Several American citizens have taken refuge in the US embassy in Cairo amid a sharpening dispute between Washington and Egypt over US-funded pro-democracy groups in the country, the US state department said today.
"We can confirm that a handful of US citizens have opted to stay in the embassy compound in Cairo while waiting for permission to depart Egypt," state department spokeswoman Kate Starr said.
The unusual step of offering US citizens diplomatic refuge follows a crackdown by Egypt's military-led government on non-governmental organizations, including several funded by the US government, which saw travel bans imposed on six American staffers including a son of US transportation secretary Ray LaHood.
Egyptian police first raided the groups in late December as part of an investigation into foreign funding of 17 pro-democracy and human rights groups, part of what civil society groups say has been a broader crackdown on critics of the army's heavy-handed tactics in dealing with street unrest.
Washington has strongly criticized the move, which has cast a pall over US-Egyptian relations as the most populous Arab nation reaches a critical stage in its uncertain transition away from authoritarian rule.
"We have made clear our concerns about this issue and our disappointment that these several citizens are not being allowed to depart Egypt," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters today.
Leading US politicians have also voiced outrage over the incident, and American officials have repeatedly warned that Washington may have to take a fresh look at US aid to Egypt's military, which now runs about $1.3 billion per year.
The six US citizens hit with travel bans work with the National Democratic Institute and International Republican Institute. Both receive US public funding and are loosely affiliated with the two major political parties in Washington.
The state department did not provide details on the Americans sheltering in the embassy, although officials at the NDI said none of their staff had been relocated.
Another spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland, described the refuge offer as "a unique situation" and said it did not reflect concerns for the Americans' physical safety.
"There is no expectation that any of these individuals are seeking to avoid any kind of judicial process," Ms Nuland added.
"They approached the embassy staff and the decision was made to invite them as guests."
US officials said an Egyptian military delegation was expected in Washington this week for regular talks that are expected to focus on the impasse over the NGOs.
"This particular visit was planned before we ended up in this particular situation with the NGOs in Cairo," Ms Nuland said."However you can be assured that in every meeting they have with the administration, and I would venture to guess in every meeting that they are going to have with Congress that this situation will come up ... we are not where we want to be in terms of resolving this situation."
The delegation, made up of four major generals, is expected in Washington tomorrow, diplomatic sources said. US president Barack Obama spoke with the head of Egypt's ruling military council, field marshal Hussein Tantawi, on January 20 and stressed the importance of the NGOs, as well as Egypt's request for $3.2 billion from the International Monetary Fund.
Reuters