US greenlights $900mln weapons sale to Egypt
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The US has approved a $900 million weapons sale to Egypt, including radar systems and missile craft modernization, reportedly aimed at enhancing security and supporting regional stability.
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US and Egyptian flags are waved together during a demonstration on Saturday, February 5, 2011, in Seattle. (AP)
The Pentagon announced on Tuesday that the US has approved a potential weapons sale to Egypt valued at over $900 million.
The State Department has authorized the sale of AN/TPS-78 Long Range Radar and other logistical support, estimated at $304 million.
Another part of the deal, involving Fast Missile Craft Modernization, is estimated to cost $625 million.
The Pentagon stated, "This proposed sale will support US foreign policy and national security objectives by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that continues to be an important force for political stability and economic growth in the Middle East."
Driving the news
Financial Times reported last month that US President Donald Trump is pressuring Egypt and Jordan to accept forcibly displaced Palestinians from Gaza, suggesting the US could use financial aid as leverage. The proposal has triggered a backlash from Palestinians and Arab leaders, who view it as undermining Palestinian statehood ambitions.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said he had spoken with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi about resettling Gazans. "I wish he would take some. We helped them a lot, and I'm sure he'd help us," Trump said. "He's a friend of mine. He's in a very rough part of the world, to be honest. As they say, it's a rough neighborhood. But I think he would do it, and I think the King of Jordan would do it too."
Egypt denied such a conversation occurred, and both Cairo and Amman have firmly rejected the proposal, arguing it threatens Palestinian statehood and poses domestic risks. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi stated, "The solution to the Palestinian issue lies in Palestine," while Egypt's state-owned Al-Ahram declared: "Egypt [speaks] as one man: The people reject displacement and support efforts to protect national security as the Palestinians write their 'epic of return'."
Why it matters
In a related development, United States President Donald Trump pushed, on Tuesday, for Washignton's "takeover" of the Gaza Strip, during a joint news conference held with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We'll own it. And be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on this site," Trump said.
