Thus far, the Obama administration has been careful–and fairly quiet–about its response to events unfolding in Egypt.
The White House has tried to justify its slow reaction, and the administration has been cautious on whether the military takeover should be officially deemed a “coup.”
That designation could jeopardize the $1.3 billion in non-humanitarian aid the United States currently gives to Egypt every year. Under federal law, the U.S. cannot supply non-humanitarian aid to any government installed by a coup.
Connected to the question of what policy steps America should take next is the question of what–if anything–the United States could have done differently to forestall the current turmoil in the first place.
Daniel Kurtzer, former U.S. Ambassador to Egypt and professor of Middle East Policy Studies at Princeton University, joins The Takeaway to discuss the current crisis and his predictions for the future.
Stay updated on the latest from The Takeaway–become a Facebook fan & follow us on Twitter!
The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.