More than 400 US soldiers are preparing for their deployment to Egypt in anticipation of violent protests, riots, and the possibility of having to protect the country’s border with Israel.
Training at Fort Hood for a nine-month deployment in the “near
future” concluded on June 20, KCEN-TV reports, noting that the
soldiers encountered Molotov cocktails and “other dangerous
items” in their training.
“Just what I’ve seen over the course of the past week, this
unit is already far more ready for this type of threat than we
were last week,” Lt. Matthew Wilkinson told the television
station. According to KDH News, the training lasted about six
months.
“We want to be as professional as possible so that whatever
situation we may encounter, [so] the opposing force knows that we
mean business and we know what we’re doing,” said PFC Perez
Alexander.
Troops from 13 nations, including the 400 from the US, will man
posts and security checkpoints along the Sinai Peninsula, report
any peace treaty violations between Egypt and Israel, and be
prepared to respond to threats.
A spokesman of the Egyptian armed forces on Saturday
confirmed that 400 US troops will be deployed to Egypt, Ahram
Online reports.
“The 400 US soldiers coming to Egypt as mentioned in the media
are part of the periodical renewal routine for the US faction of
the 13-state multinational force deployed in Sinai since the
peace treaty. They are not armed with military operations
gear,” said spokesman Ahmed Ali on behalf of the Egyptian
military.
“We are providing this clarification as we respect the right
of the great Egyptian people to know the truth from its original
sources and to prevent distortion of information by any
instigators,” he added.
Anti-government protests calling for the removal of Egyptian
President Mohamed Morsi are scheduled to occur on June
30. Since the 2011 uprising that removed former president
Hosni Mubarak from power, the Sinai Peninsula has suffered
growing unrest and disorder, but Egypt’s military presence there
is limited under the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty. The treaty
required that Israel’s armed forces withdraw from the Sinai
Peninsula, which the Jewish state had captured in 1967. Egypt was
required to keep the area demilitarized, but in during widespread
2011 protests, Israel agreed to allow several hundred Egyptian
troops into the region.
The Multinational Force and Observers (MFO), which is made up of
international peacekeepers from 13 countries, ensures that Israel
and Egypt abide by the treaty and avoid a military build-up along
the border. The MFO operates checkpoints, observation posts, and
patrols the border. The observers also verify the terms of the
peace treaty at least twice a month, and ensure free marine
navigation in the Strait of Tiran.
This article originally appeared on: RT