Egypt: Sisi unwilling to join US-led coalition against IS
Egypt: Sisi unwilling to join US-led coalition against IS
Sisi is unwilling to send troops to fight against IS in Iraq and Syria due to the absence of a parliament to approve the decision, and because its soldiers are needed to fight militants in the Sinai.
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The Egyptian army has been carrying out attacks against militants in the Sinai [Anadolu]
President Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi has promised to re-examine Egypt’s role in the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group [IS, formerly known as ISIS], according to a source in the Egyptian government. Sisi made his comments to Kuwaiti Emir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah during a recent visit to the Gulf state.
Sisi is reluctant to send Egyptian troops to fight in IS controlled areas even just to carry out airstrikes like Jordan, the sources added.
The main concern is that Egyptian soldiers are needed to fight Wilaya Sinai - the name for members of the Sinai-based militant group Ansar Bait al-Maqdis that have pledged alliance to IS since November 2014. The group has claimed responsibility for a number of recent attacks in the country. Recent security reports also warn of an increased likelihood Wilaya Sinai will carry out attacks in major Egyptian cities.
The army’s war against Wilaya Sinai is much smaller than the war against IS in Iraq and Syria, as the group is in control of a much smaller area of land in the Sinai. However, it has still not been able to win a battle that has been ongoing since summer 2012.
Sisi is also worried about a potential public backlash if he sends Egyptian troops to fight abroad. Article 152 of the Egyptian constitution prohibits the president from sending troops outside the country without the approval of two-thirds of the parliament. Currently the parliament is dissolved and elections are due to take place in March 2015.
A US-backed regional movement led by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates is also pushing to increase Egypt’s regional role, as seen during the rule of former President Hosni Mubarak. In return, Egypt will receive greater financial aid and petrol, of which the country is in dire need.
According to sources that have accompanied Sisi on some of his trips abroad, the president is keen to play a bigger regional role but has only been able to offer political support due to these concerns. So far Egypt has played a mediating role in the Syrian crisis, and it has backed Libya’s government and tribes fighting Islamist militants in Libya.
This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.
Sisi is reluctant to send Egyptian troops to fight in IS controlled areas even just to carry out airstrikes like Jordan, the sources added.
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Security reports warn of an increased likelihood Wilaya Sinai will carry out attacks in major Egyptian cities. |
The main concern is that Egyptian soldiers are needed to fight Wilaya Sinai - the name for members of the Sinai-based militant group Ansar Bait al-Maqdis that have pledged alliance to IS since November 2014. The group has claimed responsibility for a number of recent attacks in the country. Recent security reports also warn of an increased likelihood Wilaya Sinai will carry out attacks in major Egyptian cities.
The army’s war against Wilaya Sinai is much smaller than the war against IS in Iraq and Syria, as the group is in control of a much smaller area of land in the Sinai. However, it has still not been able to win a battle that has been ongoing since summer 2012.
Sisi is also worried about a potential public backlash if he sends Egyptian troops to fight abroad. Article 152 of the Egyptian constitution prohibits the president from sending troops outside the country without the approval of two-thirds of the parliament. Currently the parliament is dissolved and elections are due to take place in March 2015.
A US-backed regional movement led by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates is also pushing to increase Egypt’s regional role, as seen during the rule of former President Hosni Mubarak. In return, Egypt will receive greater financial aid and petrol, of which the country is in dire need.
According to sources that have accompanied Sisi on some of his trips abroad, the president is keen to play a bigger regional role but has only been able to offer political support due to these concerns. So far Egypt has played a mediating role in the Syrian crisis, and it has backed Libya’s government and tribes fighting Islamist militants in Libya.
This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.
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