Will The U.S. Cancel It's Next Military Exercise With Egypt?

U.S. Weighs Canceling Military Exercise With Egypt -- Reuters

(Reuters) - The United States is considering calling off a major military exercise with the Egypt after Egyptian security forces killed scores of protesters on Wednesday, U.S. officials said.

The bloodshed appears to have forced U.S. President Barack Obama's administration to consider adopting a more muscular stance toward the Egyptian military, which toppled Mohamed Mursi, Egypt's first freely elected president, on July 3.

The United States, which gives Egypt $1.3 billion in military aid and about $250 million in economic aid each year, has been reluctant to cut the funding for fear of antagonizing the military and losing what influence it has in the Arab world's most populous nation.

As a first step, two U.S. officials said, the administration might respond to the violence in which more than 200 people were killed by scrapping the "Bright Star" exercises, which occur every two years and are a major point of pride for the Egyptian military.

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My Comment: This joint U.S. - Egyptian military drill has always been seen as a cornerstone of U.S.-Egyptian military relations .... beginning in 1981 after the Camp David Peace Accords between Egypt and Israel were signed. Cancelling it will be sending a message .... but what will have an even greater impact will be to cut off Egypt's military aid completely. Unfortunately .... I suspect they will not.

Update: Kerry Turns Against the Egyptian Military He Once Hailed -- The Cable/Foreign Policy

Update #2: There will be no change in U.S. policy .... U.S. Condemns Crackdown but Announces No Policy Shift -- New York Times