It is not easy to live in a region like the Middle East, where political turmoil and armed conflicts, of all sizes and shapes, are the daily norm. The heavy economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent events in Afghanistan are further complicating the political and security scenes in the ever-boiling region. However, in the middle of the Middle East, Egypt is standing tall with a sense of tranquility and confidence.
Unlike Arab Gulf countries, which rushed into a diplomacy of panic following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the political leadership in Egypt is calmly watching the developing events at the eastern strategic depth of the region, while managing important and complicated relations with neighbor countries in North Africa and the Mediterranean.
If one thing can explain the source for this sense of peace and calm among the public citizens and decision-makers, it should be having a capable and dedicated military that can play non-traditional political and economic roles beyond its defense and security missions. This helped tremendously in preserving the coherence of the Egyptian state, in times of political turmoil and economic fiasco.
One recent example on this is the economic support provided by the Armed Forces’ Supply Command to the government, during the early months of the spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic, in 2020. That helped block attempts by some greedy business owners to manipulate the market by raising the prices of basic food and medical commodities. In addition, history will forever remember the heroic role of the Egyptian Armed Forces in supporting people’s will during their revolutions against Mubarak and the Muslim Brotherhood regimes, between 2011-2013.
Right now, the Egyptian military is playing a unique role in supporting the political leadership’s diplomatic endeavors, amidst the current fluid security situation that is shaking the entire Middle East region. At Mohamed Naguib military base, on September 2nd, the benchmark Bright Star military exercises has been launched. Mohamed Naguib military base, located at Egypt’s northwestern coast, started operation in July 2017, and is considered the biggest military base of its kind in Africa and the Middle East, that is designed to accommodate special operations by air, navy, and ground troops. Its primary mission is to secure El-Dabaa Nuclear Proliferation Plant and secure Egypt’s western strategic depth, especially due to the growing geopolitical threats arising from conflicts in Libya and the Mediterranean.
In September 2018, Mohamed Naguib base hosted the United States Central Command’s milestone military exercises; Operation Bright Star, with the participation of air, ground, and navy troops from Egypt, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Greece, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, in addition to 16 observer countries. The current Bright Star exercises, which will continue until September 17th, is the largest in its history extending back to 1981, thanks to the participation of 21 countries.
The training manager of Operation Bright Star, from the United States Central Command, confirmed Egypt’s strategic importance to the United States, the Middle East region, and the world, during his speech at the Bright Star launch ceremony. In fact, bringing this large number of the strongest worldwide militaries, at one place, during these tough times, is an embodiment to Egypt’s strategic importance to the security of the world.
By all means, the Egyptian Armed Forces is greatest bless of our homeland.