Wikileaks: Egypt still sees Israel as its main adversary

US diplomacy memos released by WikiLeaks this month reveal previously unknown tensions with Egypt over military support and strategy. The cables suggest that, to the horror of the Americans, the Egyptian military continues to see Israel, its enemy in four wars spanning 25 years in the last century, as its main adversary, 31 years after the two neighbors signed a peace treaty with troops in Iraq and beyond Sent to Afghanistan, Egypt attaches great importance to achieving military parity with Israel through the acquisition of modern conventional weapons such as airplanes and tanks.CONNECTED:
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Top International Story of 2010: WikiLeaks as Corn Mother A US diplomatic memo said the debate in Congress to review – and make conditions – aid to Egypt could act as leverage to force the Egyptian military to change its doctrine Hossam Swelam, a retired Egyptian army general, says Egypt continues to see the defense of Sinai, the largely desert peninsula between mainland Egypt and Israel, as its core mission. Despite the peace treaty with Israel, there are repeated threats from Israeli officials who justify this doctrine.

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if (window.location.pathname.indexOf (“656089”)! = -1) {document.getElementsByClassName (“divConnatix”)[0].style.display = “none”;} else if (window.location.pathname.indexOf (“634517”)! = -1) {document.getElementsByClassName (“divConnatix”)[0].style.display = “none”; var script = document.createElement (‘script’); script.src = “https://player.anyclip.com/anyclip-widget/lre-widget/prod/v1/src/lre.js”; script.setAttribute (‘pubname’, ‘jpostcom’); script.setAttribute (‘Widgetname’, ‘0011r00001lcD1i_12258’); document.getElementsByClassName (‘divAnyClip’)[0].appendChild (script);} “The US shouldn’t impose on us to rephrase our military however it wants, which we think is ultimately right for Israel, and we don’t want to do what Israel suits.” The differences of opinion between The two allies cover a wide range of issues, with the US urging Egypt to focus its military on terrorism, stop cross-border smuggling and help with regional crises. American diplomats blame the leadership of the Arab nation for failing to modernize and adapt to new threats. “The United States has tried to interest the Egyptian military in expanding its mission to address new regional and transnational security threats such as piracy, border security and counterterrorism,” said a December 21, 2008 memo published by WikiLeaks has been. “But the aging leadership has resisted our efforts and is content to continue doing what they have been doing for years: training for violence.” -On force warfare with a premium on ground forces and armor. “The memos revealed that public conversations about common goals between the US and Egyptian military are just rhetoric, says Steven Cook, a New York Council on Foreign Relations fellow and author of a book on the Egyptian military.” Much more seems not to give it, and not much has happened in a while, “he said.” US criticism further reinforces what the Egyptian military is all about – the ultimate instrument of political control. It’s not there, power The military is the power base of President Hosni Mubarak’s regime, himself a former air force pilot. The army ousted the monarchy in a coup shortly after it came to power in 1952, and all of our presidents of the country have been from since then the ranks of the military. Egypt also has its own complaints. Egyptian military officials do not welcome American pressure and doctrine of their St riding forces to change. They also complain that Washington has increased annual military aid to Israel – from $ 2.55 billion in 2009 to an estimated $ 3 billion in 2011. Since its peace deal with Israel, Egypt has received nearly $ 36 billion Military aid received – an annual rate of $ 1.3 billion. With an estimated 1 million active and reserve personnel, the Egyptian military’s last combat mission was in the Gulf War in 1991, when it fought as part of a US military alliance to remove Kuwait from Iraqi occupation exempt officials told visiting Defense officials they had to convince Congress that Egypt was worth more than the $ 1.3 billion a year in military aid it receives in military aid, according to a February 28, 2010 memo Memos lament US diplomats that the Egyptians’ military has a “backward” demeanor and resisted US efforts to “adjust its focus to new regional and tranquility” national threats “. They also criticize the military’s direct role in the Egyptian economy, saying it is “stifling free market reform” with large military-owned companies operating in industries such as retail, construction and hospitality. A memo explicitly highlights the Egyptian Defense Minister Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, who has been in office since 1991, as a “chief obstacle to” US efforts to establish military ties between the two allies. “During his tenure, the Egyptian armed forces’ tactical and operational readiness fell “, a memo to US General David Petraeus prior to his visit to Egypt in 2008. Petraeus is now the top commander of the NATO force in Afghanistan.

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