In an interview with Telemundo, President Obama said that he did not consider Egypt an ally or an enemy. He may want to confirm that with the State Department, which still appears to have Egypt designated as a major non-NATO ally (MMNA). That designation gives it special status under the Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act:
The following countries have been designated as major non-NATO allies: Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Republic of Korea. Taiwan shall be treated as though it were designated a major non-NATO ally (as defined in section 644(q) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2403(q)).
If Egypt is not an ally, can Obama explain why the U.S. continues to support the country via military cooperation and foreign aid? And can he also explain when exactly Egypt dropped from “ally” status? As recently as March 23, White House spokesman Jay Carney referred to the country as “an important ally in the region” during a press briefing. When was the severing point? Before or after Morsi’s election?
UPDATE: Josh Rogin spoke to National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor, who slammed critics for “reading way too much into” Obama’s comments, and said Egypt’s status as a Major Non-NATO Ally hasn’t been changed:
White House spokesman Tommy Vietor told The Cable Thursday that the administration is not signaling a change in that status.
“I think folks are reading way too much into this,” Vietor said. “‘Ally’ is a legal term of art. We don’t have a mutual defense treaty with Egypt like we do with our NATO allies. But as the president has said, Egypt is longstanding and close partner of the United States, and we have built on that foundation by supporting Egypt’s transition to democracy and working with the new government.”
That doesn’t exactly clarify the situation.
Maybe it stopped being an ally the moment US Embassies stopped representing the Administration in their official statements?
Goodness gracious, the president can't identify our allies? Well, this explains Mr. Obama's treatment of Israel. After all, Israel is in that same list of major non-NATO allies. n nSomeone should ask the president just who are America's allies, why they are so, and what being an ally means to the United States and to each of those countries.
Hey, our State Department can't even identify the capital of Israel. But here's an easy way for the rest of us to tell allies from non-allies. If they vote against us in the UN, abuse poltiical dissenters, women, and religious minorities (especially Jews and Christians) and have a corrupt government and a corrupt legal system, and if Obama falls all over himself aplogizing to them, flattering them, and apoligizing to them for our culture, constitution and legal system, they are probably not an ally. If they are democracies, have a reasonably functional government and court system, guaranty equal rights at law and in fact, and generally support us in the UN, and Obama goes out of his way to insult them and undercut them, they are probably an ally.
"Someone should ask the president just who are America's allies, why they are so, and what being an ally means to the United States and to each of those countries. " n nGood question. Not really appropriate, however, to ask the Lightworker a question whose very premise is a test to make sure he is not an incompetent boob or Manchurian candidate.
Ostinka is a dangerous non-Ally. We're going down the drain if November 6th goes badly. Thanks in large part to our Free-To-Be-No-Damn-Good press.
No confusion at all. Obama is right not to designate the new government of Egypt an ally. That’s yet to be demonstrated. But it’s also wise not to cut aid; Egypt is too important.
You want he should have called them an ally, the day after an Egyptian mob raised the Al-Qaeda flag over our embassy? This is the perfect time and the perfect question for mealy-mouthed mush. n nThere are many criticisms of President Obama and his Egypt policies, recent and long-standing. This is one of the weakest.
Obama's freudian slip reveals that with the Moslem Brotherhood take over of Egypt (inadvertently facilitated by him) there is now doubt about its being an ally of the U.S. This has major implications.
I'm not at all certain of the characterization "inadvertently". Maybe more accurate to just drop that one word.
No confusion at all. Under its new government, Egypt has yet to demonstrate that it's an ally. But Egypt is too important to cut off aid and turn our back on until it demonstrates that it's an enemy. If Romney doesn't agree, he should call for withholding aid, but don't hold your breath.
Your logical response is like cyanide to this bunch.
It's quite an odd response given how hard Obama pushed for this government to arise and be successful. If anything, US allies should be on alert that no matter what the US says or does or helps you with, the jury is always out until Obama says otherwise and to hell with actual US statutes.
US allies should be on alert that no matter what the US says or doesSo true,I remember South Vietnam in 1975
Actually, it's refreshing to see anything resembling logic from the guy who claimed that Bibi is once more trying to push the US into war, yet has not been able to point to any wars that Bibi or any other Israeli leader has pushed the US into in the past. n nBut something can be logical even if based on false assumptions. Egypt's human rights has gotten even worse now than under Mubarak, as has its anti-American rethoric and its threats to rip up a peace treaty with a US ally, and its active violations of that treaty. It is ruled by a terrorist organization called Muslim Brotherhood whose other offshoots have attacked the US in the past. It has facilitated and perhaps encouraged attacks on the US embassy, in violation of international law. What will it take for it not to be an ally?
What will it take for it not to be an ally?A decision by Romney and the Republican controlled congress in 2013. All he/they have to do is win.
That's a rather sad commentary on the foreign policy of the current POTUS. Quite possibly accurate, but sad nonetheless.
Of course, if Romney DOES call for that, you and your buddies will attack him for disagreeing with Obama, but you will word the attacks as though he were playing politics with foreign policy rather than advocationg a legitimate point of view.
It's the 2008 campaign. The phone rings, it's 3AM. Obama lets it go to voicemail.
'You've reached the White House. President Obama can't take your call right now, but rest assured he is sorry for any misfortune and anger that has arisen as a result of United States policies that were put into place by President Bush or prior administrations, and if you leave a detailed message, the President will look into talking about changing them as soon as he's done with the 18th hole. Thank you for your call. n nPress 3 to be directed to Obama/Biden 2012 campaign headquarters if you would like to contribute $3.00 to the Obama campaign and win a chance to have dinner with the Preezy of the United Steezy.' n n
Let's see. Romney condemned the storming of our embassy and the comment by an embassy official … which they reaffirmed twice. Obama did the same thing hours later before he took off on another campaign trip. Obama says Egypt is neither an ally nor an enemy. His State Department spokesman says Obama is wrong … Egypt is an ally. Explain again why Romney is is being castigated in the press as the incompetent?
Maybe Obama should check and see who our allies are before sending them 2 billion
The REPLY button is not displaying for rexford’s comment “What will it take for it not to be an ally?A decision by Romney and the Republican controlled congress in 2013. All he/they have to do is win.”
But if he is right (and I fear he may be) that nothing else would do, it is a sad commentary on what the US has come to, and how low the administration is willing to sink.
So, basically the State Department had said that the so-called "president" is a liar or a moron, possibly both? And here I didn't think all that much about the folks at State.