By By Ken Hanly Jul 11, 2013 in World Berkeley - President Obama claims that he was not taking sides during Egypt's crisis but US government documents tell a different tale. The documents show that the US has funded several opposition figures who demanded Morsi leave office. While in general the Islamists may be somewhat less pro-US than liberals and secularists on some issues such as Syria, Morsi was promoting US aims. He was also trying to push through an IMF loan except that political resistance among his own constituency made this difficult. The new interim president will be much more aggressive in meeting loan conditions. It is wrong to speak of the Islamists in general as well. Saudi Arabia is home to more radical Islamists than the Muslim Brotherhood and is a staunch US ally. The Salafist Nour Party is supporting the military-led transition process. The funding probably breaks Egyptian laws which prohibit foreign political funding. It also probably violates US laws which prohibit funding foreign politicians engaging in subversive activities that target foreign governments. A Cairo criminal court has convicted 43 NGO workers, including at least 16 Americans, of operating without a licence and receiving foreign funding. The case had sparked international outrage, souring relations between Egypt and the US, and inflaming domestic fears over the potential for foreign funding to influence internal political affairs. Aid to the US "democracy assistance program" for the Middle East is filtered through a number of agencies including the Bureau from Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, the Middle East Partnership initiative, and the Taxpayer money spent by these groups is not inconsiderable. The Middle East Partnership (MEP) launched by the George W. Bush administration in 2002 spent close to $900 million on democracy projects across the region. USAID spends about $390 million for democracy promotion each year according to the Washington-based group Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED). In Egypt the channel for State Dept. money is mainly the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) who funneled at least $120,000 to the exiled police officer, Colonel Omar Soliman, mentioned earlier. He has been trying to incite violence in Egypt for years which seems in direct contradiction to the NED mandate to engage only in peaceful political change. Soliman began receiving funding from the NED in 2008 and continued receiving money for four years. Soliman was originally a member of Egypt's elite investigative police unit, infamous for its human rights abuses. Soliman was sentenced to five years in prison by a Cairo court for his role in inciting violence in 2011 against the embassies of Israel and Saudi Arabia both US allies. This makes one wonder if authorities really keep tabs on what those it funds are doing. He also used social media to encourage violent attacks against Egyptian officials. "It is like $2000 or $2,500 a month. Do you think this is too much? Obama wants to give us peanuts. We will not accept that." Of course Soliman does accept the peanuts. He just would like some popcorn and other goodies as well. "Make a road bump with a broken palm tree to stop the buses going into Cairo, and drench the road around it with gas and diesel. When the bus slows down for the bump, set it all ablaze so it will burn down with all the passengers inside … God bless," Near the end of May he instructed people to "Behead those who control power, water and gas utilities." This is just one example among many treated in a long article in The documents were obtained by the Investigative Reporting Program at the University of California at Berekley. They show that funding was channeled through a program of the US State Department to promote democracy in the Middle East. Many countries have accused the US of using such programs to promote US interests. US officials call the program "democracy assistance." The funding is part of a move to attempt to stem the interests of Islamists in the Middle East and promote pro-Washington secularists and liberals.While in general the Islamists may be somewhat less pro-US than liberals and secularists on some issues such as Syria, Morsi was promoting US aims. He was also trying to push through an IMF loan except that political resistance among his own constituency made this difficult. The new interim president will be much more aggressive in meeting loan conditions. It is wrong to speak of the Islamists in general as well. Saudi Arabia is home to more radical Islamists than the Muslim Brotherhood and is a staunch US ally. The Salafist Nour Party is supporting the military-led transition process. Those supported by the program include an exied Egyptian police officer who was actually plotting the violent overthrow of the Morsi government, and who advocated closing mosques and dragging the clerics out by force. Violence in the service of "democracy assistance" is not a vice apparently.The funding probably breaks Egyptian laws which prohibit foreign political funding. It also probably violates US laws which prohibit funding foreign politicians engaging in subversive activities that target foreign governments. Egypt has actually tried NGO's for breaking their laws and found them guilty with the predictable international outrage:Aid to the US "democracy assistance program" for the Middle East is filtered through a number of agencies including the Bureau from Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, the Middle East Partnership initiative, and the National Endowment for Democracy . While many of the activities carried on by these groups no doubt will be seen as positive and progressive, often what seems the main aim is to promote US interests. These organizations channel the money they receive to other organizations such as the International Republican Institute, and the National Democratic Institute, and Freedom House plus numerous others.Taxpayer money spent by these groups is not inconsiderable. The Middle East Partnership (MEP) launched by the George W. Bush administration in 2002 spent close to $900 million on democracy projects across the region. USAID spends about $390 million for democracy promotion each year according to the Washington-based group Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED).In Egypt the channel for State Dept. money is mainly the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) who funneled at least $120,000 to the exiled police officer, Colonel Omar Soliman, mentioned earlier. He has been trying to incite violence in Egypt for years which seems in direct contradiction to the NED mandate to engage only in peaceful political change.Soliman began receiving funding from the NED in 2008 and continued receiving money for four years. Soliman was originally a member of Egypt's elite investigative police unit, infamous for its human rights abuses. Soliman was sentenced to five years in prison by a Cairo court for his role in inciting violence in 2011 against the embassies of Israel and Saudi Arabia both US allies. This makes one wonder if authorities really keep tabs on what those it funds are doing. He also used social media to encourage violent attacks against Egyptian officials. Funding of Soliman is tortuous. NED does not pay Soliman directly but through an organization he created, People's Rights, that is based in Fall Church Virginia. He is the only employee of this group. In 2008 he was awarded a human rights fellowship by NED and moved to the US. In an interview Soliman admitted he received US funding but complained that it was far too little:Of course Soliman does accept the peanuts. He just would like some popcorn and other goodies as well. Soliman insists that he distributes only non-violent literature and gives free advice by a telephone hotline, and social networking. However, in Egyptian media interviews, social media posts, and You Tube videos an entirely different picture emerges. Among the non-violent instructions for dealing with pro-Morsi protesters:Near the end of May he instructed people to "Behead those who control power, water and gas utilities." This is just one example among many treated in a long article in Al Jazeera. Given examples such as this, the US should hardly be surprised when countries such as Russia take action against foreign-funded NGO's operating in Russia. Such moves result in restricting legitimate activism but are understandable given the role that some NGO's have been playing, namely furthering perceived interests of foreign countries. This opinion article was written by an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily intended to reflect those of DigitalJournal.com More about US Egypt relations, antiMorsi groups, US antiMorsi moves More news from US Egypt relations antiMorsi groups US antiMorsi moves