Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt. Photo: wiki commons.

LA Times – The criminal trial of 16 American pro-democracy workers opened in Cairo on Sunday as U.S. and Egyptian diplomats attempted to resolve a deepening crisis between longtime allies that have grown increasingly estranged since the uprisings that have swept the Arab world in the last year.

The politically charged case, punctuated by bruising rhetoric on both sides, is a sign of Washington’s ebbing influence in the region and a test of Egypt’s ruling military council’s ability to finesse an end to a drama that could result in the curtailment of $1.3 billion in annual U.S. military aid. Contradictory signals from the Egyptian government and perceived U.S. arrogance have hampered a resolution.

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