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Subscribe to RSSEgypt on Wednesday lifted a travel ban on seven Americans being tried on charges that the pro-democracy groups they worked for fomented unrest with illegal foreign funding.
But according to an Egyptian lawyer representing one of the groups, the Americans and other foreign workers would only be allowed to travel after each defendant posts bail of 2 million Egyptian pounds (approximately $300,000 U.S.), NBC News Cairo Correspondent Ayman Mohyeldin reported.
Still, the shift could signal an end to the worst crisis in relations between Egypt and the U.S. in 30 years.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also said Wednesday she expected the row over the activities of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to be resolved "in the very near future," but said the U.S. does not have confirmation that the travel ban has been lifted.
"We do not have confirmation that the travel ban has been lifted. We hope that it will be, and we will continue to work toward that,'' Clinton told U.S. lawmakers. "The reporting is encouraging but we have no confirmation.''
U.S. officials have said $1.3 billion in annual military aid has been put at risk by the case.
Cairo court adjourns trial of NGO workers
It was not immediately clear when any of the activists involved would leave the country. Sixteen of the 43 people facing charges are Americans. Seven Americans are in Egypt and some of those have sought refuge in the U.S. embassy.
"The assistant to the attorney general, following a request from the investigating judges, has issued an order to lift the ban," a judicial source close to the proceedings told Reuters, adding the charges have not been dropped against any of those involved.
Judge Abdel Moez Ibrahim, head of the Cairo Appeals Court who appoints judges to the case, also confirmed to Reuters that a decision had been taken to lift the travel ban.
Asked for the nationalities of those affected by the decision, he said: "All of them are Americans."
The U.S. embassy had no immediate comment. The Egyptian military also had no comment on the case.
Clinton: Resolution likely 'in very near future'
"We believe we will resolve this issue concerning our NGOs in the very near future. That is my best assessment sitting here today," Clinton told U.S. lawmakers when asked about the case.
The NGO workers also include Egyptians, Serbs, Norwegians and Germans. They have been accused of receiving foreign funds without the approval of the Egyptian authorities.
The workers are also alleged to have carried out political activities unrelated to their work and accused of failing to obtain necessary operating licenses.
The NGOs say they have long sought to register in Egypt and describe the crackdown as part of a wave of repression against civil society by the generals who took power after President Hosni Mubarak's overthrow last year.
Washington ties with Cairo have been a cornerstone of its Middle East policy since Egypt in 1979 became the first Arab state to sign a peace deal with Israel.
Two of the groups involved, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Republican Institute (IRI), are loosely affiliated with the major U.S. political parties and one of the accused, IRI Egypt Director Sam LaHood, is the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
The first session of the court took place Sunday and was adjourned to April 26. That adjournment had raised hopes among activists' supporters that the case could be dropped to spare further damage to Egypt's ties with its ally.
A day before the decision to lift the travel ban, the Egyptian judge who had handled the trial resigned without giving any reasons.
Ayman Mohyeldin, NBC News Cairo correspondent, as well as Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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How much did this cost. Something went under the table and I want to know what ransom we paid to free our provocateurs.
if they have the IQ of a retarded monkey, they will get the hell out of Egypt at once.
The U.S. will pick up that bill. Even a new Egyptian government knows not to lose much needed U.S. aid. Again....a potentially volatile situation avoided. Folks say this administration has no stones. They get things done w/o blowing up several thousand people. Think that is a preferred course of action. We are much more respected in the world because of Obama's direction. The world is actually beginning to believe us again. AMAZING!
$3000,000 per defendant (the Egyptians called it 'Bail') and the $1.3 billion in aid which they will now continue to get.
Kudos to Secretary Clinton and her staff.
Negotiating the lifting of the travel ban was no small feat. Egyptians know that none of these Americans will return for a trial. Another outstanding accomplishment for our Secretary of State.
In the meantime, Egypt has shot itself in the foot. Tourism is a very substantial part of Egypt's economy, and I doubt that Americans are lining up to go there now.
David-3891268, you are delusional if you really believe what you wrote. "Again...a potentially volatile situation avoided". Gotta hand it to you lefties you love to dramatize anything you can if you think it will show you in a better light. If Obama had any balls he would have already canceled the 1.3 billion in aid until the people were releases. He is weak and spineless..
We need to pay the ransom and when our people are home, deduct 10 times as much from their aid.
These activists are all living Darwin-awards candidates.
If they want to die for a cause as pointless as trying to establish any semblance of humanity in a predominantly Muslim nation, I suggest they go free-diving for Titanic relics.
At least that way they'll contribute to the food-chain.
Read http://www.egyptindepent.com/node/688321 (dated 29 Feb 2012- 19:33) Egypt lifts travel ban on Americans in the NGO case. This lifting on travel ban is on the 7(seven) Americans still in the country. (Out of 16 a week ago out of 19)Reporting is factual and exemplary. On the same page http://www.egyptindependent.com/node/687806 -Military pressure on Tuesday behind withdrawal of judges from NGO foreign funding trial. Read. The lifting of the travel ban by court order- the charges and the trial are not affected. It will resume April 23,2012.
We should have let them stay there. After all, Obama thinks this whole regime change thing is good. Thus, all these people are our friends.
We support their new government. then tell them they can't try foriegners in their own country? We do. Why can't they? If we don't trust them, why are we giving them money?
ObamaLies looks in for the sign. He's ready and here comes the pitch.......Oooooh, just a bit to the right. Mubarek steps back into the box. Wait, it looks like ObamaLies is going to give him an intentional walk!
I'm sure you must really be approving of the Syrian method of preventing regime change then?
North Korea suspends uranium enrichment. American citizens released on trumped up charges in Egypt. Great foreign policy work President Obama, Seceratry of State Clinton.
I totally agree. Can't believe that these folks can't see how foreign policy is supposed to work.
Thank God we are past the "axis of evil" rhetoric. Think things are improving in our relations with other countries. Can only be a good thing.
How any activist thinks they will be able to have any serious impact on this country is ridiculous. In 2012 this country still sports in the ninety percentile range female genital mutilations to suppress female desire. There is a reason why this country is still brutal and oppressive.
Suround yourself with 60,000,000 women who can't have an orgasm and you would be ready to strap on a suicide vest and go looking for some virgins.
leroy LOL too funny
fight for freedom, please tell me where you get your information from. Don't spout off garbage that is in no way true. So what you are telling me is that 9 out of 10 females born in Egypt has been mutilated? I live in Egypt, have many, many relatives here, and not 1 has had this done to them. Please get your facts straight.
freedo4megyptyou can google it and just because your inner circle may not perform this brutal practice does not mean that my stats are incorrect. Look it up before you call these stats garbage. I might also add slavery is a problem in your country. In America we have prostitution which is tolerated and in some cases it is legal. Evaluating through a solely egocentric base is a poor way to reason any argument Empirical observation is a method of analysis but has its weaknesses as with all analytical structures.
The women of Egypt need to be freed from this male dominated oppressive culture.
As much as I don't care for the tree hugging peaceniks that this bunch is, they are still Americans being held against their will in a foreign country. Yeah, I agree they should have stayed their ass out of that hotbed of political turmoil and let the Egyptians figure out their own destiny, post Mubarak.
I also believe that as long as Americans are ponying up the big bucks to support this govt, they would be well advised to let these Americans get on a plane and fly home.
As for future do-gooders wanting to go to foreign countries and stir the pot, do so at your own risk. The taxpayers are tired of paying to save your hides.
I don't think they were do gooders.
Wonder if the government would have made much of a deal out of this if one of the people had not been LaHood's son?
They all were either politicians or CIA. The Egyptians may have been right about these social workers.
the 1.3 billion in aid was put in jeopardy... WTF... and our schools don't have enough funding for the basics half the time...
Our children aren't as important to the US gov as the Muslim Brotherhood which that 1.3 billion will now support. The 300,000 is just another form of ransom. What ever happen to not negotationing with terrorist?
Let Egypt keep the politicians and let America keep the $1,500,000,000 .
Catholic Relief organization is one of these peacenix groups. They are there to bring refugees into the US. Here in this city in Tennessee, it was disclosed that the Catholic Relief director gets paid $150,000 a year plus so may be in refugee moving for self-gain. Can you say job security. Meanwhile, Commanders of each of the national Veteran's organizations receive no salary. VFW, American Legion and Vietnam Veteran's of America.
Reduce any aid package dollar for dollar by what they charge for "bail" - and do it permanently. Simple and clean, they set their own reduction in aid.
WAKE UP AMERICA!!!! I fail to understand why we give them 1.3 billion in "aid" but don’t have enough money to fund our schools so our kids can get a proper education (let alone all of our other financial problems none of which involves your politicians getting their yearly raises.. all thanks to you the taxpayer) but you all still keep arguing.... rrrr Bush and the axis of evil, or ohhh Obamalies... gets some stones man... everyone of you ignorant fools fail to see the one thing that really matters... this aid has been going on since 1979.... both parties are responsible for selling our country and throwing it right under the bus so they can profit from
your tax dollars. we didnt do anything positive here, we just gave them more money which is all any country wants from us... more money. i dont know about you but im tired of giving my money away when we need it most back home. WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!!!
Blackmail money, we should just deduct it from the foriegn aid we give them.
Then cut off all aid, withdraw all embassey personnel. Hasta la vista baby. :)
We negotiated with terrorists and paid the Ransom. This will open the doors for this to happen world-wide. Our current Administration should be ashamed of themselves. I guess and apology did not work on this one
The document that the Vatican is not about to release is the original version of the Gospel of Mark. Although the Nicene Council proclaimed four "Gospels", Mark is the only book that proclaims itself to be "The Gospel".
The original ending to Mark's Gospel is so disturbing to the church, that the church stole the ending soon after it was released, stopping the story at Ch 16, v8. If the Mark's original ending (not the fake endings that exist today) is ever revealed, Christianity, as it is known today, will come to a crashing halt.
Rock