The US says Egypt’s human rights picture hasn’t improved, but it’s withholding less aid regardless

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration will withhold less military aid from Egypt over its human rights abuses this year. Administration officials said Thursday that decision comes despite determining that the Egyptian government had made no progress or lost ground on arbitrary detentions and other abuses. Administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record, cited what they said were overriding U.S. national security interests. Rights groups and some congressional Democrats had urged the Biden administration to take a hard line against Egypt on human rights. Some other lawmakers agree strategic interests should be prioritized.