Call Egypt’s Coup a Coup
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July 8 (Bloomberg) -- Who ousted Mohamed Mursi? It turnsout that the future of Egypt -- and perhaps of regional peace --depends on whether removing a president after popular protestscounts as a military coup or not.
The Foreign Assistance Act requires the suspension of allU.S. aid to a country when the “duly elected head of governmentis deposed by military act or decree” -- no exceptions unless ademocratic election is later held. If President Barack Obamawants to continue $1.55 billion in annual aid to Egypt, hislawyers will have to do some fancy legal footwork to explain whyhe gets to ignore a law designed precisely to deter an army fromdoing what Egypt’s did.