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American lawmakers are furious with a mounting diplomatic crisis in Egypt, where dozens of nongovernmental workers, including 19 Americans, could face trial.

Kenneth Wollack, president of the National Democratic Institute, says his organization works in 65 countries with employees from around the globe. "It's not the idea of going in and trying to impose a particular system," he says.

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The recent announcement by the Egyptian government that they will try 19 American citizens working for pro-democracy organizations in Cairo, signifies a dangerous new low point in Egyptian-U.S relations. It appears that Egypt's struggle to find the path toward democracy has taken another frightening turn.

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Just after noon on Dec. 29, Julie Hughes, the Egypt country director of the U.S.-based National Democratic Institute (NDI), got a phone call saying police were raiding the group’s office in the south. Thirty seconds later, over a dozen men, roughly half of them armed with AK-47s, burst into her Cairo headquarters, while other teams assaulted the NDI’s offices in Assiut and Alexandria.

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Forty-three people, including 19 Americans, face prosecution in an Egyptian criminal court on charges of illegal foreign funding as part of an ongoing crackdown on nongovernmental organizations, a prosecution spokesman said Sunday.

The National Democratic Institute said in a statement that while it does not know specifically which individuals or organizations are implicated, it was "deeply concerned about this development."

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Arriving in Egypt last year, Julie Hughes had hoped to help write history by aiding the country's new generation of politicians and civil society groups to build a democratic future.

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The second part of the election process to fill Egypt’s first post-uprising parliament begins on Sunday, but voter apathy and an escalating crackdown on US-funded civil society groups mean few may be paying attention.

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Egypt banned at least 10 Americans and Europeans from leaving the country, including the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood, hiking tensions with Washington over a campaign by Egypt's military against groups promoting democracy and human rights.

New York Times | Link to story  »

The Egyptian authorities have blocked the son of a United States cabinet member and at least five other American employees of two Washington-backed nongovernmental organizations from leaving Egypt in an apparent escalation of a politically charged criminal investigation into foreign-financed groups promoting democracy.

New York Times | Link to story  »

Egypt’s military junta showed some political sense on Tuesday when it announced the easing of a longtime state of emergency law, a hated symbol of authoritarian rule under President Hosni Mubarak — and now. The generals clearly hope to placate activists who had planned new protests for Wednesday, the anniversary of the revolt that led to Mr. Mubarak’s ouster.

The Star | Link to story  »

A manual to guide politicians on effective campaign strategy has been launched. The book, Leadership and Campaign Academy, was developed the the National Democratic Institute to provide insights on how to assess ones strengths and weaknesses.