While I agree with the main tenants of the article and certainly have reason to question Egypt's overall "stability" given the increasingly violent crackdowns, instances of torture, repression and detentions, I am skeptical of one part of the article in which the author questions whether or not the aid package the U.S. has in place towards Egypt will be able to hold given the recent events. "The robust U.S.-Egyptian relationship—including several high-profile visits each year and a $1.5 billion aid package--is based, in part, on Egypt’s portrayal of itself as the “leader” of the Arab world and a country on the path toward democracy. If the Sisi regime continues to jail, torture, and murder its critics, including Western scholars, it will make it very challenging for the United States to continue this level of support." While I certainly hope that the US would reevaluate the military support and aid package in general, I find it highly dubious that this will be renegotiated any time soon. Given Sisi's ability to successfully cast himself as the only stable option vis-a-vis the threats of militant groups like ISIS (which have an affiliate outfit on the Sinai Peninsula known as "Sinai State"), I think the US will continue to be convinced to support this regime. Kerry's recent remarks to me only indicate the US's continuation to "buy into" this idea that Egypt is undergoing a "transformation" and still underscores Egypt's role as a leader in the Arab world (which to me is swiftly crumbling), rather than revealing any sort of change in US policy towards Egypt. I hope that I am wrong on this and that the US does begin a pivot towards a more principled approach to its interactions with this regime, but sadly, I fear that Sisi will continue to be successful in convincing policy makers to continue the status quo.
While I agree with the main tenants of the article and certainly have reason to question Egypt's overall "stability" given the increasingly violent crackdowns, instances of torture, repression and detentions, I am skeptical of one part of the article in which the author questions whether or not the aid package the U.S. has in place towards Egypt will be able to hold given the recent events. "The robust U.S.-Egyptian relationship—including several high-profile visits each year and a $1.5 billion aid package--is based, in part, on Egypt’s portrayal of itself as the “leader” of the Arab world and a country on the path toward democracy. If the Sisi regime continues to jail, torture, and murder its critics, including Western scholars, it will make it very challenging for the United States to continue this level of support." While I certainly hope that the US would reevaluate the military support and aid package in general, I find it highly dubious that this will be renegotiated any time soon. Given Sisi's ability to successfully cast himself as the only stable option vis-a-vis the threats of militant groups like ISIS (which have an affiliate outfit on the Sinai Peninsula known as "Sinai State"), I think the US will continue to be convinced to support this regime. Kerry's recent remarks to me only indicate the US's continuation to "buy into" this idea that Egypt is undergoing a "transformation" and still underscores Egypt's role as a leader in the Arab world (which to me is swiftly crumbling), rather than revealing any sort of change in US policy towards Egypt. I hope that I am wrong on this and that the US does begin a pivot towards a more principled approach to its interactions with this regime, but sadly, I fear that Sisi will continue to be successful in convincing policy makers to continue the status quo.
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