[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.