US Approves $5 Billion Arms Aid to Egypt to Enhance Security

US Approves $5 Billion Arms Aid to Egypt to Enhance Security

Washington – The US State Department has approved a potential arms sale worth $5 billion to Egypt, despite ongoing concerns about the country's human rights situation.

On Friday, the State Department informed Congress that it had approved the sale of $4.69 billion worth of 555 American-made M1A1 Abrams tanks, $630 million worth of Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, and $30 million in precision-guided munitions. In a statement, the department said that the sale would support US "foreign policy and national security" by helping improve the security of a "major" non-NATO ally that serves as an important strategic partner in the Middle East.

US-Egypt cooperation has intensified since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, with Cairo playing a role in ceasefire negotiations.

However, despite ongoing concerns in Washington over human rights violations by Egypt’s government, the arms sale has been approved. Amnesty International estimates that Egypt currently holds about 60,000 political prisoners, including British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd El-Fattah, jailed for "spreading false news" after sharing a Facebook post about alleged police brutality.

While Egypt has pardoned hundreds of political prisoners in the past two years, human rights groups say that at least three times that number have been arrested during the same period.

US President Joe Biden had pledged a tougher stance on Egypt’s human rights record when he took office in 2021, but his administration has approved several arms deals. In 2022, his administration approved the sale of 12 Super Hercules C-130 transport aircraft and air defense radar systems to Egypt, worth about $2.5 billion.

The State Department’s latest approval notice stated that this is not a finalized contract or completed negotiation, and the deal for the Abrams tanks could take up to 10 years to complete.

The US Congress can block the sales, but such efforts are typically unsuccessful.

Egypt has been one of the largest recipients of US security aid since its peace treaty with Israel in 1979, with Israel being the largest recipient of security aid.