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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 May - 2 June 1999 Issue No. 431 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 May - 2 June 1999 Issue No. 431
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Living Features Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Successful military talks in Washington
By Amira Ibrahim
The Egyptian Defence Minister Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi paid a six-day visit to Washington last week to discuss military cooperation between Egypt and the United States.
Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi with President Hosni Mubarak
The visit was made at the invitation of his American counterpart William Cohen, who had been in Cairo two months earlier.
On his return home, Tantawi was received by President Hosni Mubarak to review the outcome of the visit.
Tantawi expressed satisfaction with the results of his Washington talks, which he described as "successful". He said they served to further boost coordination and cooperation between the two countries.
"Every place I visited, I was informed of the respect people have for Egypt and for President Mubarak. Every official I met asserted that the American administration esteems the importance of Egypt in the region and the whole world," said Tantawi.
Tantawi held talks with Cohen and other military officials as well as congressmen and senators. Talks focused on military aid, industrialisation, joint exercises and modernisation of the Egyptian armed forces.
"American officials approved most of our requests," said Tantawi. "The US officials are convinced that the strength of Egypt is vital to the stability of the region and the whole world."
Tantawi's talks included a State Department proposal to deposit $770 million of US aid -- out of a total annual programme of $1.3 billion -- in the US Federal Reserve Bank to generate an additional $45 million a year.
"The proposal is being studied at the moment and we hope it will be workable," Tantawi said.
He expressed satisfaction with the "flexibility" of congressmen, whom he described as displaying understanding of Egypt's military requirements and readiness to help modernise the Egyptian armed forces.
Two months ago, the US agreed to sell Egypt $3.2 billion worth of weapons and equipment, including 24 F-16 jet fighters, 200 M1A1 tanks and 32 Patriot anti-missile missiles. The 200 tanks, costing almost $700 million, will be assembled in Egypt in two batches of 100 each, to be added to 555 tanks of the same type already in the Egyptian arsenal.
"We view the American readiness to provide us with the Patriot missiles as a good indicator. We hope, and we are optimistic, that the American administration will provide more of the weapons that we require," Tantawi said.
Military industrialisation is certain to continue and develop in the near future. Tantawi explained that responding to Egypt's military requirements takes some time because it has to be approved by the US Congress. While in Washington, Tantawi visited a number of military training centres. Tantawi and General Henry Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reviewed preparations for joint military exercise, called Bright Star, to be held in Egypt next October. He described the joint training programme as the most important in the Middle East. "The Americans are proud of the exercise, and we are similarly happy with it," said Tantawi. "With the participation of 11 Arab and European countries, and the participation for the first time of 35 countries as military observers, Bright Star is definitely one of the greatest military exercises ever."
Bright Star is held every other year but two other joint exercises take place annually: the marine exercise, Eagle Salute, in the Red Sea, and the Iron Cobra exercise in the Western Desert.
Tantawi's visit took place in advance of an expected trip by President Mubarak to the US at the end of June. To make preparations for Mubarak's trip, Tantawi held talks with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, National Security Adviser Sandy Berger and Under-Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Martin Indyk. Talks focused on the stalled Middle East peace process.
