Russia To Deploy Soldiers For First Ever Drill in Africa

A dog stands near Russian paratroopers, who are waiting to board a helicopter, during a military exercise outside the southern city of Stavropol, Russia, October 27, 2015. Russian paratroopers are set to take part in an exercise in Africa for the first time. (Eduard Korniyenko/Reuters)

 

The joint drill with the Egyptian armed forces is set to take place later this month, with Russian troops, sporting equipment designed for hot climates, practicing combat with militants in desert conditions.

The U.S. Must Deny Russian Influence in Egypt

In the violent aftermath of the Egyptian military’s removal of Mohamed Morsi from power, the United States has tried to send a message with limited suspensions of aid. As the security situation on the Sinai Peninsula continues to deteriorate, re-engaging Egypt in counterterrorism efforts is warranted. The administration’s oscillating decisions to maintain, halt, and then reinstate this type of security assistance have been confusing at best and harmful at worst. Egypt’s need for satellite services (including launch capabilities) to address the growing problem of insurgents in the Sinai is a key national security concern to Egypt, Israel, and the U.S.

On the geopolitical stage, the fact that Russia has stepped in to solve Egypt’s technology services gap should further motivate the U.S. to action.The Egyptian sentiment that the U.S. has turned its back on them in their hour of need has left an opening for other players to provide financial and technical military assistance. Attempting to preserve the appearance of propriety and support a democratically elected leader, exert regional influence, and keep radical Islamists out of office, Washington has fallen short and created a vacuum whereby a pro-Syrian Russia has moved in to further its strategic regional interests.

The New Map of the Middle East

 

The map you see above, and also embedded below, was the main illustration for the piece, which appeared in the January/February 2008 issue. I introduced the conceit of the story this way:

As America approaches the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, the list of the war’s unintended consequences is without end (as opposed to the list of intended consequences, which is, so far, vanishingly brief). The list includes, notably, the likelihood that the Kurds will achieve their independence and that Iraq will go the way of Gaul and be divided into three parts—but it also includes much more than that. Across the Middle East, and into south-central Asia, the intrinsically artificial qualities of several states have been brought into focus by the omnivorous American response to the attacks of 9/11; it is not just Iraq and Afghanistan that appear to be incoherent amalgamations of disparate tribes and territories. The precariousness of such states as Lebanon and Pakistan, of course, predates the invasion of Iraq. But the wars against al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and especially Saddam Hussein have made the durability of the modern Middle East state system an open question in ways that it wasn’t a mere seven years ago.

Cairo bids for brand-new Russian SS-25 ballistic missiles in major arms transaction with Moscow

Lt. Gen. Vyacheslav Kondrashov, Russian Deputy chief of staff and head of GRU military intelligence, spent the first day of his visit to Cairo, Tuesday, Oct. 29, with Egyptian military chiefs, going through the list of Russian military hardware items they want to buy in their first major arms transaction with Moscow in more than three decades, debkafile’s military sources report. The Egyptians asked Moscow to supply the sort of advanced weapons withheld by the United States, and topped their shopping list with medium-range intercontinental ballistic missiles that cover Iran and most of the Middle East.

They told the Russian general that Moscow’s good faith in seeking to build a new military relationship between the two governments would be tested by its willingness to meet this Egyptian requirement.

Obama frowns on Egyptian army’s alignment with Gulf regimes, coming crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood

After US Secretary of State John Kerry was filmed vacationing on his yacht at the peak of the Egyptian crisis, President Barack Obama released this statement early Sunday, July 7: “The US is not aligned with and is not supporting any particular Egyptian political party or group and condemns “ongoing violence across Egypt.”  Obama made these points in a telephone conference with the National Security Council from Camp David.

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Nothing was said about the general’s response. The military has along denied staging a coup, insisting it only stepped in to avert civil bloodshed and a provisional government would prepare the country for early elections.

Both parties to this exchange were putting on an act. For President Obama, the Muslim Brothers’ ouster was and remains unacceptable. By denying support for any particular party or group, he was also saying he wants no truck with the generals who made it happen.

Saudis, Gulf emirates actively aided Egypt’s military coup, settling score for Mubarak ouster

The lightening coup which Wednesday, July 3, overthrew President Mohamed Morsi put in reverse gear for the first time the Obama administration’s policy of sponsoring the Muslim Brotherhood movement as a moderate force for Arab rule and partner in its Middle East policies. debkafile reveals that the Egyptian military could not have managed their clockwork coup without the aid of Saudi and Dubai intelligence and funding.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE threw their weight and purses behind Egypt’s generals aiming to put their first big spoke in the US-sponsored Arab Revolt (or Spring), after they failed to hold the tide back in Libya, Egypt and thus far Syria.

Mansour and el-Sissi – the two men running Egypt

 Judge Adly Mansour has been sworn in as interim president in Egypt after Mohammed Morsi’s outing, but the real powerhouse is the military, which is led by General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.

“I swear by God to honor the law and the constitution and to serve justice.” Barely 24 hours after President Mohammed Morsi had been ousted, Adly Mansour was sworn in as interim president.

South Israel on alert for multiple al Qaeda strike. Iron Dome posted

Incoming intelligence of Al Qaeda groups in the Sinai Peninsula winding up preparations for a multiple attack on an Israeli location, such as Eilat, and a US military target in the Negev, has put southern Israel and US forces posted there on high terror alert. This is reported by debkafile’s military sources.

The Israeli high command decided to treat the five Qassam rockets fired at Shear Hanegev Wednesday, April 3, which were claimed by the Al Qaeda-affiliated Salafist “Jihad Brigades in Jerusalem.” as the opening salvo for this coordinated attack. An Iron Dome battery was accordingly moved Thursday to the Israeli-Egyptian border north of the southern port of Eilat and additional IDF strength directed to the South.

Heavy sandstorms in the region have sharply reduced visibility for troop movements and provided excellent cover for terrorist infiltration.

Not-So-Strange Bedfellows

After what the current US administration had done (and admitted) to overthrow Mubarak from Egypt, we now see the predicted result. Scuds today, ICBMs tomorrow.

Chinese missile technicians spotted in Egypt working with North Koreans to upgrade Scuds

China is covertly working with North Koreans to modernize Egypt’s short-range missile systems, raising new concerns among United States intelligence officials about the arms programs of the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated government in Egypt.

Truck with rockets, artillery shells captured enroute to Gaza

CAIRO — Egypt, pressed by Israel and the United States, have
reported the seizure of a major rocket shipment bound for the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

Egyptian security forces were said to have captured one of the largest weapons transport smuggled from Libya and headed for the Gaza Strip.

Officials said Egyptian military and police units intercepted a truck near Libya that contained 108 BM-21 Grad rockets and 400,000 rounds of anti-aircraft artillery shells. Later, the Egyptian-controlled media said about 20,000 rounds were found.

On a roll: How Morsi toppled Egypt’s military elite in only one month

In only one month, Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood managed to topple a powerful military elite, something that his friend Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, took nearly a decade to do.

The ruling Muslim Brotherhood has succeeded in this by coopting Egypt’s military command.

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Within weeks of assuming office, President Mohammed Morsi persuaded junior members of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces to topple Egypt’s defense minister and chief of staff.

“It [Brotherhood] was able to build strong enough links with some members of SCAF, exploiting personal differences and opportunism rather than ideology,” Hani Sabra, the analyst, said.

Full article: On a roll: How Morsi toppled Egypt’s military elite in only one month (World Tribune)

Egypt considering violating peace treaty with Israel

A country that has kept stability in the Arab world for over 30 years, now radicalized after being overturned by the current White House administration, has now become openly hostile to a traditional US ally in the region, Israel.

Islamist president sending troops, tanks to border region

NEW YORK – Egypt’s Islamist President Mohammed Morsi is studying the possibility of keeping tanks in the Sinai Peninsula on a permanent basis, according to a senior Egyptian military official who spoke to WND.

The military buildup would violate a key provision of peace accords signed with Israel in 1979 that calls for the total demilitarization of the peninsula.

Over the last two weeks, there have been reports of Egypt sending in light tanks, armored vehicles and attack helicopters in the Sinai purportedly to fight Islamic groups blamed for a spate of attacks and attempted attacks against both Israel and Egyptian police.

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The Egyptian military leadership has long been considered a quiet ally of Israel’s own defense establishment.

However, Morsi’s most recent unilateral sacking of the Egyptian military brass has now sent alarm bells ringing across Israel. The move signals the centralization of Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood coalition and his presidency’s dominance over the military, which has long been seen as an independent force.

Muslim Brotherhood leaders over the years have called for Egypt to abandon the peace treaty signed with Israel. The treaty was the basis for the opening of billions of dollars in U.S. aid that built the Egyptian military into one of the strongest forces in the Middle East today, perhaps second only to Israel.

Full article: Egypt considering violating peace treaty with Israel (WND)

Islamist takeover complete: Morsi Fires Top Defense Brass

Whether you were for or against the old regime is a moot point. Any remaining stabillity has now been completely undermined and done away with. Say goodbye to 30 years of stable peace in the Arab region. It has also been reported that Egyptian tanks have now been moved to the Israeli border.

Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi has sacked the entire leadership of the country’s defense establishment.

Among the officials and officers fired are Defense Minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, and Chief of Staff Sami Anan.

Morsi appointed Abdul-Fatah al-Sessi as Defense Minister and Lieutenant-General Sidki Sayed Ahmed as Army Chief of Staff. A judge named Mahmoud Mekki was appointed vice president. Morsi also ordered the retirement of the commanders of the navy, air defense and air force. The retired navy commander, Lieutenant-General Mohan Mameesh, was named as chairman of the Suez Canal.

Morsi also cancelled all constitutional changes that gave the military enlarged powers.

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The Muslim Brotherhood’s Morsi appears to be wasting no time in consolidating his hold over power at the expense of the military, which many hoped would be a moderating power over him.

Full article: Islamist takeover complete: Morsi Fires Top Defense Brass (Arutz Sheva 7)

Egypt Set to Declare its First-Ever Elected President

The long-awaited Egyptian election results are expected to be announced on Sunday which will make either Mohammed Mursi or Ahmed Shafiq the first-ever elected president in Egyptian history.

The ruling military council delayed the results of the presidential election run-off citing allegations of malpractice in the polling. The voting took place exactly a week back on 17 June.

Both the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mursi and former dictator Hosni Mubarak’s ex-aide Shafiq claimed victory in the election which led to demonstrations from both sides in the country.

The ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) had been calling on both the parties to accept the election results regardless of whoever wins.

The results were supposed to have been announced on Thursday but the election commission said it would be announcing the official results at 15:00 local time (14:00 BST).

Full article: Egypt Set to Declare its First-Ever Elected President (International Business Times)

War with Egypt Approaches

There are two obvious lessons from what is happening in Egypt. First, the land for peace formula is crazy. We gave land for peace and now that they have decided to destroy the peace, they get to keep the land. In the clip below they say their path to invasion goes through Gaza. So here too, they show that all the people who said that Gaza had no value to Israel were wrong twice. As the daily shelling from Gaza into Israel shows, our presence in Gaza prevented attacks on southern Israel. And as their declarations make clear, our presence in Gaza blocked a convergence of Palestinian and Egyptian forces in the Sinai which — with its 220 km border with Israel, is now the preferred launching point for attacks.

The second lesson is of course that all the enthusiasm over “Arab democracy” by Westerners, and particularly by conservatives desperate for a way to make war seem like a redemptive experience or something was irresponsible to the point of maliciousness.

We warned you over and over again that this would turn out badly. But you said we were wrong and indeed, somehow immoral to prefer Mubarak to “the people.”

Full article: War with Egypt Approaches (Right Side News)