The continued detention of ousted President Mohamed Morsi

Song The continued detention of ousted President Mohamed Morsi
Artist 英语听力
Album VOA慢速英语:时事报道

Lyrics

[00:00.100] From VOA Learning English,
[00:07.010] this is In The News.
[00:09.650] An Egyptian judge this week
[00:12.490] ordered the continued detention of
[00:15.270] ousted President Mohamed Morsi.
[00:18.610] The official MENA news agency says
[00:21.750] Mr. Morsi has been detained for 15 days
[00:26.340] for investigation of suspected links
[00:29.980] to the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
[00:33.960] He is accused of working with Hamas
[00:36.900] to attack police stations two years ago
[00:40.640] during the rebellion that ousted
[00:43.170] then-president Hosni Mubarak.
[00:46.270] Mr. Morsi has been held without charge
[00:49.600] since July 3rd,
[00:51.900] when he was removed by Egypt's military.
[00:55.150] The court order came as his supporters
[00:58.590] and opponents held competing protests on Friday.
[01:03.370] Many Egyptians have been killed in political violence
[01:07.910] in recent weeks.
[01:09.600] On Wednesday, the United States announced it was delaying
[01:14.180] a planned shipment of four F-16 fighter jets to Egypt.
[01:20.600] Defense Department spokesman George Little noted
[01:24.440] what he called the "fluid situation" in the country.
[01:28.980] "Given the current situation in Egypt,
[01:30.370] we do not believe it is appropriate to move forward
[01:32.590] at this time with the delivery of F-16s."
[01:34.730] Some American lawmakers have been calling
[01:38.010] for a suspension of American aid to Egypt.
[01:42.140] The calls began after the removal of Mr. Morsi,
[01:46.120] who was the country's first democratically elected president.
[01:51.610] The United States provides $1.3 billion
[01:57.100] in military aid to Egypt each year.
[02:01.040] Obama administration officials have repeatedly said
[02:05.280] it is not in America's best interests to cut off aid to Egypt.
[02:12.160] Experts note the country has severe economic problems,
[02:16.990] including high unemployment and inflation.
[02:21.230] Many American observers say the United States
[02:25.460] has little influence over what is happening or will happen in Egypt.
[02:32.240] Jeffrey Martini is with the RAND Corporation.
[02:35.920] He says one reason for the lack of influence is a reduction
[02:41.600] in American economic aid to Egypt over the years.
[02:46.300] "In the mid-1980s, the total aid flow to Egypt from the United States
[02:51.280] was equivalent to about seven percent of Egypt's economy.
[02:54.920] That would give you a lot of leverage.
[02:56.910] Today, it's about point-seven percent.
[02:59.800] So a 10-fold drop as compared to the size of the Egyptian economy.
[03:05.020] So you don't get much leverage when you're looking
[03:08.520] at aid flows of point-seven percent the size of the Egyptian economy."
[03:12.490] Brent Scowcroft served as national security advisor
[03:16.420] to two American presidents.
[03:18.770] He says the United States must help in developing a plan
[03:24.040] to re-establish Egypt's economic and political security.
[03:29.430] "What's needed now is to put together a structure
[03:34.010] which can complete the building of an Egyptian political system.
[03:39.030] That is, with a constitution, with elections,
[03:42.860] with governments that broadly reflect the interests of the electorate."
[03:48.990] Mr. Scowcroft says a secure Egypt is important for the Middle East.
[03:54.980] Without a successful Egypt, he says, the area has a serious problem.
[04:01.250] Other observers agree.
[04:04.340] Mirette Mabrouk is with the Atlantic Council's
[04:08.220] Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East.
[04:11.610] "A stable, prosperous, if you like,
[04:13.900] but certainly stable and healthy Egypt
[04:16.350] is absolutely vital to the Middle East.
[04:20.970] Otherwise, frankly, no one would care.
[04:23.410] If Egypt were irrelevant, then people would not be paying attention.
[04:27.440] People pay attention because Egypt is vital."
[04:30.380] She and others say the United States and other countries
[04:35.170] should not get directly involved in Egypt
[04:39.100] and instead let the Egyptian political process take its course.
[04:44.580] And that's In The News from VOA Learning English.
[04:50.310] I'm Steve Ember.