The Obama administration has reversed course and will send Egypt new Apache attack helicopters that were urgently requested by Cairo in March to counter the growing threat from al Qaeda terrorists in the Sinai Peninsula. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told Egyptian Defense Minister Col. Gen. Sedki Sobhy on Tuesday that President Barack Obama approved lifting a ban on the attack helicopters but will not lift an arms embargo imposed last year after the military’s ouster of Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammad Morsi. The Washington Free Beacon first reported March 12 that the administration had turned down Egypt’s urgent appeal for Washington to release the 10 Apaches because of the growing al Qaeda terrorist threat. Release of the helicopters comes less than week after al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri urged jihadists to conduct attacks on Egyptian security forces. Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a statement that Hagel had informed the Egyptian defense minister that the helicopters would be sent to help combat a growing terrorist threat in the Sinai.
Posted on: Thu, 24 Apr 2014 17:26:02 +0000
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