The NYT had a good piece this morning about the fracturing of the powers that be in Egypt. As a reader of this blog noted, while SCAF likes to portray itself as all-powerful (and Western media tends to oblige), in reality Egyptian politicians are competing against each other in the newly opened political climate.
Fayza abdul Naga, minister of planning and international cooperation, is leading the charge against foreign-funded democracy organizations. Tensions between Egypt and the United States spiked after various international and local organizations were raided in December 2011. Forty three individuals have been slapped with travel bans, nineteen of which are Americans. Washington has urged Cairo in vain to rescind the travel bans. Various US politicians have threatened to cut US military aid, amounting to $1.3 billion annually, if the situation is not resolved.
Three Americans have sought refuge at the US embassy in Cairo, including the son of US Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. They will be prosecuted for alleged licensing irregularities.
Politicians and generals have long accused "foreign hands" of being behind the unrest, and this weekend some reiterated the claim in justifying the crackdown on NGOs.
After a visit by General Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, SCAF chief Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi publicly urged "the importance of maintaining the established relationships between the US and Egypt, and strengthening them." He also held a cabinet meeting--of which Naga is a member--urging ministers to "strike a balance" in public statements.
Naga, a long time politician, bureaucrat, and holdovers from Mubarak's rule, blatantly disregarded the SCAF chief's pleas, escalating her rhetoric this weekend. As a holdover from Mubarak, her position is obviously tenuous as her old colleagues are purged and even brought to trial. US funding is an issue that just about unites Egyptians (in opposition to the US). It's emotional, complex, and a bit understandable. She once called it humiliating.
Drumming this issue may make her untouchable. Perhaps even more, as the NYT notes, it may even make her electable.
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