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2021-05-05t000000z_1975888773_rc2l9n92zggq_rtrmadp_3_egypt-turkey-scaled

Egypt planned to secretly arm Russia with rockets: Discord leaks

Sisi told his deputies to be discreet in order to ‘avoid problems with the West.’

Africa

Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi secretly commanded his government to send rockets, artillery and gunpowder to Russia, saying in a meeting that the shipments should be discreet in order “to avoid problems with the West,” according to a leaked document first obtained by the Washington Post.

The revelation drew immediate backlash from Washington, which has supplied Cairo with an average of nearly $2 billion in annual aid for the past 45 years. “If it’s true that Sisi is covertly building rockets for Russia that could be used in Ukraine, we need to have a serious reckoning about the state of our relationship,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told the Washington Post.

U.S. officials have denied seeing any evidence that the shipments have yet taken place, but the document indicates that Sisi’s order came down just days after meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in late January. Given the importance that the United States has placed on strangling Russia’s weapons supply, the leak risks blowing up relations between Washington and one of its closest allies in the Middle East.

The Biden administration has yet to weigh in directly on the accusation, which comes as Congress has already been pressuring the executive branch to do more to rein in Egyptian human rights abuses. After the State Department agreed to withhold $130 million in planned aid to Cairo last year, then-Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) blocked an additional $75 million tranche of support despite opposition from the administration.

When asked about the accusations, Egyptian officials insisted that Cairo maintains a neutral stance toward the war in Ukraine. “We continue to urge both parties to cease hostilities and reach a political solution through negotiations,” an Egyptian foreign ministry spokesperson told the Washington Post.

The intelligence report is part of a large tranche of classified files that have appeared on Discord servers since February. Some observers have characterized the leak as the largest since Edward Snowden’s 2013 revelations about the NSA’s spying program. 

The Justice Department has opened an investigation into the leak. Notably, one document showed that the U.S. only expects Ukraine to make “modest territorial gains” in its spring offensive, a sharp departure from Washington’s public messaging to date. “Not a surprising conclusion to those who’ve been following this closely, but these leaks are a real black eye for the administration,” tweeted Emma Ashford of the Stimson Center.

Another document revealed that Russian spies “claimed UAE security service officials and Russia had agreed to work together against US and UK Intelligence agencies,” according to AP News. 

The UAE allegation comes as the United States considers expanding defense cooperation with Persian Gulf countries in an effort to create a united front against Iran. Sens. James Risch (R-Idaho) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) recently introduced a bill that would allow the U.S. to create an air-defense alliance with the UAE, Iraq and other Gulf states. 

If true, the UAE revelation is a further indication that “Global South states, even those seen to be firmly in the US camp, are increasingly pursuing their own interests, sometimes defying Washington's core preferences,” according to Sarang Shidore of the Quincy Institute. 

A separate leaked file showed that the Wagner Group, a notorious Russian mercenary group, attempted to buy weapons from NATO member Turkey for use in Ukraine and Mali. The document did not indicate whether Wagner’s efforts were successful.

FILE PHOTO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends the opening ceremony of floating bridges and tunnel projects executed under the Suez Canal in Ismailia, Egypt May 5, 2019. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo
Africa
Rep. Gerry Connolly

Rep. Gerry Connolly, screengrab via https://www.youtube.com/@FArepublicans

How members of Congress can take on Iran hawks

Middle East

During a recent House hearing on “Iran’s escalating threats,” a Democratic lawmaker completely dismantled all the myths opponents of diplomacy peddle about Iran and its nuclear program.

The hearing was dominated by hawkish voices on Iran, who urged for increasing pressure and spurned any diplomatic engagement. The only exception was Suzanne Maloney from the Brookings Institute, who took a more moderate stance.

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Editorial credit: monticello / Shutterstock.com

WSJ conceals Saudi funding of pro-Saudi nuke deal source

QiOSK

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that “Israeli officials are quietly working with the Biden administration on a polarizing proposal to set up a U.S.-run uranium-enrichment operation in Saudi Arabia as part of a complex three-way deal to establish official diplomatic relations between the two Middle Eastern countries,” according to U.S. and Israeli officials.

The article, authored by Dion Nissenbaum and Dov Lieber, largely showcases Israeli opposition to the deal. Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a group whose mission includes providing “education to enhance Israel’s image in North America…” was quoted opposing a uranium enrichment program on Saudi soil. He warned that “we’re one bullet away from a disaster in Saudi Arabia,” adding, “What happens if, God forbid, a radical Islamist leader takes control?”

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Menendez took bribes to help Egypt get weapons: Prosecutors
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.). Jan. 2019 (Photo: lev radin via shutterstock.com)

Menendez took bribes to help Egypt get weapons: Prosecutors

QiOSK

UPDATE: Sen. Bob Menendez temporarily stepped down from his powerful role as chairman of the Senate Relations Committee late Friday afternoon, according to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.


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