Egypt's new regime and the future of the U.S.-Egyptian strategic relationship
By: Gregory Aftandilian
Contributors: Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute
Publisher: Strategic Studies Institute and U.S. Army War College Press
Published: 2013
Language: eng
Number of pages: 48
ISBN-13: 9781584875659
Subjects: Politics and government; National security; International cooperation; Strategic aspects; Military relations; Strategic aspects of individual places; American Military assistance; Diplomatic relations; Foreign relations
Description: This monograph examines the strategic importance of Egypt for the United States by exploring Egypt's role in the Arab-Israeli peace process, its geographical role (providing air and naval access) for U.S. military assets heading to the Persian Gulf, and joint training programs. With so much at stake in the Middle East, the idea of "losing" Egypt as a strategic ally would be a significant setback for the United States. The Egyptian revolution of early 2011 was welcomed by U.S. officials because the protestors wanted democratic government which conformed to U.S. ideals, and the institution that would shepherd the transition, the Egyptian military, had close ties with the United States. To bolster the U.S.-Egyptian relationship and help keep Egypt on the democratic path, the monograph recommends that U.S. military aid should not be cut, economic aid should be increased, and U.S. administration officials should not oppose congressional conditions tying aid to democratic norms because it signals U.S. support for democracy. The United States should continue to speak out for free and fair elections and other international norms, but should avoid commentating on the role of religion and Islamic law in the Egyptian Constitution. Helping the Egyptian military deal with the extremist threat in the Sinai, which the United States has already offered, should also be continued. The U.S. Army should continue to advocate for military-to-military contacts, encourage their Egyptian counterparts to continue to attend U.S. professional military educational institutions, engage with Egyptian counterparts on regional threat assessments, and advocate for a reactivation of the Bright Star exercises. What U.S. Army officials and officers should do is avoid getting into discussions with Egyptian military officers about Egyptian domestic politics, and drop any interest they may have in convincing Egypt to opt for a "more nimble" force because Egyptian defense officials would see it as an effort to weaken the Egyptian military.
Notes: "April 2013."

Includes bibliographical references (pages 42-48).

Description based on PDF version; title from title screen (viewed April 11, 2013).
Table of contents: title: Egypt's importance to U.S. strategic goals in the region; title: The challenge of dealing with different centers of power; title: The new regime's foreign and security policies; title: Egyptian political scenarios and U.S. strategic interests; title: Recommendations for the U.S. Army.