BALI, Indonesia — The Obama administration is expected to announce curbs on most nonessential military aid to Egypt within a few days, a U.S. official says, marking a stunning turnaround for U.S. relations with one of its key Arab allies.
The official would not provide details or figures about the aid to be suspended, but the action is likely to cover most of the $1.2 billion in military assistance to Egypt.
The move comes more than three months after a coup that toppled former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, and after repeated attempts by Washington to get firmer commitments from the interim military government about a calendar to move toward elections and a return to civilian rule. U.S. law forbids most aid to countries whose elected governments are overthrown by a military coup. Exceptions include money deemed in the U.S. national security interest, such as counterterrorism assistance.
