We Should Not Cut Foreign Military Assistance to Egypt

WE SHOULD NOT CUT FOREIGN MILITARY ASSISTANCE TO EGYPT -- (House of Representatives - October 17, 2005)

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) is recognized for 5 minutes.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, the Bush administration's allies in this Congress are making another truly astounding foreign policy blunder, one that jeopardizes decades of painstaking effort toward peacemaking in the Middle East. Bush allies are proposing to sever our established U.S. military relationship with Egypt at a time when diplomatic ties in the region are more vital than ever.

At great sacrifice, Egypt has forged a leadership role in the region and remains committed to peace and progress. Yet rather than stemming terrorism, Bush congressional allies are doing, with their retrograde proposal, just what they did with Iraq: Miscalculating, failing to shape robust diplomatic initiatives, and setting the region up for more terrorism, more bloodletting, and more instability. They want to act tough first rather than smart first.

They are hastening more instability as antagonism to the United States grows. Does anybody in the White House recognize that Middle East terrorism is going up, not down? Does anybody notice that polls across the Middle East show a majority of Arabs are now opposed to U.S. policy?

Zogby International polls indicate that Arab public attitudes towards the United States are declining. And according to the Pew Research Center, solid majorities in many predominantly Muslim countries surveyed still express unfavorable views of the United States.

At a time like this, cutting foreign military assistance to a strong ally risks a vital blow to our relationship with this most populous Arab nation and friend in the region. Ultimately, our troops cannot win militarily when the Iraqi war is being lost politically and diplomatically across that region.

The Bush administration's allies in this House are truly ill-advised and ill-timed to sever America's 25-year military commitment with Egypt. Let us remember it was Egypt's valiant President Anwar Sadat who in 1979 stood shoulder to shoulder in peace efforts with President Jimmy Carter and President Menachem Begin of Israel on the White House lawn. I was there as a witness to that majestic day when the most important peace accord of that era was signed, the Camp David Accords.

Yes, Egypt's President walked toward peace, and a few months later was assassinated for his vision. We should honor and remember that sacrifice.

Egypt is the most populous Arab nation and the most influential in the region, strategically positioned adjacent to the Suez Canal on the borders of Gaza, Israel, Libya and Sudan. Egypt is the nation that has sent 750 troops to safeguard the Gaza withdrawal of Israelis to begin historic resettlement of Palestinians.

The Bush allies are not only dead wrong but absolutely wrong; wrong historically, wrong diplomatically, dangerously wrong. Egypt has been a strong ally to the United States and the Middle East for 25 years. Egypt has provided support in the Middle East peace process. The peace between Egypt and Israel is a template for which peace between Israel and other Arab countries can be achieved.

Egypt provided troops and facilitated transportation in the region during Desert Storm, and they continue to provide support in Iraq and Afghanistan today. They stand ready and willing to provide needed training for Afghan and Iraqi troops to aid in the stabilization of those countries at no cost, though neither country has taken them up on this offer yet.

And Egypt has facilitated diplomatic relations among Arab governments and the Iraqi interim government. Not only are they a politically strategic ally; they are also an important economic ally. U.S.-Egypt trade totals almost $4.5 billion, and last year we had a trade surplus with that country of $1.8 billion. Funds that we offer in aid to Egypt come back to this country in trade.

Former President Anwar Sadat had the ultimate vision and courage in 1979. He knew peace required courage. It requires international cooperation as well and mutual support. He understood peace assures human progress, and he gave peace a chance.

Let us not be unwise and turn our back on America's military relationship with Egypt, an alliance he helped establish, an alliance that has endured, an alliance that has broadened, an alliance that has made peace across that region possible. Possible in our time.

I would hope that the President's allies in this Congress would remove the proposal they have on the table to sever our foreign military assistance and our relationship with Egypt. It could not be more wrong and more poorly timed.

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