11.04.2023 06:22
President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi of Egypt in February planned to produce 40,000 rockets to be Russia and instructed the officials to keep the production and shipment of the rockets secret “to avoid problems with the West,” according to a leaked U.S. document.
That’s according to The Washington Post, Ukrinform reports.
A portion of a top secret document, dated February 17, summarizes purported conversations between Sisi and senior Egyptian military officials and also references plans to supply Russia with artillery rounds and gunpowder. In the document, Sisi instructs the officials to keep the production and shipment of the rockets secret “to avoid problems with the West.”
The Washington Post obtained the document from a trove of images of classified files posted in February and March on Discord, a chat app popular with gamers. The document has not been previously reported.
A U.S. government official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to address sensitive information, said: “We are not aware of any execution of that plan,” referring to the rocket export initiative. “We have not seen that happen,” the official added.
According to the article, providing arms to Russia for its war in Ukraine would represent a potentially explosive gambit for Egypt, a nation that, despite deepening ties with Moscow, remains deeply invested in its partnership with the United States, which for decades has provided the country more than $1 billion a year in security aid.
(C)UNIAN 2023
why is Egypt getting U.S. munnies in the first place?
Apparently this has been going on since 1979.
Since 1979, Egypt has been receiving uninterrupted aid at an average of $1.6bn a year, the bulk of which goes to the military.
Military support has come in the form of arms distribution and military training services. A biennial series of joint military exercises led by Egyptian and US troops in Egypt commenced in 1980.
Referred to as Operation Bright Star, the coalition training is designed to strengthen ties between the two country’s forces and to assist the United States in solidifying its strategic alliances in the Middle East.
In August, the US cut tens of millions in aid from Egypt, citing the country’s failure to make progress on human rights and democratic norms – but experts described these cuts as largely symbolic.
The primary benefit is the “cessation of hostilities against Israel” by Egypt and “other Arab states that could not wage war against Israel in the absence of Egyptian participation”, Springborg said.
In addition to Egyptian support for American “counter-terrorism and counterinsurgency” campaigns, Springborg says the US also enjoys marginal benefits, including access to Egyptian airspace and the prioritization of US naval vessels through the Suez Canal.
The high amount of military aid, in particular, has also helped to create jobs and to reduce unemployment in the US. More than 1.3 million Americans work in manufacturing weaponry for defense companies, and more than three million others support the industry indirectly.
They are getting Hungarian-style financial support and modern US weapons so they don’t attack their neighbor Israel or supply the West Bank with weapons too. I’m worried Egypt will change their minds and hand the French Mistrals back to Moskovia.