Anne Patterson: Pursuing Egypt’s NGOs Halted $40 mln US Aids

The US Ambassador to Cairo, Anne Patterson, has revealed that the $ 40 million US aids to Egypt, which were supposed to support democracy and develop the civil society, suspended after pursuing a number of NGOs and arresting some of their members.

Patterson, replying to “Amwal Al Ghad” question about the future plans of the US government to reach stability after spending $ 40 million, said this sum was supposed to be oriented to the non-governmental organizations and the political parties as well in order to consolidate the democratic transition in the state and to train the people on the political participation; pointing out that that sum wasn’t oriented to the citizens in the street.

The ambassador added that some economic organizations and bodies are also supported by the US government, not only the political ones.

These statements came during the US Ambassador’s meeting with some economic newspapers today. It is worth mentioning that Anne Patterson announced before the United States Senate about allocating $ 40 million to support the democracy in Egypt since the revolution in 2011.

At the beginning of 2012, the Egyptian government arrested 43 Egyptian and foreigner defendants, members of NGOs in Egypt, over the accusations of establishing civil organizations without licenses.