U.S. hopeful about Americans held in Egypt

A U.S. congressional delegation in Cairo expressed optimism that the issue of U.S. citizens being held in Egypt could be resolved sooner rather than later. The delegation, led by U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., met with Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, head of Egypt's ruling military council, government officials and parliament members to discuss Egyptian-U.S. relations and the investigation into alleged illegal activities by non-government organizations and their staffs, which includes several Americans, Ahram Online reported Monday. The visit had been scheduled before six U.S. citizens -- including Sam LaHood, the son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood -- and Egyptian, Arab and European nationals, were scheduled to appear in criminal court on charges of violating Egyptian laws on the operation of local and foreign NGOs. McCain told reporters in Cairo after the meeting Monday that the delegation was "not trying to negotiate" on behalf of the six detained Americans, explain that the matter was being left "to the government of Egypt and the US embassy in Egypt and Egypt's embassy in the U.S." While noting that "of course the issue of the NGOs came up" in discussions, McCain said he was confident that "an acceptable solution" could be found. While nothing was said about when the matter might be resolved, an Egyptian official estimated a resolution could come "within a few weeks," Ahram Online said. The Americans, among 43 people accused in a case involving foreign funding irregularities, are to appear in criminal court Sunday, the Egyptian general prosecutor's office said. The employees of the American and European civil society organizations were charged with operating in Egypt without licenses after an investigation by Egyptian authorities revealed the organizations allegedly received money from abroad under the names of their employees, not through official bank accounts. Prosecutors said documents indicated foreign workers employed by the NGOs had tourist visas, not work visas, and paid no taxes. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., had expressed concerned about the Muslim Brotherhood's victories in Egypt's first parliamentary elections since President Hosni Mubarak was ousted last year, but said after talking with Muslim Brotherhood representatives he was confident that Egypt and the United States would remain strategic partners. "The Muslim Brotherhood said they were committed to changing the [Mubarak-era NGOs] law; they told us it was a priority to write a new law," Graham said.