Arab Reform Bulletin: Shifts in U.S. Assistance to Egypt Alarm Democracy Advocates

Stephen McInerney, POMED’s Director of Advocacy, published an essay in the Arab Reform Bulletin about budding concerns among democracy activists for the Obama administration’s approach to political reform and human rights in the Middle East, and specifically, in Egypt. Using Obama’s budget request for fiscal year 2011 as an indicator, McInerney notes that bilateral funding for democracy and governance programming has dropped significantly from the previous year. The one noticeable area for increased funding – for programs linked to the historically obstructionist Egyptian government – will not produce any substantive changes. In fact, the opposite is true: ”the less the Egyptian government is involved with democracy and governance programming, the greater the opportunity for such programming to succeed.” He thus concludes: “the signals the Obama administration is sending will continue to alarm supporters of Egyptian democracy who are hoping for U.S. support.”