Mubarak resigned a year ago. It says it will hand over control after a new president is elected in June.

The military rulers tried to deflect criticism by claiming "foreign hands" are behind protests against their rule, frequently depict the protesters as receiving funds from abroad in a plot to destabilize the country.

Washington has reacted angrily to the case, which started in December with 17 raids by Egyptian security forces carried out on the offices of nongovernmental organizations the country feels are responsible for the unrest plaguing the country a year after President Hosni Mubarak was ousted.

Egyptian military stand guard as officials raid a non-governmental organization's offices in Cairo, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011.

/ AP Photo/Mohammed Asad

"This is a thin veneer of a legal investigation over what's really a political smear campaign," Freedom House's Charles Dunne, one of those indicted, told CBS News.

It's unclear what the Americans will be charged with. But it seems to be part of a troubling crackdown on international pro-democracy and human rights groups in the country.

On "CBS This Morning" Monday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said the Americans have done nothing wrong and need to be released immediately.

"They do what American and international NGO workers do in various different parts of the world, which is to support democratic development and civil society," Rice told Charlie Rose. "The work that they've done in Egypt is to build and support civil society as they seek to build a more democratic Egypt."

Rice said the United States has been talking to the Egyptian government "at all levels" over the last several weeks, and said that Cairo must understand that "this has serious consequences for our bilateral relationship, and that these individuals must be released."

The Obama administration is urging the Egyptian government to change course or risk losing more than $1.5 billion in American aid.

There are reports this morning that a number of the Americans who will be charged are actually hiding out in the U.S. Embassy in Cairo to avoid arrest. The State Department won't say how many Americans, citing privacy concerns.

[srjmsbnd]

I have attempted to write on this topic by my blogs, posting comments as I do now on western media blogs when the issues comes up, in addition to Google+ and Facebook: As it is a topic that Americans callously turn a blind eye towards in self-serving interests in support of their intelligence services. I hope that my honesty is of some use to the public good, and a real basis of world peace rather than the Neo-imperialist Big Brother Paternalism of capitalism served currently.

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http://templeofreason.org/news/?p=2811
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[verycold]

As I recall, after the overthrow of Mubarak, Clinton wanted to go and have a sit-down with the different protesting groups, and she was denied that talk. Egypt is happy to take our money, but not our advice. Like it or not, they come together.

So at the moment, Pakistan hates the US, Russia and China can't stand us, Egypt is thumbing their nose at us, Iraq and Afghanistan hate us, and Libya took our help and money and refused to send the bomber back to us. Oh, and war with Iran looks very possible. Keep in mind that sanctions hurt the people that eventually hate the ones putting the screws to them.

Obama is batting zero here.

[spacengin]

What's next, Egypt to attach Israel? Israel to retake the Sinai. Iran to shoot missiles at Israel. Israel to blast Iranian missile and nuke silos. Israel to support the anti-Assad Syrians. Iran to attack the US. China surpresses Tibet while executing its people on a regular basis for raising concerns. Russia to attack anti-Putin demonstrations against voting fraud. Is evil winning or are human beings just greedy, self-righteous and power mad?

[scotttx]

I would stop the 1.5 billion in aid, place travel restriction on American going to Egypt, and make sure they understand it will be a long time before if ever the aid will be made up again, and if they wish to they are free to bring charges against the 14 Americans in the American court system

[netjunkie1]

Egyptian officials have screwed up.
Send in the SEALS, then send them nothing at all.

[Molly-Pchr]

Does such an ancient civilization, having built the great pyramids, really need help to build a more democratic society? Let them figure it out.

[lucifersshadow]

"The military rulers tried to deflect criticism by claiming "foreign hands" are behind protests against their rule, frequently depict the protesters as receiving funds from abroad in a plot to destabilize the country."
This is not an impossible accusation, CBS had an article not to long ago that indicated that the USA had instigated the Syrian uprising, so it could be just as well the case for Egypt.

[betterusa]

The Obama administration is urging the Egyptian government to change course or risk losing more than $1.5 billion in American aid.
----------------------------------
"risk losing"; come on Obama; show some guts and flat out tell Egypt "if they DO NOT release these Americans, the will get ZERO DOLLARS in aid!" I have no idea why we have to GIVE Egypt $1.5 billion in aid but I'm sure that $1.5 billion could help taxpaying Americans a h-ll of a lot more then the Egyptians. What deficit?

[antoniof123]

Meet the new boss same as the old boss maybe worst.

[OnTheRoad01]

Why do so many Americans feel that they not have the 'Right' to inject themselves into another country's politicts, but beleive they have a 'Duty' to????