By David Ignatius
The Daily Star

Story Summary
As Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood government slides toward the financial cliff, what’s the right policy for the United States?

Mursi has been dithering for a year in negotiating a roughly $5 billion rescue package from the International Monetary Fund that Egypt desperately needs.

The United States and its allies made a bet two years ago that if the Muslim Brotherhood took power in Egypt, it would be forced to deal with the responsibilities of governing – such as negotiating loans with the IMF and adopting economic reforms to woo investors. These economic realities are now enveloping Mursi.

Some critics of Mursi argue that the U.S. should let him fail.

One good move is a new U.S. “Enterprise Fund” for Egyptian small- and medium-sized businesses that will start to distribute its first $60 million this month.

When Secretary of State John Kerry met Mursi privately in Egypt last weekend, he is said to have warned that Egypt must make choices soon, and that it shouldn’t expect any last-minute rescue from Washington.

In backing Mursi, the U.S. is improbably standing against both conservative Saudis and liberal activists in Egypt.

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Columnist/2013/Mar-07/209138-the-united-states-frets-as-egypt-nears-the-financial-cliff.ashx#ixzz2MqKo0nBt
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)

NOTE BY THE EDITOR: Why always look at the United States? It is Muslim brothers that should aid Muslim brothers.