Some U.S. military aid to Egypt to resume

WASHINGTON, March 16 (UPI) -- The Obama administration will resume military aid to Egypt despite concerns about reports of abuse and its shaky transition to democracy, officials said.

To restart the aid, an anchor of U.S.-Egypt relations for more than 30 years, the administration plans to sidestep a new congressional requirement that directly ties military assistance to the protection of basic freedoms, The New York Times reported Friday.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was expected to waive the requirement on national security grounds as soon as next week, administration and congressional officials said, allowing some of the $1.3 billion in military aid this year to go to Egypt.

The threat of cutting off military aid was critical in the Egyptian government's release of seven U.S. citizens employed by four American-financed non-government organizations.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said a final decision hasn't been made on the resumption of aid while other officials said there was still a question about the dollar amount being included in the waiver.

Observers told the Times the decision likely won't make either human rights advocates concerned about abuses by Egypt's security forces or most Egyptians who have become cynical about the military council and more opposed to U.S. involvement in Egyptian affairs.

"Making such a certification would undermine the brave struggle of the Egyptian people for a society founded on respect for human rights and the rule of law," Adotei Akwei of Amnesty International USA said in a letter to Clinton released Thursday. "Waiving the certification requirement would forfeit a key form of pressure for the advancement of human rights."