Trump can send a human rights message to Egypt’s leader

Last month, the Post-Gazette website carried a New York Times story acknowledging the Egyptian regime’s abysmal human rights record, while also predicting increased U.S. military cooperation with that country. In light of that article, President Donald Trump’s upcoming meeting with Egypt’s coupinstalled president, Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, poses an important question: Will the U.S. attempt to “combat terrorism” using blind, brute force … or through a principled embrace of core American values?

When the two leaders meet April 3, Mr. Trump can do as expected: Double down on military support for a widely discredited authoritarian regime. But there’s another opportunity: Take a clear, strong stand against the el-Sissi administration’s well-documented human and civil rights abuses by withholding funding for its military.

By taking that unexpectedly principled step, the U.S. will be combating terror in two ways. First, we’ll achieve a major “win” in the war of ideas, by showing moderate Muslims across the world that “yes,” we’ll support core American values — free press, freedom of assembly and the right to fair trial — on behalf of ordinary Egyptian Muslims.

At the same time, we’ll be saying “no” to the Egyptian government’s own version of “state-supported terror” being applied to its own citizens.

Will Mr. Trump stand up for core American values — enshrined in our Bill of Rights — on the world stage? Will he say “no” to Egypt’s internal version of state-supported terror?

The world will be watching. RICHARD ST. JOHN Greenfield