Intel: US announces missile sale to Egypt after American activist’s relatives detained
The Biden administration appears to be sending mixed signals to Cairo as it vows a firm stance on human rights abuses in the Middle East
The Biden administration announced a plan to sell nearly $200 million worth of naval surface-to-air missiles to Cairo on Tuesday, just hours after Egypt’s government arrested two relatives of an Egyptian-American activist.
The State Department on Tuesday afternoon informed Congress of the proposed $197 million sale of up to 168 naval surface-to-air Rolling Airframe Missiles to Egypt to bolster the country’s coastal and Suez Canal defenses.
A State Department statement said the sale would support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of an ally "that continues to be an important strategic partner in the Middle East.”
Earlier Tuesday, the prisoners’ advocacy group Freedom Initiative said in a statement that Egyptian authorities had arrested two cousins of US-based rights activist Mohamed Soltan. A third cousin was questioned and ordered to turn himself in after recovery from an unrelated injury, said the group, which is headed by Soltan.
