The Egyptian daily Al-Masryoon reports that the U.S. Embassy in Cairo intends to launch a two-phase program to strengthen the status of human rights organizations in Egypt.
During the first stage, support will be given to liberal-leaning social organizations that are not identified with the left or with the Nasserites, and during the second, the organizations will receive training in the U.S. and Egypt to create a cadre capable of spreading liberal political and economic ideas.
U.S. Ambassador to Cairo Margaret Scobey has asked the U.S. administration to allocate $25 million of the U.S.'s aid to Egypt for distribution to the human rights organizations in order to create a liberal lobby in Egypt.
In an interview, Scobey told the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram that the U.S. was not interested in interfering in Egypt's internal affairs.
Sources: Al-Masryoon, Egypt, August 25, 2008; Al-Ahram, Egypt, August 23, 2008
