Despite scathing criticism from human rights groups regarding the increasing level of state repression against domestic opposition in Egypt, the Obama administration is now seeking to roll back human rights conditions on foreign aid to Egypt. During the Congressional budget hearing earlier this week, Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged the dire human rights situation in Egypt. “There are disturbing arrests, there are disturbing sentences,” said Kerry while simultaneously describing the situation as “complex.” The Secretary defended the US position of waiving the human rights conditions on foreign aid by pointing to Egypt’s strategic significance to the US as well as the country’s deteriorating security situation and the rivalry between various global actors to exert influence in Egypt. “We’ve got a huge interest in making sure that Egypt doesn’t go down into a more difficult status than it is,” said Kerry. “There is a major challenge of extremism, bombs that have been going off in Cairo, bombs that have gone off in Sharm el-Sheikh, different challenges.” If the proposal to formally omit the human rights condition is adopted it would end a Congressional restriction stipulating that “15 percent of aid…
