Egypt opens trial at heart of deep rift with USA

CAIRO — Egypt pushed ahead Sunday with the trial of 43 employees of pro-democracy groups, including 16 Americans, even as Egyptian and U.S. officials tried behind the scenes to resolve the case that has caused the deepest rift in their alliance in 30 years.

In a sign those back-channel negotiations may already be bearing fruit, only Egyptian defendants attended the hearing and the judge gave no instructions to police to ensure the American and other foreign defendants attend the next hearing in two months.

The 43 are charged with using illegal foreign funds to foment unrest that has roiled Egypt over the past year. None of the Americans appeared in court for the hearing.

The United States has threatened to cut off aid to Egypt over the crackdown on the non-profit groups, putting at risk $1.3 billion in military aid this year and an additional $250 million in economic assistance. Egyptian officials claim the matter is entirely in the hands of the judiciary, but many view the U.S. threat as meddling.

Speaking to reporters in Morocco on Sunday as the trial opened, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said U.S. officials are evaluating the latest developments. She said it was a “fluid situation and there are a lot of moving parts.”

President Obama has urged Egypt’s military rulers to drop the investigation, and highlevel officials — including Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Republican Sen. John Mccain — have flown in to Cairo recently to seek a solution.

The heavily publicized case has been linked to the turmoil roiling Egypt since an 18-day popular uprising forced Hosni Mubarak to step down on Feb. 11 last year. It poses questions about the commitment to democracy by the Mubarak-era generals who took over from their former patron.

The American groups have trained thousands of young Egyptians on political activism and organizing, an education that played an important part in the success of last year’s uprising.

Rights groups have sharply criticized the investigation.

“The case is politically motivated to start with, but it is in court now and that means justice will take its course,” said rights lawyer and activist Hafez Abu Saedah, who represents three Egyptian defendants.