Late last month, the U.S. State Department announced it would withhold $195 million in military aid to Egypt, along with taking away another $96 million in additional aid. The U.S. attributed the move to an Egyptian law passed to restrict the actions of NGOs. The decision frosted what were somewhat cozy relations between Cairo and Washington. During a meeting in May, President Donald Trump called Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, a “fantastic guy.” Mr. Trump added Sisi has “done a tremendous job under trying circumstance.”
On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate’s foreign aid spending panel voted to cut $300 million in military aid to Egypt over the country’s human rights record. We’ll talk with Sarah Margon, Washington director at Human Rights Watch, to get her opinions on President Trump’s human rights record. She’ll also talk about U.S. policy towards Kenya after that country’s recent controversial presidential election and how the Trump administration is dealing with Iraq and other parts of the world.