The Pentagon and State Department are not properly vetting Egyptian security forces receiving U.S. training and defense equipment, according to a congressional audit published on Thursday.
Lawmakers Want More Oversight Over Vetting of Military Aid to Egypt
By Rachel Oswald, CQ Roll Call
The Government Accountability Office report, which looked at actions from fiscal 2011 through the end of March 2015, also faulted the Egyptian government for attempting to prevent U.S. officials from conducting end-use monitoring of all U.S. security assistance equipment.
“It’s certainly a damning report exposing how the Egyptian military forces are being given a free pass to not have to comply fully with a lot of these investigations,” said Kate Gould, legislative Representative for Middle East policy at the Quaker group Friends Committee on National Legislation. “It clearly highlights the need for further congressional oversight of this process and to prevent the U.S. from financing these gross human rights abuses in Egypt.
