Summary: the Biden administration’s handling of relations with President Sisi differs little from Trump’s approach to his “favourite dictator.” Despite all of Joe Biden’s talk of dealing firmly with human rights abuses billions in US weapons sales and military aid continues to flow to Cairo.
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Thanks to Mr. Mandour as always for his insights. While I broadly agree with this argument, credit where it’s due: the Biden administration has tried to set a human rights standard (or baseline) for Egypt. The fact that it undercuts its own messaging is more symptomatic of the contradictions in US policy priorities, the institutional mish mash from which they emanate, and the cross-purpose goals of those in charge of achieving them. It reminds me of those officials at US embassies the world over who often seek a good working relationship with their foreign counterparts and will downplay those policy moves that would hurt the relationship. It doesn’t mean the impulse is disingenuous, it just means that the US is trying to have both a human rights standard and arms sales for Egypt but ends up having less of both. With the emphasis on the arms side of course.