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Egypt's Allies Rally Amid Fears over Worsening Security
(Wall Street Journal) Tamer El-Ghobashy - After two years of cool relations between the U.S. and Egypt, the October terrorist attack on a Russian passenger plane over the Sinai Peninsula triggered increased military aid to shore up President Sisi. Michael Hanna, an Egypt expert at the Century Foundation, said the U.S. will seek to increase support for the Sisi regime despite deep concerns about its human-rights record. The goal is to avoid having Egypt - long a U.S. ally - follow the downward spiral of Iraq, Syria and Libya, where terrorists have exploited security vacuums in recent years. The U.S. has offered the prospect of military and political support on top of the $1.3 billion it already provides annually. Earlier this month, the U.S. delivered - at no cost to Egypt - 762 military vehicles designed to withstand the improvised explosive devices that have become the most deadly for security services patrolling Sinai. There have been on average 70 attacks a month on Egyptian security services in north Sinai since January.