Egypt's military ruler Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi called U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to offer his assurances that the raids against American and other pro-democracy organizations would stop. One possible reason for the backtrack: $1.3 billion in annual aid from the U.S. is pending proof that Egypt's government is committed to democracy. But even as Egypt apologized in private, the government began leaking unverifiable accusations against the groups it raided, including that one paid people millions of dollars to protest the military regime.
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