U.S. posts bond and 7 exit Egypt

But Americans’ trial still a go

CAIRO — Seven Americans on trial over charges their pro-democracy groups fomented unrest flew out of Egypt on Thursday after the U.S. posted nearly $5 million in bond.

Their departure eased a deep diplomatic crisis between the U.S. and Egypt that had been building for two months after a crackdown on pro-democracy and humanrights groups by the Egyptian government.

Though the seven Americans were safely on their way home, Washington indicated that its anger over the affair has not abated.

State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland expressed relief that the Americans were free, but she pointedly noted that no decision has been made about U.S. aid to Egypt.

As the crisis unfolded over the past two months, officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, warned that $1.3 billion in military aid and $250 million in economic assistance marked for Egypt this year was in jeopardy. Nuland pointed out Thursday that the court case against the pro- democracy groups is not over.

The 16 Americans facing charges are not expected to return to Egypt, but the trial has not been called off. After the first session Sunday, it was adjourned until April, and that ruling still stands.

A convoy of white vans carrying the symbol of the U.S. Embassy arrived at Cairo airport Thursday afternoon. Egypt’s state news agency MENA said the Americans were “happily” taking group photos at the airport, along with eight other foreigners who also were allowed to leave the country.

One of the seven flying out of Egypt on a special plane to Cyprus was Sam La-hood, son of U.S. Transporta-tion Secretary Ray Lahood. Sam Lahood was the head of the International Republican Institute office in Cairo.

The International Republican Institute called the release “a positive development” and said it was “hopeful that the charges against its expatriate and local Egyptian staff will be dismissed.”

The statement also expressed concern about the future of efforts toward establishing democracy in Egypt in the wake of the affair.

Ray Lahood welcomed the development. “I’m pleased the court has lifted the travel ban and am looking forward to my son’s arrival in the U.S.,” he said in a statement. “I’d like to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers during this time.”

Sen. John Mccain, R-ariz., and other senators said the crisis “may have tested” U. S.- Egypt ties, but “the strength of our relationship prevailed.”

Egypt and the United States have been close allies since the late 1970s, soon after the Egyptians abandoned decades of partnership with the Soviet Union and signed a peace treaty with Israel, the first Arab nation to do so.

Informally, U. S. aid to Egypt is contingent on Cairo keeping the peace with Israel.

The raids on the pro-democracy groups and charges against them dovetailed with frequent declarations by the ruling generals blaming continuing unrest on unnamed “foreign hands.” Local activists ridiculed those statements, saying that the military rulers were perpetuating the harsh, repressive tactics of the overthrown regime of President Hosni Mubarak and demanding that the generals hand over power to a civilian government.

Nonprofit pro-democracy groups have trained thousands of young Egyptians in political activism and organizing, an education that played a key part in the success of last year’s uprising that toppled Mubarak.

The crackdown began in late December, when Egyptian security officers raided offices of 10 pro-democracy and human-rights groups. Workers, including 16 Americans, were charged with using illegal funds and promoting protests against the ruling Egyptian military.

The groups denied the charges. They insisted their financing is transparent, and all their efforts to register had been stalled by the Egyptian government.

The German government said two of its citizens, working for the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, were on the plane to Cyprus.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle expressed relief that they were freed but hoped that the case against them would be closed so that the group “can resume its valuable work in Egypt without any hindrances.”

Release of the foreigners was seen by many in Egypt as a concession by the ruling military to U.S. pressure, despite repeated statements by the generals that Egypt’s judiciary is independent.

On Thursday, court officials said the U.S. posted bond for the seven, as well as nine other Americans charged in the case who had already left Egypt. It was set at $300,000 for each of the 16, or $4.8 million.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s state news agency said authorities have released a former Egyptian jihadist who returned home to clear a case of mistaken identity that confused him with a senior al-qaida leader.

The name of Mohammed Ibrahim Makkawi, who returned to Egypt from Pakistan on Wednesday, appears on the FBI list of most-wanted terrorists as an alias for the senior al- Qaida figure known as Saif al-adel. The al-qaida figure is an Egyptian indicted by the United States in the Aug. 7, 1998, bombings of U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya that killed 224 people.

Makkawi was cleared Thursday and freed by Egypt’s prosecutor general, who said Makkawi was not wanted, MENA said.

Upon arrival, Makkawi said he cut his relations with al-qaida in 1989. Information for this article was contributed by Juergen Baetz and Joan Lowy of The Associated Press.