A three-part plan for US-Egypt ties
A member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee offers a blueprint for rebuilding the US-Egyptian relationship after the election of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Egypt’s next president, former Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, faces daunting security, political and economic challenges.
I met the former field marshal in February during my first trip to Egypt. On that trip I discovered that Egypt’s citizens are locked in a debate over whether last summer’s events were a move forward on the path to democracy or a step back to authoritarianism. As a US senator who understands the value of a strong US-Egypt partnership, I view the current chapter in Egypt’s history as an opportunity to put the country on a positive trajectory, and a chance to mend the relationship with the United States. Former President Mohammed Morsi wasted a historic chance as Egypt’s first democratically-elected leader by placing himself above the law, alienating a large percentage of the Egyptian population, excluding political opponents from politics and tearing at the fabric of a society that sees itself as Egyptian first.
