The US had long been an ally of Egypt but relations between the two countries deteriorated after the military takeover in Egypt. President Barack Obama has now sought to improve the relations by lifting the arms freeze against Egypt that he had imposed following the coup overthrowing the democratically elected government of Mohammed Morsi nearly two years ago. Obama has cleared the way for the delivery of F16 aircraft, Harpoon missiles and tanks. He has assured President Abdul Fatah el-Sisi that he would support the full $1.3 billion in annual military assistance which the Cairo government traditionally received. However, the White House has not asserted that Egypt has made credible progress towards democracy. Obama had demanded it when he halted the arms deliveries in October, 2013. The latest decision is said to be in the interest of US national security. The decision coincides with alarming developments in West Asia. Conflict in Yemen has widened. Extremism is on the rise in Libya. The IS is on the warpath. A possible nuclear deal with Iran is hedged in with delaying obstacles. But the gravest threat came from militant attacks in the Sinai peninsula. The US President feels that Egypt needs the military hardware to defend itself.
Egypt for its part faces numerous security issues. It conducted an airstrike against Islamic militants in Libya. It will send ground troops to Yemen to back the Saudi-led operation against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Egyptian leaders have also agreed to form a combined military force with other Arab states. Obama had to choose between democracy backed by Islamic fundamentalism and the military rule of General Sisi. He has decided to support Sisi’s Egypt to enable it to play a stabilizing role in the Arab world.
