The New Egypt Has Many Faces

November 26, 2014

The new Egypt under former General and now President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is much like the famous Sphinx monument. From one angle, the Sphinx appears to be a man but from a different perspective, it looks like a lion. Likewise, the current regime in Egypt has many sides and faces—and they may appear to be friend or foe, depending on where one looks. Egypt is a country under intense scrutiny for civil rights concerns and has courted the Russians as an alternative to its friends in the West. But it has also been a key partner in the fight against terrorism.

Complex Inside

The internal atmosphere in Egypt seems calmer than it was during the summer of 2013, during which mass protests and a growing terrorism campaign were the norm. Roughly 18 months after the Islamic regime of the Muslim Brotherhood was toppled by the military, Egypt does appear to have their internal situation more under control. Still, as of the writing of this article, the situation was by no means quiet. Ahram Online reported that, in late September, a bomb exploded near the foreign ministry building in the capital of Cairo, killing two lieutenant colonels.

It’s that fight with terror that has made their human rights situation so murky. The Muslim Brotherhood is a former terrorist organization that supposedly had given up violence for politics. Regardless of whether or not that’s true, terrorists in Egypt—mostly in the wilderness of the Sinai region—escalated their fight with authorities after the Brotherhood lost power.

As a result, there were legitimate claims by Egyptian authorities that they were waging a difficult counterterrorism campaign. But, at the same time, some of their aggressive approaches to protestors and political opponents drew the ire of the West. The US halted major weapons shipments to Egypt in light of the crackdown, although they later decided to unfreeze 10 attack helicopters. Still, the Al-Ahram Weekly reported in early September that despite pledges to send the helicopters, the equipment had not yet arrived. The US wasn’t the only one concerned about civil liberties in Egypt.

Michael Mann, spokesperson for the European Union (EU) Foreign Policy Chief, told The Mideast Update in late September that the EU “remains concerned about the poor human rights situation in Egypt.” He noted that the crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood and mass sentences in court cases are “of particular concern.” On the other hand, he highlighted the acquittal of 112 persons charged with breaking the Protest Law as a “step” in the right direction. He noted that more still needs to be done.

Complex Outside

In light of the not-yet-arrived arms shipments from the US, Egypt started courting a traditional American competitor—Russia. It began with some friendly words from Russian President Vladimir Putin. RIA Novosti reported that Putin gave el-Sisi, who was visiting Russia as the military leader of Egypt at the time, a wish for success on his presidential bid even before Egypt’s elections were held. Later, in August, RIA Novosti reported the sides had agreed to grow their military cooperation—with Russian fighter jets and helicopters at least part of the discussion.

The rapprochement with Russia by Egypt can’t look very good to the West, especially since Russia is infamous for being a friend to nasty regimes in Syria and Iran. However, it may just be Egypt’s way of replacing the weapons it has yet to receive from the West as part of past agreements. And weapons are needed to fight terrorists.

Of course, Egypt’s most positive role in foreign affairs so far has been that fight with terrorists. The US, in comments last April about the reason they had decided to again send attack helicopters to Egypt, cited counterterrorism. US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel told an Egyptian official that the attack helicopters “will help the Egyptian government counter extremists who threaten US, Egyptian and Israeli security,” according to a readout of the call posted on the Pentagon website. The Sinai region, where much of Egypt’s counterterrorism efforts have focused, has long been a threat to Israel as well, with some rocket attacks on southern Israel being launched from the Sinai.

Egypt also played a key role in mediating the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas following the summer’s war between Gaza and Israel. The Israelis sounded generally pleased with the agreement that ended the fighting, and Europe was glad to see Egypt play the role. Said Mann, “The EU is supporting Egypt’s re-emergence as an important regional political player. In particular, we have been working in support of Egyptian efforts to mediate the Gaza ceasefire and reconstruct Gaza” as part of the broader projects there. Furthermore, both the US and Europe have highlighted Egypt’s support in the fight with ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria).

Complex Conclusion

So is Egypt truly friendly or not? It ultimately depends on what you’re looking for. If you want a nation that is fighting terrorists, then Egypt can be a key player in such a scenario. However, Egypt is not yet a beacon of democracy and their international loyalties may be up for sale. In other words, it’s best to keep them as a friend, but keep an eye on them, nonetheless. After all, even a friendly Sphinx has lion-like claws.

Source: Joshua Spurlock, The Mideast Update