U. S. Secretary of Defense plans frank messages to leaders of Israel and Egypt
2023.03.06 12:48
U. S. Secretary of Defense plans frank messages to leaders of Israel and Egypt
By Ray Johnson
Budrigannews.com – Despite Washington’s recent focus on Russia and China, officials said that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who is currently in Jordan to begin a three-country Mideast tour, plans to speak openly with Israel and Egypt’s leaders.
The head of the Pentagon, who arrived in Amman on Sunday, is expected to discuss human rights issues while pleading with Egyptian leaders to ease tensions in the West Bank and improve ties with Israel.
During a visit to a joint training center near Amman, Austin told reporters, “We’ve demonstrated over and over that we can quickly surge capability to any part of the globe that we need to, but especially here in the Middle East, because we’ve operated here for 20 or more years.”
With approximately 30,000 troops stationed there, the United States is seen as a key player in the fight against Iranian influence.
According to retired U.S. Marine Corps General Frank McKenzie, who led American forces in the Middle East up until last year, China’s growing role is one reason why the region is important to the United States.
McKenzie, who is currently in charge of the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida, added, “I think this trip is an excellent example of an opportunity to continue to tell people in the theater (region) that they remain important to us.”
As a result of the push for economic diversification in the Middle East, China’s ties to Middle Eastern nations have grown, causing the United States to be concerned about China’s growing involvement in sensitive Gulf infrastructure, including the United Arab Emirates.
Last week, the United States demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reject a request made by his hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to “erase” a critical Palestinian village. On Sunday, Netanyahu called the request “inappropriate.” Smotrich’s statement has been labeled “repugnant” by the US State Department.
“He (Austin) will likewise be very straightforward with Israeli pioneers about his interests in regards to the pattern of savagery in the West Bank, and counsel on what steps Israeli pioneers can take to genuinely reestablish quiet before the impending occasions,” a senior U.S. protection official expressed, talking on the state of namelessness.
According to the Pentagon, Austin met with Jordan’s King Abdullah on Sunday and raised his concern about the rising tensions in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Foreign mediators have attempted to ease tensions that grew after Netanyahu regained power as the head of a hard-right coalition ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Jewish holiday of Passover, both of which are a few weeks away.
Austin is ready to send a reasonable message on the requirement for Egypt’s Leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to regard common freedoms, highlighting Washington’s anxiety on the issue.
The US defense official stated, “I fully expect him to bring up human rights and respect for fundamental freedoms.”
There has been a prolonged crackdown on political dissent under Sisi, who as army chief led the 2013 assassination of Egypt’s first democratically elected president. This has ensnared both liberal and Islamist critics.
Citing the absence of human rights requirements, the United States of America has withheld small amounts of military assistance for Cairo. More restrictions have been pushed back by advocacy groups.
During President Joe Biden’s administration, the United States, which has long been a major player in the Middle East, has been focused on other international issues, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and concern over Chinese military activity near Taiwan.
More than $32 billion in weapons, including sophisticated air defense systems and tanks, have been provided to Ukraine by the United States.
Since the “Arab Spring” uprisings in 2011, when Gulf rulers were shocked at how President Barack Obama’s administration abandoned then-Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak after a decades-long alliance, mistrust toward the United States has grown among some in the Middle East.
The US took out the remainder of its soldiers from Afghanistan in a turbulent withdrawal in 2021, further bringing up issues in the more extensive district about Washington’s responsibility.
