On Arms-to-Egypt, Obama Answers Hill's Call

WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama answered a call from Republicans and Democrats when he ended a freeze on arms transactions to Egypt, and the move is winning him rare bipartisan praise.

The White House in October 2013 froze all sales of military hardware to Egypt, hoping to bring about democratic reforms there. The move came after political and economic turmoil that followed the 2011 "Arab Spring" ouster to of longtime President Hosni Mubarak, for decades a close US ally.

The White House's decision came mere days after Egyptian military forces began bombing militant targets inside Yemen.

At a time when Obama's foreign policy — especially efforts to reach a deal with Iran over its nuclear program — is being criticized by members of both parties, the Egypt decision was applauded on both sides of the aisle.

"The fight against extremism in Egypt demands our partnership. I'm glad that President Obama made this decision, and I believe that this new phase of partnership will strongly serve American interests," Engel said. "Now that this controversy is behind us, I hope that our two countries can focus on how Egypt can move ahead to a more inclusive, prosperous, and secure future."

House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Nita Lowey, RD-N.Y., on Wednesday also applauded the move.

"At a time of rising instability across the Middle East, it is critical that allies have both the ability to defend themselves and defeat extremists, and the confidence the United States will deliver on its promises," she said in a statement.

Lowey said she has been pushing the White House to lift the freeze for some time.

"That is why I have been urging the administration to move forward on delivering military assistance to Egypt that Congress had appropriated, which is important for U.S. national security and regional stability," Lowey said. "I expect Egypt will continue to enforce the peace treaty with Israel, work constructively to eliminate smuggling tunnels to Gaza, and respect the rights of its citizens to speak and assemble freely."

"We encourage the government of Egypt to continue its democratic process," Thornberry said in a statement. "But Egypt is also a strong regional ally. Maintaining that relationship must be a priority for the U.S. Providing them with the means to protect Egyptians and Americans from the threat of terrorism is the right thing to do."

The change provides a boost for American weapon manufacturers, who say they have been hurt by defense spending caps and budget cuts at home.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif., said when the Egyptian military took power in late 2013 that extremist elements "hostile to American interests" operating inside the country "binds us with the Egyptian government."

"That is why I support a continued and robust military relationship with Egypt," Royce said then.

At that time, Engel acknowledged the Egyptian military "handled the recent transition clumsily," but he urged the Obama administration to stick with the new regime in Cairo.

"During this fragile period we should be rebuilding partnerships in Egypt that enhance our bilateral relationship, not undermining them," Engel said.

During a Tuesday phone call with Egyptian President Abdelfattah al-Sisi, the White House said 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 US and Egyptian interests in an unstable region, consistent with the longstanding strategic partnership between our two countries."

Administration officials and US lawmakers are quick to say that despite the policy shift, Cairo must enact political changes that moves the country toward a democratic system. But some analysts warn that has not been happening.

"A police state harsher in its repression and more hegemonic politically in comparison to the Mubarak era has been reconstituting itself under military suzerainty," according to Yezid Sayigh, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Middle East Center in Beirut. "Increasingly draconian laws, hyper-nationalist discourse, and the expanding role of the security sector and armed forces in all aspects of civilian life herald an even more authoritarian political order based on broader societal acceptance of the repressive practices of the state's coercive apparatus."

(Editor's Note: This piece was updated at 4:56 p.m. with Rep. Engel's statement prepared on Wednesday.)

Email: jbennett@defensenews.com

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