Obama Denouncing Egypt Unrest Has Reasons to Maintain Aid

While thousands of American soldiers won’t go to Egypt next month for military exercises, President Barack Obama left intact the centerpiece of U.S.-Egypt military cooperation -- $1.3 billion a year in military aid.

Obama didn’t mention U.S. aid yesterday when he condemned the violent crackdown by Egypt’s interim government and announced the cancellation of the “Bright Star” joint military exercise. He alluded to it when he said his national security team will assess “further steps that we may take as necessary.”