U.S. welcomes ‘flexibility’ in $1.4 bln aid to Egypt

The Obama administration said Tuesday that it welcomes new flexibility in providing up to $1.4 billion in aid to Egypt, a close ally in the Middle East despite its recent sweeping crackdown on dissent.

The massive fiscal 2015 spending bill that Congress passed on Saturday includes a longer list of conditions for releasing aid to Egypt - the bulk in the form of military aid.

Those provisions, which aim to nudge Egypt down a path toward democracy, include holding free and fair elections, allowing peaceful assembly, due process for detainees and the release of American citizens held as political prisoners.

But unlike last year's spending bill, this year's legislation also includes a waiver allowing Secretary of State John Kerry to ignore the preconditions for national security reasons.