At a time of new U.S.-Egyptian tensions over democracy in the Middle East, the United States is unsettling many in Egypt with a new approach to aid: Giving money to private groups that oppose the government. The $2 billion in civil and military aid the United States sends Egypt each year has long been controversial: Some Egyptians fear it makes their government too beholden to the United States, while on the U.S. side, some worry the aid has gone to prop up corrupt Egyptian officials. But now, the United States has decided to give a small slice of aid to some groups that oppose Egypt's current government. In Egypt, where anti-American sentiment tends to blacken any program financed by Washington, that has caused the recipients to be vilified by government-influenced clerics and the nationalistic local press as "infidels" or "new Marines.""America is beginning to play politics. ...This is unacceptable. The (Egyptian) government must interfere," said ruling party lawmaker Ahmed Abou Zeid, accusing Washington of trying to influence the country's first multi-candidate presidential election scheduled later this year. Washington has said it seeks broad change in Egypt and is not trying to help individuals. Negad al-Borai, a longtime human rights activist and lawyer, said the $139,000 he received will go to train lawyers to manage election campaigns and to teach midlevel party members how to campaign. He said he understands his government may fear the growing pro-democracy opposition, but criticized it for trying to smear recipients' reputations. "When the government is scared, it does silly things," said al-Borai, who packs a gun in a shoulder holster these days, saying he isn't taking any chances after government-leaning clerics called him an infidel, or nonbeliever, during a two-week slur campaign.