USAID Cairo Exposed: You Need to Watch This! (Video)

Nearly all staff for the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, was placed on leave effective 7 February 2025, the agency announced on its website 4 February 2025 night. Earlier in the day, all overseas missions for USAID had been ordered to shut down, and all staff recalled by 7 February 2025, multiple sources confirmed to CBS News. 

The statement notes that all “direct-hire personnel” will be placed on leave with exceptions for those on “mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs”. Those considered exceptions would be notified by USAID leadership by 3 p.m. ET on 6 February 2025, and further guidance on how to request an exception will be forthcoming, the email said.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed deputy administrator for the agency, Pete Marocco, met with State Department leadership on 4 February 2025 and instructed them to get every USAID employee out of their respective countries worldwide by 7 February 2025, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Marocco said if the State Department did not, the staff would be evacuated by the U.S. military, the sources said. The statement notes the agency is developing a plan with the State Department to arrange and pay for return travel within 30 days for USAID personnel posted outside the U.S. The email stated PSC (personal service contractor) contracts and ISC (independent service contractor) contracts “that are determined to be inessential will be terminated.”

USAID has more than 10,000 employees, with about two-thirds serving overseas, according to a Congressional Research Service report. Some 1,400 work in the agency’s D.C. headquarters. The agency maintains more than 60 country and regional missions. The agency provides humanitarian aid to more than 100 countries, including disaster relief, health and medical aid and emergency food programs. 

This is a 20 February 2025 video from host Larry Alex Taunton, Larry Alex Taunton is an American author, columnist, and cultural commentator. He visits the USAID Cairo Headquarters and finds it still operating, business as usual.

USAID Cairo: An Aid Organization or Something Else? What started as a routine visit to USAID Cairo turned into a real-life spy thriller. My unexpected run-in with Egyptian security has left me with more questions than answers.

Larry’s quest to uncover the truth about USAID’s activities reveals a potential global conspiracy. This episode delves into the challenges, risks, and intricate details of investigative journalism in a tense international setting.

https://youtu.be/pGV9rB5OB9s

0:00 – Coming Up
0:52 – USAID and Unfortunate Misadventures: Some Context
18:40 – Back for More: A Blow by Blow
27:28 – Enter The NSA and Larry: The Potential Terrorist?
 43:55 – Why Not Comply
52:23 – Espionage Ridiculousness 
55:54 – Not Out of the Woods
59:32 – Why This Response: The Possibilities
1:05:45 – Final Thoughts and Conclusion