Some EU Members Call for Freezing of Foreign Aid to Egypt Ahead of Emergency Meeting

Credit: Globovisión / Foter / CC BY-NCCredit: Globovisión / Foter / CC BY-NCDiplomats from the European Union are
scheduled to meet for an emergency meeting in Brussels on
Monday to discuss how to respond to the ongoing situation in
Egypt.


Unlike the Obama administration
, some European members have
suggested freezing foreign aid to Egypt.

From the BBC:

EU diplomats will hold an emergency meeting in Brussels on
Monday to discuss their response to the bloody crackdown in
Egypt.

Some EU states have suggested formally freezing European aid to
Egypt.

There would also be the possibility of imposing sanctions
against members of the interim government or military.

“Nothing is off the table,” said one source, though no formal
decisions will be taken yet. Gulf Arab aid to Egypt dwarfs the EU’s
assistance.

It is thought likely Monday’s talks could lead to a full
gathering of EU foreign ministers on the Egypt crisis.

Denmark has already announced that it is suspending two projects
it is currently working on with the Egyptian government and public
institutions.

Since Egyptian security forces stormed protest camps set up by
pro-Morsi demonstrators earlier this week over 600 people have been
killed and thousands have been injured. The Egyptian interim
government, which has been widely criticized because of the
crackdown, is only in power thanks to the military, which overthrew
Morsi last month in a move that the Obama administration has
refused to call a coup. In fact, Secretary of State John Kerry said
a few weeks ago that he thinks that the military
acted to restore democracy
when they removed Morsi from power.
Given that yesterday Obama was only willing to announce the
cancellation of a joint-military exercise with Egypt and call for
the end of the state of emergency imposed by the interim government
in response to the recent violence the generals in Cairo would be
right to be more worried about losing aid from the E.U. than the
U.S.