U.S. Senators Going to Egypt Amid Dispute Over American Workers

[Purveyor]

By Roxana Tiron

Feb. 8 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Senator John McCain said he’ll be among a group of senators traveling to Egypt as early as next week amid a dispute over charges against American pro-democracy workers.

McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told reporters yesterday that the visit will include discussions about U.S. military aid to Egypt.

Obama administration officials and lawmakers have criticized Egypt’s plans to prosecute 43 people associated with non-governmental organizations, including U.S. citizens. The dispute has strained ties between the U.S. and Egyptian military leaders over the pace of the country’s transition to democracy and raised questions about the future of U.S. aid to Egypt.

U.S. General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will continue to press the case of the Americans during a separate, previously planned visit to Egypt later this week, a U.S. military official said.

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http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-02-08/u-s-senators-going-to-egypt-amid-dispute-over-american-workers.html

[pinto]

1. I hope there's some clear coordination between Congress and the Administration on this trip.

Always leery of these Congressional forays in the foreign policy field. I see their legitimate role in regards to the purse strings of foreign aid - that's a Congressional function. Yet stepping into a tinder box of foreign policy situations requires some Pennsylvania Avenue consultation, imo. Hope that has been done.