Egypt, our ally…trying to sell arms to Russia
Probably our oldest, closest mideastern non-oil based ally would be Egypt. While not an especially close relationship a la Israel or Saudi Arabia, the Egyptians have generally been more or less on our side, right? Well, maybe not.
A leaked US intelligence document blew the lid on secret arms negotiations between Egypt and Russia, where Egyptian President Abel Fattah El-Sisi planned to provide the Kremlin with tens of thousands of rockets.
The Washington Post obtaines a series of classified files posted in February and March to the gaming platform Discord. One of the files detailed conversations between high-level Egyptian officials over the sale of weapons to Russia.
In one document, Sisi (Egyptian President) instructs officials to keep the shipment and mass weapon production secret, “to avoid problems with the West.”
The top secret document, dated February 17, features discussion from Egyptian officials about how to supply their Russian counterparts with gunpowder and artillery from Egyptian factories, per the Post.
Egypt has been a longtime US ally, receiving over $1 billion in military aid annually, while also deepening relations with Moscow under El-Sisi’s rule, per the Post.
We’re talking 40,000 rockets here, not to mention an unspecified amount of ‘powder’.
It seems the deal never came to fruition, which is a good thing. Maybe the same thing needs to happen to some of that $1,000,000,000 in foreign aid we send them annually as a reminder to play nice?
We have no allies in the Middle East.
The entire concept of Allies is ludicrous. We have countries whose interests temporarily align with ours for a while, but any country out there would screw us in a second if it helped their country get ahead. Add the fact that most of them absolutely hate everything about America, except our money, and that should be the looking glass used in looking at foreign relations.
Yep! And most of our “Allies” don’t even have the common courtesy to give us a “reach around”.
It’s always about looking out for #1. Sometimes that means not doing things that piss off your MMA fighter friend in case you all get jumped in a bar.
Like Henry said;
“America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests”
Save one perhaps.
Israel is more faithful as an ally to us, than we have been to them.
YMMV
Yeah, my mileage varies. They have graciously allowed us to spend untold billions of dollars on them, and a few lives, in return for…….?
See also Jonathan Pollard, who received a hero’s welcome in Israel after his release from a US prison.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/30/middleeast/jonathan-pollard-israel-arrival-intl/index.html
And the 1973 oil embargo.
USS Liberty
Etc.
I appreciate the meme that is taken from the most memorable segment of a popular 80s music video – Susanna giving that look 😍
Please raise your hand if you have ever participated in Exercise BRIGHT STAR.
This is gonna get interesting…
https://egyptembassy.net/news/100_years/exercise-bright-star-a-definitive-statement-of-strategic-partnership-between-egypt-and-the-u-s/
“Generally held every two years, the first Bright Star exercise took place in 1980, with the most recent being its 17th iteration; the next exercise is scheduled to take place in 2023.”
Right hand raised. (Not really, since it is in a post-surgery sling.) I did bright star in 1997 (or maybe 96). Fun event. But not at all impressed with the Egyptian army.
Never did a Bright Star, but I did get stuck at Cairo West for 2 days trying to get home from Somalia. I can testify without hesitation that “Bumphuque Egypt” is more than just a figure of speech, it’s a real place.
An old OPSEC poster from the early 1990’s (just after the Berlin Wall came down) said it best:
“Countries don’t have friends, they have interests.”
Wasn’t really that long ago that Egypt and the Bear were on a first name basis. Something about an Aswan Dam somethingsomething. They rolled/flew in a whole lot of Soviet gear until a certain peace treaty got signed, costing the signer his life in the middle of a parade.
The Chick in the pic doesn’t look like Little Eva singing the Locomotion for $.50 C on the jukebox mounted picture screen at the Pier 4 Geedunk stand in Norfolk NOB
Damn….
That’s one ugly chick….
Bud Light has damaged your retinas.