Kerry visits Egypt as its repression grows

By Carol Morello August 2

CAIRO — Secretary of State John F. Kerry on Sunday told Egyptian officials they need to “balance” their campaign against anti-
government militants by easing up on repressive measures imposed on the press, charitable organizations and peaceful protesters.

“It is important to distinguish between those who use violence to achieve their ends and others who seek peacefully to participate in a political dialogue, even if what they say may sometimes make people uncomfortable,” Kerry said as he sat beside Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry during a news conference at the Foreign Ministry building on the banks of the Nile River.

Kerry’s pointed remarks reflected the tension over human rights issues that hung over the one-day Strategic Dialogue, the first held between the two countries since 2009. The United States had pulled back from much of its engagement with Egypt after the military deposed the elected president, Mohamed Morsi of the Egyptian Brotherhood, and instituted a wide-ranging crackdown on civil society.

But U.S. officials have grown alarmed over a surge in anti-
government attacks by militants linked to the Islamic State, particularly in the Sinai, an important buffer for Israel and Egypt.

Though the Egyptian press carries many accounts of army victories against the Province of Sinai, as the militants now call themselves, Egyptians familiar with the situation on the ground say that reflects government pressure on journalists to play down setbacks. They say soldiers and policemen are being attacked regularly and, more often than is officially acknowledged, they are overrun by the militants.

The deteriorating situation in the Sinai led the United States to restore military aid in 2013 and to take part in a Strategic Dialogue again. Underscoring the U.S. commitment to Egypt, eight F-16s were delivered Friday, the day before Kerry arrived.

Kerry said the United States and Egypt were “moving back to a stronger base of our relationship,” characterized by increasing economic and military cooperation that will help the Egyptians to fight terrorism.

He said the United States will assist Egypt in fortifying its borders, particularly with neighboring Libya, from which militants affiliated with the Islamic State have infiltrated the country. He said the United States also will take part in more training exercises with the Egyptian military. Among them is Operation Bright Star, a series of biennial joint exercises that were suspended during the 2011 Egyptian revolution and again in 2013 after police raided encampments of pro-Morsi demonstrators.

Kerry alluded to the awkwardness of the alliance, saying, “Obviously there has been a little bit of tension here and there over certain issues.”

In remarks to reporters, Kerry repeatedly sought to intertwine human rights issues with security issues. He suggested that the government crackdown was driving civilians into the ranks of militants. He urged Egypt to pursue police reforms, protections for nongovernmental organizations and a free press, and safeguards for human rights.

“The success of our fight depends on building trust between the authorities and the public,” he said.

“This is always true in every country, and it’s never easy. If that possibility does not exist, more misguided people can sometimes be driven to violence, and there will be more attacks.”

However, it is clear that Egyptian authorities maintain a vastly different view of the more than 40,000 people who have been arrested in the two years since the military seized power. Some have been secular, pro-democracy protesters; some are journalists; and others have been accused of links to the Muslim Brotherhood, which the Egyptian government has labeled a terrorist group.

Shoukry said the journalists are in prison for colluding with terrorists, not for their reporting.

“They are all in a state of due process by judicially competent authorities, and they are afforded all forms of defense to deal with these accusations,” he said. “None of the journalists is held on the basis of any expression they have made or in relation to their profession as journalists.”

Meanwhile, an Egyptian court on Sunday postponed announcing a verdict in the case of three Al Jazeera English journalists detained in December 2013 while working for the Doha-based network. They are accused of having ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Shoukry was dismissive of concerns over the imprisoned protesters, citing national security.

“Any country regulates demonstrations as it deems appropriate to preserving the security and stability of its people,” he said.

In the week before Kerry’s trip, bipartisan groups of senators, academics and human rights advocates wrote letters urging that he make concerns about government repression a central focus of the talks with Egypt. Kerry insisted he has raised human rights concerns repeatedly with his counterpart. He said Egypt is facing a “challenge” making the sometimes-difficult choice of protecting rights or pushing back against terrorism.

Kerry characterized Egypt’s situation as “fragile,” citing a car bomb that killed Egypt’s prosecutor general in June and another car bomb that flattened the Italian Consulate in Cairo last month. He expressed sympathy for the authorities’ dilemma in combating the Islamic State, also known by its Arabic acronym, Daesh.

“Are there things I think they could do further? Yes,” he said. “Have we laid them out? Yes. Will we continue to do so? Yes. But they need to do so simultaneously while fighting a pernicious enemy called Daesh.”

Why human rights abuses may not top the secretary of state’s agenda in Egypt

Militants launch major assault in Egypt’s Sinai

Egypt’s timid press lashes out at harsh measures aimed at media, journalists