Egypt's Sisi readies for chillier reception in Washington
Experts say mixed signals on the part of President Sisi suggest nervousness about the incoming Biden administration.
As a candidate, Joe Biden pledged “no more blank checks for ‘Trump’s favorite dictator,’” a pointed reference to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whose country is the recipient of roughly $1.3 billion in US military assistance per year. But whether Biden can make good on that promise as president remains to be seen, and in the meantime, a leery Egypt is testing the waters.
Sisi “understands that it’s going to be a different ballgame than it was under Trump,” said William D. Hartung, the director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy.
“I think his ideal play would be to give a warm, personal embrace to Biden, do some small things that are of interest to the US and be able to carry on with his repression against his own people,” Hartung said.
The overtures started within hours of the race being called for Biden last month. Cairo rushed to put out a statement, making Sisi the first Arab leader to offer his congratulations.
