Trials began in Egypt on Sunday of 48 Muslims and Christians charged with "deadly sectarian clashes" in Cairo, specifically the Imbaba district in May.  Security forces surrounded the area to keep control of the families of the defendants, who were protesting outside the courthouse.  So far, 28 defendants have come forward for their trials and authorities are still waiting for 20.  The 28 defendants pleaded not guilty to various charges ...

Robert Satloff, executive director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, analyzed the confirmation today by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that the U.S. was having "limited contact" with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. Satloff commented that this is not new news, because U.S. officials have engaged with this group in the recent past, although on different terms. However, the trust of his comments were about what he felt was a ...

At a press conference held at the Hungarian National Assembly, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addressed questions about the Obama Administration's contact with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.  Clinton said that the Obama Administration is continuing limited contact with the Muslim Brotherhood "that has existed on and off for about five or six years."  According to Clinton, it is in the interest of the United States to engage with peaceful and nonviolent parties ...

Elections in Egypt are planned for September, however, many fear that there has been a lack of preparation for the elections, which would ultimately question the election's legitimacy.  Concerns have increased because no election law has been implemented and an electoral system with districts drawn out have not been announced either.  In addition, there has been no specific date set. As debates continue on whether Egypt should postpone the elections, police ...

An Administrative Court in Cairo ordered the dissolution of local municipal councils elected under former President Hosni Mubarak. The dissolution of the councils was a major demand of the pro-democracy groups. Elections for these councils must take place within 60 days. Meanwhile, Steven Cook from the Council on Foreign Relations briefly described the overall confusion and lack of information surrounding the Egyptian elections. He also wrote about the polarized political ...

U.S. and Egyptian business leaders from both the private and public sector gathered today for the U.S. Trade and Development Egypt: Forward Forum, Executive Roundtable sponsored by the U.S. State Department.  "The United States is working to ensure the revolution delivers on its promise, and we stand ready to support Egypt as it liberalizes not only its political system, but its economy as well," said Jose W. Fernandez, assistant secretary ...

During their visit to Egypt, Senators John Kerry and John McCain led delegations of elected officials and business leaders, which included Field Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantawi and Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, and chief executives of U.S. companies including, General Electric.  Kerry said that the U.S. will ensure that all foreign aid to Egypt would be well spent similar to World Bank and IMF.  Both McCain and Kerry also said that ...

According to Secretary General of Amnesty International, Salil Shetty, called on Egyptian authorities, including the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) to support the people by abolishing repressive laws, and to use the post-Mubarak period to reform and earn back the trust of the people.  After a week long visit to Egypt, Shetty said it was important for authorities to lift laws that focused on banning strikes and the ...

Eric Trager from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy authored an assessment of the ongoing political maneuverings in Egypt. He noted the June 21 meeting of the National Democratic Alliance for Egypt, in which 14 smaller political parties joined with the co-founding Freedom and Justice Party and the Wafd Party. Trager believes this alliance is unsustainable but by its existence indicates two disturbing trends. (1) It appears the Alliance ...

On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held a nomination hearing for five ambassadors to the Middle East and Central Asia. The first of the hearing’s two panels featured the Honorable Anne W. Patterson, to be Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt. The second panel featured Michael H. Corbin, to be Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Matthew H. Tueller, to be Ambassador to the State of Kuwait, ...

On June 13, Deborah A. McCarthy, the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs, spoke about the United States' commitment to engaging with partners and allies in the Middle East. According to McCarthy, the U.S. has taken numerous steps to help the region, including providing financial support to stabilize Egypt and Tunisia's economies.  In addition, the U.S. is also working with parliament to create enterprise ...

Young Muslim Brotherhood members announced on Tuesday that they were forming their own political party separate from the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party.  The formation of the party illustrates the division among members of the Muslim Brotherhood.  The "Egyptian Current Party" refers to the Arab Islamic civilization and is "distinguished by its civil and democratic nature. Morals, values and religious principles play a role in regulating its performance."  The party ...

Egypt's Prime Minister Essam Sharaf named Ambassador Mohamed Orabi as acting foreign minister. Orabi was the deputy foreign minister for economic affairs and will succeed Dr. Nabil El-Arabi, who will instead be serving as secretary general of the Arab League. Throughout the last few days, speculation focused on Fayza Aboul-Naga, who is currently the minister of planning and international cooperation, as Egypt's new foreign minister.  However,  Aboul-Naga declined the job because she ...

On Wednesday, the American Islamic Congress and the Middle East Program of the Woodrow Wilson Center hosted a discussion entitled “Revolution and Women’s Rights: The Case of Egypt.”  Haleh Esfandiari, Director of the Middle East Program for the Woodrow Wilson Center, moderated the event.  The panelists included Zainab al-Suwaij, Executive Director, American Islamic Congress; Manar Mohsen, student, journalist, and human rights activist;Amany el-Tunsy, founder of Banat wi Bas (Girls Only) radio station in Egypt, ...

The role of the Egyptian military is undergoing a transitional phase with no definite settlement over the military's future in politics. Egyptian presidential candidate, Mohamed ElBaradei proposed constitutional principles on Wednesday that stated no political role for the military. His proposed bill of rights stated, "the armed forces are the shield of the people and protector of national sovereignty, which defend the independence and integrity of the nation against external ...

An article published in the Wall Street Journal today reports that over the past few months, the Egyptian government has expressed complaints about U.S. plans to fund the democratic transition, and Egyptian officials have encouraged NGOs not to accept U.S. funding. For example, Egyptian officials responded negatively to USAID efforts this spring to provide direct grants to individuals and organizations to foster democratic development, rather than gain approval for projects from ...

Yesterday, the Muslim Brotherhood announced that its Freedom and Justice Party has formed a coalition with the Wafd Party, one of the oldest liberal parties, for the upcoming parliamentary elections. The announcement surprised some, as the two parties have had a longstanding rivalry. Essam el-Erian, vice president of the Freedom and Justice Party, predicted that the coalition "will dictate the electoral outcome,” and urged other parties to join.  He said "we want a parliament ...

For the first time in history, the Political Parties' Affairs Committee approved the establishment of Egypt's Salafi political party, called the Nour Party on Sunday. This is the third party with an "Islamic reference" that has been recognized by the Parties Affairs Committee since the fall of Hosni Mubarak. Members include youth from Alexandria, Copts and women.