The Obama administration on Friday resumed military aid to Egypt after it was suspended in the wake of the Egyptian revolution. Egypt is recipient of $1.3 billion in military aid. The decision was made by Hilary Clinton after she sidestepped a Congressional requirement that aid must be linked to ‘freedoms’. However the government cited the need to maintain US defence contracts with Egypt, thus securing US jobs. The money is no more than a subsidy to US arms manufacturers.

The companies involved include Lockheed Martin, which is scheduled to ship the first of a batch of 20 new F-16 fighter jets next month, and General Dynamics, which last year signed a $395 million contract to deliver component parts for 125 Abrams M1A1 tanks that are being assembled at a plant in Egypt.

The military assistance and an additional $250 million in economic and political assistance also comes with the requirement that Egypt upholds the Camp David peace with Israel signed by Sadat.

The fraught debate within the administration and between Congress and the administration reveals a truth that is hardly spoken. Clinton had to admit that the military aid to Egypt and aid in general is rerouted back to US companies, thus being no more than a state subsidy to US military companies. It also highlights that in fact the US still maintains control over Egypt through the military. Much of the money is used to line the pockets of members of the military council and their ‘state within a state’. It also illustrates how ‘peace’ with Israel is maintained through bribery.

The future of the Egyptian revolution lays in the balance. Although Mubarak, the face of subservience and oppression is gone, the puppet masters remain and control Egypt through the military leadership. The revolution must continue until true liberation is achieved. This can only be through the establishment of the Khilafah and the election of a true Khalifah who does the bidding for no power and looks after the affairs as he is obligated.