Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi made a fool of the United States — and the Biden-Harris administration rewarded him for his ridicule.
Last Sunday, the National Interest reported that Egypt is ditching US F-16 fighter jets for their Chinese competitor, the J-10C. The US had offered to upgrade Egypt’s aging fleet of F-16s. Sisi said no, and chose China instead.
On the face of things, Egypt’s betrayal makes no sense. A year ago, Egypt was on the brink of insolvency. Its external debt made up 46% of its GDP.
Its local currency was a joke and inflation rates of 35% (70% for foodstuffs) was making it impossible for the Egyptian middle class to make it through the month.
Thanks in large part to the Biden-Harris administration, Egypt’s financial woes are now a thing of the past. In March, at Washington’s urging, the International Monetary Fund approved a long delayed $8 billion loan to Egypt.
That loan persuaded the EU to provide Egypt with loans and grants totaling another $8 billion shortly thereafter.
Had the US not been involved, given the Sisi regime’s failed economic leadership, none of that cash would have found its way to Egypt.
In the past, the US could have been expected to respond to Egypt’s slap in the face by suspending its annual $1.3 billion military aid package.
If the Egyptians prefer the Chinese, then the Chinese can give them handouts.
Instead, Wednesday the State Department announced that for the first time in three years, it is going to hand over the entire sum with no strings attached.
Between 2021-2023, the US withheld hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Cairo due to the Sisi regime’s lousy human rights record.
But mere days after Cairo opted to go with Washington’s chief superpower rival to modernize its air force, the State Department announced that it is rewarding Egypt for its treachery.
“This decision is important to advancing regional peace and Egypt’s specific and ongoing contributions to US national security priorities, particularly to finalize a cease-fire agreement for Gaza, bring the hostages home, surge humanitarian assistance for Palestinians in need, and help bring an enduring end to the Israel-Hamas conflict.”
This State Department announcement holds the key to understanding why Egypt isn’t worried about double-crossing Washington.
Far from rewarding Egypt for its actions since Hamas invaded Israel on Oct. 7, the US should have sanctioned it.
Without Egypt, Hamas would never have been able to build up the massive arsenal of missiles and weapons that it used to invade Israel on Oct. 7, and to wage war against Israel until today.
Since Israel seized control over the Gaza side of the Gaza-Egypt border in May, its forces have discovered more than 50 subterranean tunnels that cross into Egypt.
One such tunnel was 10 feet tall and wide enough for a truck to drive through.
The Egyptian side of the border is controlled by a consortium called the al-Organi Group. Egyptian President Sisi’s son, General Mahmoud Sisi, is a silent partner in Organi’s operations.
These include getting paid tens of millions of dollars for all goods and people traversing the border with Gaza.
Hamas is the official Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Sisi rose to power in 2013 by ousting the Muslim Brotherhood regime from power and they remain mortal enemies.
Given this, the Egyptian president could have been expected to stand with Israel against Hamas. But the opposite has been the case.
Since the outset of the war, Sisi and his senior officials have repeatedly threatened to abrogate Egypt’s 1979 peace treaty with Israel if Israel fails to relent in its war effort.
America’s relationship with Egypt is rooted in that peace treaty. Washington brokered it. The Biden-Harris team could have been expected to react with fury to Sisi’s threats.
But just as was the case with the F-16 snub, so here, the opposite happened.
The administration responded to Sisi’s open animosity and constant threats to Israel by rewarding and praising him as its key partner.
Sisi moved from siding with Hamas against Israel to standing with China against the US.
And the administration responded by giving him $1.3 billion in unconditional military assistance (while maintaining its unofficial embargo of offensive ordnance against Israel).
The message he got and acted on is obvious: Under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, standing with America is for suckers.