According to Truthout, the documents show that Washington has provided the Egyptian military with millions of dollars worth of arms, including parts of tanks and guided missiles, despite a State Department’s freeze on military assistance to the country since October.
Detailing Washington’s arms deliveries to the Egyptian military, Truthout reporters Paul Gottinger and Ken Klippenstein wrote on Wednesday that “the US sent $44 million worth of guided missiles in February; $24.9 million worth of parts for armored fighting vehicles, including crucial parts like cannons and gun mounts for M1 Abram tanks from October to February; $5 million worth of parts for Apache helicopters and F-16 fighter jet parts.”
This comes as the Obama administration suspended the delivery of heavy arms, including Apache attack helicopters, M1-A1 tank parts, and F-16 warplanes, in October following the Egyptian military’s bloody crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood.
In July 2013, former Egyptian military chief Abdul Fattah el-Sisi ousted the country’s first democratically-elected President, Mohamed Morsi.
According to human rights groups, at least 1,400 people have been killed in the political turmoil since Morsi’s ouster, “most of them due to excessive force used by security forces.”
El-Sisi is now running for presidency in the country’s presidential election being held May 26-27. He has said that Cairo’s ties with Washington will improve after the election.
The United States never described Morsi’s ouster and the Egyptian military’s seizure of power a coup. A US law passed in January exempted Egypt from longstanding legislation that requires an end to US military aid following a coup.
RA/NJF