Al Monitor quotes Rafik Hariri Center Resident Senior Fellow Amy Hawthorne on the foreign aid bill that provides for a gradual weakening of human rights restrictions on aid to Egypt:
The new bill calls on the State Department to report every ninety days on steps Egypt has taken to “hold parliamentary elections; protect and advance the rights of women and religious minorities; implement laws or policies to govern democratically, protect the rights of individuals, and uphold due process of law; implement reforms that protect freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly, including the ability of civil society organizations and the media to function without interference; and improve the transparency and accountability of security forces.” The bill allows those reports to be classified, further raising concerns among human rights advocates.
The certifications “are gone, replaced by a report that oddly can be submitted in classified fashion,” said Amy Hawthorne of the Atlantic Council. “Overall this is of course a weakening.”