Egypt lays out evidence against held Americans
February 8, 2012 2:15 PM
Egypt lays out evidence against held Americans
(CBS/AP) CAIRO - Egyptian judges say the evidence collected in the case against 19 Americans referred to court for their alleged involvement in banned political activity through nonprofit groups includes maps, cash and videos taken of churches and military facilities.
Egypt's crackdown on pro-democracy and rights groups has soured relations between Cairo and Washington, which has warned Egypt that it could cut some $1.5 billion in aid over the dispute.
Sameh Abu-Zeid, one of two judges investigating the case, for the first time outlined for reporters Wednesday the evidence authorities have collected in the investigation.
The comments echoed allegations repeatedly made by Egypt's ruling military council that "foreign hands" are plotting unrest in Egypt.
More:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57373414/egypt-lays-out-evidence-against-held-americans/
leveymg
(36,418 posts)This shift has received astonishingly little public debate or discussion, even among Democrats and progressives. It's almost as if any regime change, terrorism or clandestine destabilization campaign -- if carried out under this Administration -- most would rather ignore or simply deny US involvement or that it might have serious blowback or repercussions for US interests around the world.
This is without regard to the the merits of specific charges made against these individuals. There does seem to have been a spike in US covert activities and involvement in various political and opposition activities throughout the region.
riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)in any of these things even though our entire history as a nation is littered with our meddling in regime change from South and Central America to the ME and beyond. Too many to list really.
If you tell them that there's no way we aren't involved there, they want "proof". Well, Egypts going to lay some out for the world to see - perhaps that will persuade our reluctant DUers... (probably not).
GeorgeGist
(25,323 posts)that although evidence was outlined to reporters, CBS chose not to reveal what the reporters were told.
leveymg
(36,418 posts)the same US organizations in anti-Chavez opposition activities surrounding the coup attempts there.
There seems to be little detail in the western reporting in the Egyptian charges. The most in-depth report I found in a quick look around is this from today's WSJ: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203315804577211192264939270.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
"It is our view that these people have not done anything wrong, that they have been endeavoring to demonstrate that by cooperating with judicial authorities," said Ms. Nuland. "Even in the Mubarak times, we wanted to have these groups register, and they have been denied registration. So from that perspective, there is something more going on here than a purely judicial process."
American NGO workers in Egypt, six of whom prosecutors have banned from leaving the country, said they used the maps to plan monitoring missions during parliamentary elections late last year. One foreign NGO had also sought help from a local organization to launch a Web page listing the number and locations of churches, as well as identifying army deployments and installations throughout the country, the judges said. Judge Abu Zeid said the website plans pointed to political activities outside the NGOs' mandate.
This from BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16896018
They are accused of "setting up branches of international organisations in Egypt without a license from the Egyptian government" and of "receiving illegal foreign funding," AFP news agency reports.
Barricade erected by protesters facing riot police near Cairo's Tahrir Square on 5 February 2012 Egypt's ruling military has been criticised for its handling of the protests
The son of US Transport Secretary Ray LaHood is believed to be among those facing criminal charges. Sam LaHood heads the Egyptian office of the International Republican Institute (IRI) and was among several foreign workers banned from leaving Egypt just over a week ago.
The IRI and the National Democratic Institute (NDI), loosely associated with the US Republican and Democratic parties, were among 17 US-based and local foreign-funded groups whose offices were raided by prosecutors in late December. Egyptian prosecutors said at the time they were acting on evidence suggesting some groups were violating Egyptian laws, including by not having permits.
maddezmom
(135,060 posts)By Ernesto Londoño, Updated: Wednesday, February 8, 3:40 PM
CAIRO Egypts prime minister said Wednesday that the government would not drop a criminal probe into U.S.-funded pro-democracy organizations, and officials said the Egyptians and Americans charged in the case could face up to five years in prison.
The remarks by the investigative judges handling the case the most detailed characterization of the governments case against the pro-democracy workers to date did not suggest that authorities had uncovered nefarious or subversive activities.
Rather, the judges, who in Egypts judicial system serve as the American equivalent of prosecutors, accused the NGO workers of failing to pay taxes, entering the country on tourist visas and training political parties even though the Egyptian government had refused to accredit their employers.
The case is very big and includes hundreds of people, organizations and entities, Judge Sameh Abu Zaid said Wednesday afternoon during a press conference at the Justice Ministry. He warned that more NGOs could be raided in coming days as the probe expands.
more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/ngo-workers-could-face-5-years-in-prison-egyptian-judges-say/2012/02/08/gIQApypyyQ_story.html
Actlin
(1 post)Statement By Senators McCain, Lieberman and Ayotte On The Situation In Egypt
http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?ContentRecord_id=5a3f0db4-0d3d-f030-8193-5b00c9a75f59&FuseAction=PressOffice.PressReleases
Wonder now, what else those (sorry, but I srsly think so) idiots have been expecting from the Islamizes they themselves have pushed up into the power in Egypt?? Are they still waiting to see any true democracy accession there or what?? As fact, all their efforts are simply backfiring on them now. At first theyve wasted loads of money to hold all those "peacemaking" ops in the same Egypt... now make the joint statements of alike.... That actually makes my grandma cry.... I hope the same McCain now is seriously tormented by an irresistible willing to go back in the past and to give there a bloody punch for his own lousy head...