Critics of President Obama are condemning his administration’s decision to waive legislative restrictions related to Egypt’s democratic transition and allow Egypt’s annual Congressional appropriation of $1.3 billion in military assistance to go forward. There is much about the Obama administration’s Middle East policy to criticize; but in this case it made the right decision. (Read the full column at EWRoss.com)
Filed under: National Security, 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty, Air Force, America’s national security interests, anti-Israel forces in Egypt, authoritarian and theocratic, certified to Congress, china, civilian control of the military, decision to waive legislative restrictions, Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, DFAS, DSCA, EAF, Ed Ross, Egypt’s annual Congressional appropriation, Egypt’s democratic transition, Egyptian Armed Forces, Egyptian Parliament, ewross, Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, First Gulf War, FMF, FMS, FMS cases, Foreign Military Financing, Foreign Military Sales, freedom and democracy, Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, Islamist movement, Islamist state, israel, Israeli government official, middle east, Middle East policy, military assistance, Muslim Brotherhood, Navy, obama administration, President Hosni Mubarak, President Obama, russia, Salafists, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, secular institution, Sharia law, soviet union, strategic partnership, There is no peace without Syria, there is no war without Egypt, transition to democracy, U.S. Army, U.S. defense contractors, U.S. jobs, U.S. military assistance, United States
LinkedIn Group: US Army
Discussion: DON’T CONFLATE THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD WITH THE EGYPTIAN ARMED FORCES
I think that it is important to support the Egyptian Armed Forces so that stability is maintained in the region. It would be a huge setback if the Egyptians turned to Russia or China for their military support. Our nation has invested heavily in cultivating this partner in the region. However, if the Muslim Brotherhood does completely take over the government, it will be time to end our support. We do not need to be arming and training an entity focused on fomenting discord in the region. The Muslim Brotherhood’s policies are detrimental to peace and stability in the region, and it is hoped that the Egyptian people see through the rhetoric and come to an understanding of how dangerous these policies are. I do not think that the Egyptian people want a war with Israel, and would not support Muslim Brotherhood if they tried to go to war with Israel.
Posted by Robert Markovetz
LinkedIn Group: Department of Defense
Discussion: DON’T CONFLATE THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD WITH THE EGYPTIAN ARMED FORCES
I read your article link…Is that like suggesting that Texas should just fund drug dealers so they won’t seek funding from foreign drug cartels?
Posted by Dr. Joseph Peppe, ND
Joseph, No it means that if Texas were supporting a Mexican police force that was truly fighting the drug cartels it shouldn’t stop supporting it because the police force in a neighboring city was corrupt and part of the problem.
LinkedIn Group: Foreign Area Officers
Discussion: DON’T CONFLATE THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD WITH THE EGYPTIAN ARMED FORCES
Agreed.
It’s advisable to mention though, that the USG should monitor pol-mil events more carefully than ever in Egypt. Within the context of an armed force subordinate to democratically elected civilian authority, we should determine what if any impacts politically driven policy may eventually have upon EAF strategy, operational posture, and activities regarding the Sinai, ans Egyptian-Isreali pol-mil relations. If there are significant changes detrimental to US policy, then we’ll face a significant domestic political challenge to amend the economic and military assistance – not an easy legislative task given the linkage to the Camp David Accord and US assistance to Israel. Conditionality should be added to the calculation for continued USG economic as well as mil assistance to the EAF.
Posted by Hank Kron