Egypt: U.S. threats to cut aid won't work CAIRO - Egypt refused to back down Wednesday in a dispute with the U.S. over Cairo's crackdown on nonprofit groups despite Washington's threats to cut aid, while the military deployed troops to the nation's streets after a surge in violence and protests against its rule. Egypt's official MENA news agency said the army was deploying more troops to reinforce the police, restore security and state "prestige." The move comes in the wake of a deadly soccer riot last week that sparked days of clashes between the police and protesters. At least 89 people were killed in a week of violence. The deployment appeared to be a show of force by the military in response to a surge in criticism of its handling of the country's transition to democracy and rising calls for the ruling generals to step down. There are calls for a general strike on Feb. 11 that have been gaining traction. Egypt's military rulers are also facing a deepening dispute with the United States over Cairo's campaign against foreign-funded pro-democracy and rights groups, which began late last year with raid by security forces on the organizations' offices. Authorities allege there is a foreign conspiracy against Egypt to explain the widening protests against the military's performance. Egypt lays out evidence against held Americans Woman behind Egypt's NGO pursuit a Mubarak holdover State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland called on Egypt to release the Americans, saying the 16 "have not done anything wrong." Egyptian authorities put the number of Americans referred to trial at 19, but Nuland on Tuesday said there are 16 Americans in the case. Sameh Abu-Zeid, one of two judges investigating the case, for the first time outlined for reporters Wednesday the evidence authorities have collected in the investigation -- saying the accused alleged involvement in banned political activity nonprofit groups includes maps, cash and videos taken of churches and military facilities. Nuland said the U.S. received a 175-page document in Arabic outlining the charges, but "our view remains that this is not fundamentally a judicial issue," but an issue between governments over the proper role of the groups. With tensions rising, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, is to travel to Egypt this week for talks with military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. Despite the warnings from Washington, Egypt's military-backed Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri struck a defiant tone Wednesday, telling reporters he was "saddened" by the pressure Egypt was facing but insisting authorities "can't back down or won't change course because of some aid." Lawyer: Egypt holding Americans over aid dispute Gingrich: Egypt trial is "Obama hostage crisis" Addressing the rising calls for the military to step down, el-Ganzouri said the generals will not leave office before the end of June as currently planned. He warned against calls for the speedy end of military rule, recalling the fall of the Iraqi army after the U.S. invasion in 2003. He said the Iraqi army's demise pushed the country down the path to civil war. Hafez Abou Saada, a veteran Egyptian human rights activist, said Cairo's clash with the U.S. over the groups "is incomprehensible and unjustified and goes to show that the case against the civil groups is not a legal but is a political one." He said el-Ganzouri's comments are "an attempt to rally a domestic front behind the government and create an enemy." The military rulers charge that the foreign groups fund and support anti-government protests. The military claims that "foreign hands" are behind the opposition to their rule. They frequently depict the protesters as receiving funds from abroad in a plot to destabilize the country. On Wednesday, Egyptian judges said the evidence collected in the case against 16 Americans referred to court for their alleged involvement in banned political activity through nonprofit groups include maps, cash and videos taken of churches and military facilities. Ashraf el-Ashmawi, one of the judges investigating the case, said authorities are investigating other groups.