Egyptians to launch monetary aid campaign after U.S. aid crisis

CAIRO (A.A) - Egyptian people are planning to launch a monetary aid campaign after an aid crisis with the United States. Egypt is having an aid crisis with the United States after its operation on western-origin and supported non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and Egyptian people are preparing to launch their own monetary aid campaign instead of 1.3 billion USD of aid, which the United States is extending to Egypt regularly every year. Egyptian security forces raided 17 NGOs, to which the United States and some western countries directly or indirectly extend financial support, and arrested 43 members of the NGOs, including 16 U.S. citizens. The United States had then warned that it could cut military and economic assistance to Egypt. U.S. President Barack Obama had asked his country to preserve 1.3 billion USD of annual assistance to Egypt in the budget. Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal Al-Ganzoury said his country would not take a backward step, while religious authorities supported the aid campaign of Egyptian people and called on citizens to back the aid campaign. Candidate presidents Mohamed Selim al-Awwa and Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh are also supporting the campaign as small campaigns are launched across the country.  Civil servants and teachers announced that they would donate half of their salaries, while a group of Egyptians launched a campaign on Facebook and asked Egyptians and friends of Egypt to collect aid. Moreover, Egyptian Finance Minister Momtaz el-Saieed said Egypt needed 11 billion USD to fulfil economic reforms, and Egyptian executives are holding talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for 3.2 billion USD of loan. Egypt is eager to launch an aid campaign against U.S. assistance in days when foreign exchange reserves are melting and Egyptian economy needs foreign support more than ever, which is interpreted by the Egyptian media that "Egypt can prevent intervention of the United States in its internal affairs if it is able to collect the aid itself." (Reporting by Mehmet Kemal Firik)