Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Obama decides to resume military aid to Egypt

U.S. President Barack Obama told his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday that he will allow the delivery of F-16 aircraft as well as request annual military aid to Egypt.

In their phone conversation, Obama informed al-Sisi that "he will lift executive holds that have been in place since October 2013 on the delivery of F-16 aircraft, Harpoon missiles and M1A1 tank kits."

The U.S. suspension came after al-Sisi, then chief of the Egyptian armed forces, ousted President Mohammed Morsi, installed an interim government and then launched a hard crackdown on Morsi' s supporters, with some 700 million dollars of the 1.3 billion dollars in annual military aid to the Arab country also put on hold.

Obama "also advised President al-Sisi that he will continue to request an annual 1.3 billion dollars in military assistance for Egypt," the White House said in a statement.

Starting in fiscal year 2018, Washington will offer security aid to Cairo in the four areas of counterterrorism, border security, security on the Sinai Peninsula and maritime security, with "sustainment of weapons systems already in Egypt's arsenal," Obama told al-Sisi.

Obama "explained that these and other steps will help refine our military assistance relationship so that it is better positioned to address the shared challenges to U.S. and Egyptian interests in an unstable region," the White House said.

Egypt is joining Saudi Arabia-led air raids on the Houthi rebels in Yemen, on top of its efforts to fight Islamist militants in North Sinai and Libya.

In his phone talks with al-Sisi, Obama also reaffirmed U.S. concerns about Egypt's "continued imprisonment of non-violent activists and mass trials," the White House said.

  (Xinhua)
 cntv.cn
31/3/15- 1/4/15
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3 comments:

  1. Obama lève le gel sur les livraisons d'armes lourdes à l'Egypte...

    Soucieux de maintenir des liens étroits avec un vieil allié dans une région traversée par de profondes secousses, Barack Obama a annoncé mardi la reprise des livraisons d'armes lourdes à l'Egypte, gelées après la répression sanglante contre les partisans du président Morsi.

    Washington avait initialement conditionné la reprise de son aide militaire, suspendue en octobre 2013, à des réformes démocratiques dans le pays. Mais le rôle incontournable de l'Egypte, le plus peuplé et le mieux armé des pays arabes, qui se pose désormais en fer de lance régional dans la lutte contre les jihadistes l'EI, a poussé la Maison Blanche à infléchir sa position.

    Lors d'une conversation téléphonique, le président américain a annoncé à son homologue égyptien Abdel Fattah al-Sissi la levée du gel sur la livraisons de 12 avions de chasse F-16, 20 missiles Harpoon ainsi que de pièces pour chars Abrams M1A1.

    Ces décisions doivent permettre de répondre aux intérêts communs des deux pays "dans une région instable", a souligné l'exécutif américain.

    Impliquée dans la lutte contre les jihadistes du groupe Etat islamique (EI) en Libye, l'Egypte participe par ailleurs à la coalition arabe, dirigée par l'Arabie Saoudite, qui mène une intervention militaire au Yémen pour contrer l'avancée des rebelles chiites Houthis...........http://www.rtbf.be/info/monde/detail_obama-leve-le-gel-sur-les-livraisons-d-armes-lourdes-a-l-egypte?id=8946076
    1/4/15

    ReplyDelete
  2. Egypt president welcomes return of US military aid...

    Egypt's president says the United States' release of military aid previously suspended will help boost Cairo's ability to combat extremists in the region.

    Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who overthrew Egypt's elected but divisive Islamist president in 2013, said in a statement Wednesday that the decision supports the strategic objectives of both countries in combating terrorism and extremism and maintaining security, particularly in Egypt's restive Sinai Peninsula.................AP..........http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2015/Apr-01/292941-egypt-president-welcomes-return-of-us-military-aid.ashx
    1/4/15

    ReplyDelete
  3. The US decision to resume military supplies to Egypt will boost Cairo's capability to fight extremist groups operating in the region, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Sisi said Wednesday...

    "This decision helps the strategic goals of both countries in fighting terrorism and extremism, in providing security, especially on the turbulent Sinai Peninsula in Egypt," the Egyptian president was quoted as saying in the official statement.

    The White House authorized the delivery of 12 F-16 fighter jets, 20 Harpoon anti-ship missiles and 123 M1A1 tank kits to Egypt, according to US National Security Council spokesperson Bernadette Meehan.

    President Barack Obama also told his Egyptian counterpart that he would "continue to request an annual $1.3 billion in military assistance to Egypt," according to the White House press release.............http://sputniknews.com/politics/20150401/1020327169.html#ixzz3W4Rl4qqa
    1/4/15

    ReplyDelete

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