We thought this was going to be the conversation between Egypt’s Fatah el-Sisi and John Kerry because our ongoing research into the backchannel sources reflected the probability. It appears, yet again, Occam’s razor proves correct. In the article below AhramOnline reports El-Sisi warned Kerry not to focus merely on ISIS but all terror groups need to be addressed.
Fatah El-Sisi knows President Obama’s heart is not in the mission to defeat NI-ISIS, because El-Sisi knows young Obama in his 20’s was smitten with the Romance of the Mujahedeen, and then became disillusioned when U.S. policy shifted and made them the al-Qaeda enemy they became years later. El-Sisi has exceptionally clear eyes – he understands the sympathy President Obama carries to the Sunni tribe, NI-ISIS.
Egypt is also standing as the strongest Muslim nation in condemnation of the NI-ISIS recent beheadings’. Additionally El-Sisi has convinced the Arab Council to quietly threaten Qatar for their insufferable support of terror networks. This has led to six “leaders” of the Muslim Brotherhood leaving Qatar – and now El-Sisi asking Interpol to track them down.
EGYPT – Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has stressed the importance of an international coalition to combat not only Islamic State but also all terrorist groups in the Middle East and Africa.
He made the comments during a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.
The US is taking the lead in an international coalition aimed at defeating Islamist extremists spreading across parts of Iraq and Syria. Militants from the so-called Islamic State have so far murdered thousands and declared a Muslim caliphate.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Anne Patterson also attended the meeting at the presidential palace in Cairo.
El-Sisi has clear eyes on Ann Patterson too. Patterson and Obama both holding favorable opinions of the Muslim Brotherhood.
According to a presidency statement, Kerry highlighted that Egypt would be playing a key role in the coalition and that there were strong ties between Egypt and the US.
Egypt and the US have had a patchy relationship since the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi in July of last year. The US temporarily suspended military aid to Egypt amid a crackdown on Morsi’s supporters.
Upon the election of former army chief El-Sisi as president in June, the US Congress unfroze $1.5 billion in mostly military aid.
Meanwhile, presidential spokesperson Ihab Badawi, said El-Sisi warned of the consequences of foreign fighters in some Middle East conflicts, especially Syria and Iraq, and their role in fuelling the conflicts.
The Egyptian president and the top US diplomat agreed that the strategy to combat terrorism should not only include military tactics, but also initiatives by religious entities like Al-Azhar to raise awareness in the Middle East of the danger of terrorist groups.
Kerry said there were some issues that may represent an obstacle to the resumption of any cooperation between the US and Egypt, particularly regarding freedom of expression and the detention and trial of journalists.
On his behalf, El-Sisi stressed that Egypt was paving the way to establishing the rule of law which respects the judiciary and its provisions, as well as respecting the separation of powers and the new constitution with all its rights. (read more)
Of course Secretary Kerry tries to get in the dig about El-Sisi arresting the Al Jazeera journalists who were operating on behalf of Qatar and supporting The Muslim Brotherhood; a dig -intended for liberal U.S. journo audiences- which El-Sisi rightly dismisses.
Additionally Egypt just opened a major can-o-whoop ass on a terror sect in the Northern Sinai. It’s always a good thing when you’re confirming terrorist identity via DNA samples:
Egypt’s interior minister said on Sunday that a joint army and police offensive in Suez governorate resulted in the death of seven members of Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis militant group, Reuters’ Aswat Masriya reported.
Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim said in a press conference that police were tipped off that the Sinai-based militant group took shelter in Suez’s Al-Galala Mountain, where they launched their attacks against security institutions and personnel.
Ibrahim added that following a heavy shootout between both sides, security forces ultimately managed to kill the seven members and later identified them via a DNA test.
The minister said these members were “considered to be among the most dangerous elements of Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis,” adding that they were responsible for the Farafra and Dabaa shootings and also participated in the bombings of Cairo and Daqahliya security directorates. (link)
