On Thursday, the Pentagon said the State Department approved a potential sale of CH-47F Chinook helicopters and related equipment to Egypt worth about $2.6 billion.
The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said the sale is for 56 Chinooks, which come with installed M-240 machine guns. The principal contractor for the deal is Boeing.
The Chinook sale is the second arms deal the Biden administration moved forward for Egypt this month. Last week, the State Department approved the sale of over 5,000 TOW 2A anti-tank missiles worth an estimated $691 million.
The sales to Egypt come despite concerns in Washington over Cairo’s human rights abuses and its harsh treatment of political prisoners. Egypt receives about $1.3 billion in military aid from the US each year, the second-highest of any country except for Israel, although Ukraine has surpassed both nations for 2022.
Last year, the Biden administration withheld $130 million in military aid from Egypt after pressure from Congress, but many critics said it didn’t go far enough. As a candidate, President Biden vowed to take a harder line on Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, but the arms sales continued.
The State Department’s approval of the Chinook deal begins a period where it could potentially be blocked by Congress.
“As a candidate, President Biden vowed to take a harder line on Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, but the arms sales continued”… and continue.
Profits above all else…
Political capital for any and all who bow to the MIC and promise to provide for the MIC (and receive $$$$$$ for political campaigns).
Egypt would be better off buying food and fixing internal food supply chains.
But its just easier to shoot rebels than solve root problems of rebellion.
Well said.
(Less food= less people…)
A reasonable perspective.However,Egypt also faces a population explosion ,hordes of restive unemployed youth,and religious militancy.
Biden is an arms dealer…
2.6 billion worth of helicopters. Later to be destroyed by Israel
Nope. They have an agreement. Also, Egypt is the gate keeper at the other end of the open air prison. Only two ways in or out: the Israeli gate or the Egyptian gate.
What I meant was the probability of regime change in Egypt and a patriotic Egyptian, say a Nasser, in times ahead which Israel will not tolerate.
A patriot who used poison gas in Yemen and brought his country to a disastrous war. but he was popular,
I don’t know whom you are talking about Yemen.Yes he was a patriot. Disastrous war? Yes. You did it. Not he. In times to come another Nasser would come .You did not catch my point
“Last year, the Biden administration withheld $130 million in military aid from Egypt after pressure from Congress, but many critics said it didn’t go far enough.”
Was that already subtracted before the $2.6 billion for the helicopters? Or the $691 million for the anti-tank missiles? Who is bullshitting who?
What on earth does a poor country like that need those weapons for? Who are they afraid of?
egypt will use the aid money that uncle sam gives them freely to buy assault helicopters from defense contractors located in the US
Who is Egypt going to use this equipment against? This is a joke.
Sinai terrorists.
nausea…
Because Egypt is best with enemies? Who? Where? Egypt, with over 100,000,000 people, has Libya and Sudan as neighbors; both are ruined, failed states, with no real military to speak of, both fighting years long civil wars. Egypt’s only possible enemy that would require 5000 anti tank missiles is to the east, and that would be….Israel, our client state and “greatest ally”.
So, we’re arming Egypt for possible war with Israel??? What sense does that make???
Spending so much on buying Weapons
The Russia-Ukraine War has Turn Egypt’s Food Crisis into an Existential Threat to the Economy
Pay
https://www.mei.edu/publications/russia-ukraine-war-has-turned-egypts-food-crisis-existential-threat-economy