Foreign Aid to Egypt?

            I am conflicted about Foreign Aid. I am not alone, I'm sure, in reacting furiously to the announcement that the United States is giving $250 million to Egypt's President Morsi, in addition to a billion in military aid. There is no defensible reason for us to give military aid to a country that is now dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, an avowed enemy of Israel. And there is no possible justification for giving money to this anti-American regime without any strings attached. Does anybody outside the Beltway think that money buys friendship and goodwill?

            There is a right way to do foreign aid that I can relate to. My dad spent 19 years working for the State Department's AID program. In 1961, when I was a college student, I spent my summer vacation in Morocco where Dad was stationed. To further my education he sent me on a trip with a Belgian technician who worked for the AID mission. We traveled by Jeep over the Atlas Mountains to the remote town of Risani, which is located at a point where a river flowing down to the Sahara peters out. It doesn't get any more remote than this.
            Why Risani? Well, U.S. aid had financed the building of a tannery there under the direction and advice of my Belgian friend. It became the main support for the population of Risani and part of a broad program to revitalize Moroccan industry. Did the program make sense or was it a waste of money?
            Fifty years ago Morocco was a backward nation, abandoned by the French, its hills denuded of trees, beggars everywhere, industry practically non-existent. Today, Morocco is a democracy and America's staunchest ally in North Africa. Today, Casablanca is North Africa's busiest port and Morocco is on a sound economic footing. More importantly, Morocco, unlike Egypt, is exerting a positive, pro-American  influence on its neighbors. In sum, our generous aid to Morocco over the years is paying dividends.
            If my dad were alive today, he would tell us that that there is a right way and a wrong way to do foreign aid. With its dwindling resources and enormous debt, the United States cannot afford to continue mindless aid to countries that profess an unrelenting enmity toward us and our allies. But done with common sense, foresight, and clearly stated objectives, foreign aid can pay off in the long run.
            Morocco and Egypt are both North African Arab countries. One is a friend and ally, the other controlled by people who hate us. Which one should get our aid?