Alwaght- Egypt news media, including Al- Youm Al-Sabe’a reported that Egyptian cabinet headed by Ibrahim Mahlab on Sunday, May 13, agreed with the request of the Ministry of Defense to extend the mission of some commands of the Egyptian army participating in the coalition against Yemen. The Egyptian government declared that it has extended the presence of its forces in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandab and the Persian Gulf which were sent to the country within the framework of the coalition against Yemeni, and in line with national security of Egypt and the Arab world. Ahmad Al-Athiry, the coalition spokesman welcomed the Egypt’s decision and said it was on the path of stability and security in the region.
Egypt was among the first countries which expressed readiness to join the Saudi-led coalition against Yemen and the operation called “Operation Decisive Storm”. Egypt expressed its support for the coalition in the early days of the war against Yemen, and within a few days dispatched several battleships to the Bab el-Mandab. Meanwhile, Egypt announced it would sent nearly five thousand troops to Saudi border with Yemen.
Egypt presence in Saudi-led coalition against Yemen has always been of great importance, as this issue has largely to do with the historical role of Egypt in the Arab and Islamic countries. Currently, the Egyptian participation in the coalition against Yemen is for several reasons which are discussed in this article.
- Since the Al-sisi coup against the legitimate government of Egypt, Egypt’s need for financial aids of Saudi Arabia was highlighted in bilateral relations. It has been one of Saudi Arabia’s policies to get Egypt into a collation of reactionary and anti-resistance countries, and has spent billions of dollars on this way. To prop up its poor economy, Egypt is in great need for Saudi aids, Al-Sisi cannot do without the foreign aids provided by Saudi Arabia. In fact, the presence of Egypt in coalition against Yemen is not an independent policy, rather it is dependent on Saudi politics. However, there is one thing that matters for Egypt, it does not intend to seriously or in large-scale get involved in war against Yemen. Therefore, it has only sent some battleships, aircrafts and limited ground forces to Yemen boundaries to play a defensive role, and this has deeply angered Saudis. Domestic opposition and belief in a peaceful solution are what made Egypt refrain from effective involvement in the issue.
- the opposition of elites and domestic media to the presence of Egypt in the coalition, which is largely motivated by the historical experience of military intervention in Yemen, at the time of Nasser (1962-1967) and catastrophic losses of Egyptian troops in Yemen civil war. Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, the well-known Egyptian author and historian is extremely against the involvement of Egypt in Yemen Crisis and called it a strategic mistake. He also described Yemen as a volcano that everyone would fall in its fire. George Isaac, one of the leaders of the democratic movement in Egypt has also stressed that military intervention in Yemen is unacceptable and Egypt should immediately reconsider its decision to participate in this war, as the United States intends to change political conflicts in Yemen into sectarian conflicts in the country and the region. Ahmed Ezzeldin, the Egyptian political analyst and expert on strategic affairs said that Saudi Arabia seeks to dominate the Arab countries and impose its opinions on them. He reiterated that Riyadh’s operations aimed at destroying the infrastructure of Yemen, and targeting prisons, would not accelerate chaos in the country in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood. Saudi Arabia also seeks to destroy Yemen’s army and police centers to spark off unrest in Yemen and all countries in the region. Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, leader of “Strong Egypt Party” stated that military solutions in the internal affairs of Arab countries has nothing but civil war, split and extremism. Besides, ground intervention in Yemen, would only complicate the matters more and more and will make Arab armies to shed more blood.
Historically, there has been a severe competition between Egypt and Saudi Arabia over the leadership of the Arab world, especially since Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egypt has always been worried about the stronger role of Saudi Arabia in the Arab world, and cannot accept this fact. Nevertheless, Egypt believes the leadership of the Arab world is its own inalienable right. Egypt does not wish others to consider Yemen issue so important that Saudi Arabia can stand as the dominant Arab power. And that is why the Egyptians have frequently stated that the Yemen issue has no military solution and Egypt would prefer the Yemen crisis be resolved through political process. On the other hand, Egypt naturally is against giving power to the Muslim Brotherhood tendencies in the Arab world, so it cannot agree with Saudi Arabi which favors Muslim Reform Party in one side of the power equation in Yemen. The insignificant participation of Egypt in aggression against Yemen have frustrated Saudi Arabia with the Egyptian role in the coalition. In a meeting with Egyptian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, King Salman revealed that Egypt's refusal to participate in the ground attack against Yemen has embarrassed the regime among the Arabs.
- Egypt has currently been dealing with lots of political, economic and domestic security issues. Presence of extremist Takfiri groups in the Sinai, and the involvement of some armed forces in the conflicts, and occasional explosions in Cairo and major cities of Egypt are the main concern of al-Sisi. Currently, he does not intend to act against the regional policies of the US, and the US apparently does not intend to expand the Yemeni crisis. In addition, a meeting between Sameh Shukri, Foreign Minister of Egypt, and Javad Zarif on the sidelines of the New York meeting in April 27, and the comments made by the Iranian Foreign Minister helped the Egyptian to have a better understanding of Yemen issue, its probable dangers, and the point that prolonged crisis in Yemen is likely to strengthen al-Qaeda and ISIS.
Egypt's reluctance to participate in ground attacks and its army’s insignificant participation in Saudi-led coalition imply that Egypt’s priorities are totally different from those of Saudi Arabia. Egypt's stance against military intervention in Syria, and to support political solutions in the country, to establish ties with the Iraqi government, Egypt’s domestic issues and to favor the resolution of the Yemen crisis through political negotiations are the reasons why Egypt refrains from serious intervention in Yemen crisis. However, Egypt needs Saudi foreign aids to overcome its economic issues. Therefore, it seems that the current policy of Egypt is the only option that could be exercised. 'To keep both sides partially satisfied' is the best description of Egypt policy in Yemen crisis.
Therefore, the Egyptians will make attempts to resolve the Yemen crisis between the effective powers through mutual consent. Further, the prolonged crisis in Yemen, in any event is not desirable for Egypt. If the crisis is prolonged, Egypt is likely to give up the Saudi-led coalition.
Egypt was among the first countries which expressed readiness to join the Saudi-led coalition against Yemen and the operation called “Operation Decisive Storm”. Egypt expressed its support for the coalition in the early days of the war against Yemen, and within a few days dispatched several battleships to the Bab el-Mandab. Meanwhile, Egypt announced it would sent nearly five thousand troops to Saudi border with Yemen.
Egypt presence in Saudi-led coalition against Yemen has always been of great importance, as this issue has largely to do with the historical role of Egypt in the Arab and Islamic countries. Currently, the Egyptian participation in the coalition against Yemen is for several reasons which are discussed in this article.
- Since the Al-sisi coup against the legitimate government of Egypt, Egypt’s need for financial aids of Saudi Arabia was highlighted in bilateral relations. It has been one of Saudi Arabia’s policies to get Egypt into a collation of reactionary and anti-resistance countries, and has spent billions of dollars on this way. To prop up its poor economy, Egypt is in great need for Saudi aids, Al-Sisi cannot do without the foreign aids provided by Saudi Arabia. In fact, the presence of Egypt in coalition against Yemen is not an independent policy, rather it is dependent on Saudi politics. However, there is one thing that matters for Egypt, it does not intend to seriously or in large-scale get involved in war against Yemen. Therefore, it has only sent some battleships, aircrafts and limited ground forces to Yemen boundaries to play a defensive role, and this has deeply angered Saudis. Domestic opposition and belief in a peaceful solution are what made Egypt refrain from effective involvement in the issue.
- the opposition of elites and domestic media to the presence of Egypt in the coalition, which is largely motivated by the historical experience of military intervention in Yemen, at the time of Nasser (1962-1967) and catastrophic losses of Egyptian troops in Yemen civil war. Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, the well-known Egyptian author and historian is extremely against the involvement of Egypt in Yemen Crisis and called it a strategic mistake. He also described Yemen as a volcano that everyone would fall in its fire. George Isaac, one of the leaders of the democratic movement in Egypt has also stressed that military intervention in Yemen is unacceptable and Egypt should immediately reconsider its decision to participate in this war, as the United States intends to change political conflicts in Yemen into sectarian conflicts in the country and the region. Ahmed Ezzeldin, the Egyptian political analyst and expert on strategic affairs said that Saudi Arabia seeks to dominate the Arab countries and impose its opinions on them. He reiterated that Riyadh’s operations aimed at destroying the infrastructure of Yemen, and targeting prisons, would not accelerate chaos in the country in favor of the Muslim Brotherhood. Saudi Arabia also seeks to destroy Yemen’s army and police centers to spark off unrest in Yemen and all countries in the region. Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, leader of “Strong Egypt Party” stated that military solutions in the internal affairs of Arab countries has nothing but civil war, split and extremism. Besides, ground intervention in Yemen, would only complicate the matters more and more and will make Arab armies to shed more blood.
Historically, there has been a severe competition between Egypt and Saudi Arabia over the leadership of the Arab world, especially since Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egypt has always been worried about the stronger role of Saudi Arabia in the Arab world, and cannot accept this fact. Nevertheless, Egypt believes the leadership of the Arab world is its own inalienable right. Egypt does not wish others to consider Yemen issue so important that Saudi Arabia can stand as the dominant Arab power. And that is why the Egyptians have frequently stated that the Yemen issue has no military solution and Egypt would prefer the Yemen crisis be resolved through political process. On the other hand, Egypt naturally is against giving power to the Muslim Brotherhood tendencies in the Arab world, so it cannot agree with Saudi Arabi which favors Muslim Reform Party in one side of the power equation in Yemen. The insignificant participation of Egypt in aggression against Yemen have frustrated Saudi Arabia with the Egyptian role in the coalition. In a meeting with Egyptian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, King Salman revealed that Egypt's refusal to participate in the ground attack against Yemen has embarrassed the regime among the Arabs.
- Egypt has currently been dealing with lots of political, economic and domestic security issues. Presence of extremist Takfiri groups in the Sinai, and the involvement of some armed forces in the conflicts, and occasional explosions in Cairo and major cities of Egypt are the main concern of al-Sisi. Currently, he does not intend to act against the regional policies of the US, and the US apparently does not intend to expand the Yemeni crisis. In addition, a meeting between Sameh Shukri, Foreign Minister of Egypt, and Javad Zarif on the sidelines of the New York meeting in April 27, and the comments made by the Iranian Foreign Minister helped the Egyptian to have a better understanding of Yemen issue, its probable dangers, and the point that prolonged crisis in Yemen is likely to strengthen al-Qaeda and ISIS.
Egypt's reluctance to participate in ground attacks and its army’s insignificant participation in Saudi-led coalition imply that Egypt’s priorities are totally different from those of Saudi Arabia. Egypt's stance against military intervention in Syria, and to support political solutions in the country, to establish ties with the Iraqi government, Egypt’s domestic issues and to favor the resolution of the Yemen crisis through political negotiations are the reasons why Egypt refrains from serious intervention in Yemen crisis. However, Egypt needs Saudi foreign aids to overcome its economic issues. Therefore, it seems that the current policy of Egypt is the only option that could be exercised. 'To keep both sides partially satisfied' is the best description of Egypt policy in Yemen crisis.
Therefore, the Egyptians will make attempts to resolve the Yemen crisis between the effective powers through mutual consent. Further, the prolonged crisis in Yemen, in any event is not desirable for Egypt. If the crisis is prolonged, Egypt is likely to give up the Saudi-led coalition.
