WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's top military leader says Egypt's ruling generals underestimated the U.S. outcry and threat to relations with Washington after their crackdown on American nonprofit groups that promote democracy.

Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday that the generals now understand the impact. Dempsey recently met with Egypt's generals and spent a day-and-a-half encouraging them to resolve the issue that could jeopardize more than a billion dollars in U.S. aid to Egypt.

Egypt recently referred 19 Americans, including the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, and 24 other employees of pro-democracy nonprofit groups to trial before a criminal court. The Americans were accused of illegally using foreign funds to foment unrest in the country.

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