Hiram Reisner
Newsmax.com
07 Feb 2012
Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton says the situation in Egypt, where authorities announced Monday 19 Americans and 24 other employees of nonprofit groups will be tried on accusations they illegally used foreign funds to foment unrest in the country, is “approaching a kind of hostage crisis.” Bolton also told Fox News the Obama administration is doing “precious little” to resolve the predicament.
“They have now made it plain they will charge them — I wouldn’t place any money on the odds of a fair trial in Egypt. I certainly wouldn’t want to see them in an Egyptian jail,” Bolton told Fox’s Greta Van Susteren. “So I think the situation is approaching a kind of hostage crisis here. And from all that we can see behind the scenes — which is where the activity should be — the administration has done precious little to protect these Americans.
“I think the fact is that the government of Egypt — and it’s not just the military here — I think you have to take into account the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated parliament sees a weak, indecisive president,” he said. “This is a way to make political points in the Egyptian context. And they are apparently not afraid of what the U.S. reaction will be — that is a prescription for bad news.”
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The background story: Egypt moves to put 19 Americans on trial
Ignoring a U.S. threat to cut off aid, Egypt has referred 19 Americans and 24 other employees of nonprofit groups to trial before a criminal court on accusations they illegally used foreign funds to foment unrest in the country.
Egypt’s military rulers had already deeply strained ties with Washington with their crackdown on U.S.-funded groups promoting democracy and human rights and accused of stirring up violence in the aftermath of the uprising a year ago that ousted President Hosni Mubarak. The Sunday decision to send 43 workers from the various groups to trials marks a sharp escalation in the dispute…
Update: Egypt to end crisis over American NGO employees?
