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Politics : War -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Yaacov who wrote (1527)	5/27/2001 9:59:24 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 23908

You all might want to check out the Middle East Times "censored" section for those reports that certain Arab countries won't permit to be publish: Report says Egypt unprepared and unwilling to fight Israel Amil Khan Middle East Times staff THIS STORY WAS CENSORED FROM THE PRINTED EDITION. According to Stratfor, an American company that provides global economic, political and military intelligence, Egypt is unprepared and unwilling to face Israel in armed conflict. The American intelligence company failed to mention the names and positions of its sources, saying only that they were "Russian and American intelligence officials." In stark contrast, the government-run paper Al Gumhurriya, on May 8 quoted Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi addressing troops during Sinai Liberation Day celebrations, praising the "state of performance and readiness of the Egyptian troops." Tantawi, who is also minister of defense and military production, said that the military was better armed and trained than during the October 1973 war. According to the report, during the war, "Egypt was able to inflict heavy losses on Israeli forces in the first few days of the conflict, when it took Israel at least 24 hours to bring in reinforcements. The second day of the war, October 8, 1973, was arguably the greatest defeat in Israeli military history." The Stratfor report says that after more than 20 years of peace with its Jewish neighbor and military aid from the US amounting to $36 billion, "Today, Egypt not only has an impressive arsenal of equipment but its personnel roster includes 450,000 active and 320,000 reserve forces." However, the report states, "The Egyptian military suffers from significant readiness problems." It says, "Another key area in which Egypt appears lacking is training. Observers of Egyptian military exercises say Egypt clearly has not trained its forces well enough to prepare for an all-out war." Part of the problem according to the report is that since the 1978 peace and the first installments of American aid, Egypt has dramatically changed the orientation of its military from a Soviet model to an American one. The report goes on to say American equipment is "more logistically intensive than the Soviet model. American sponsorship would require Egyptian logisticians and engineers to tackle a much larger task in supplying and re-supplying the forces as they prepare for and wage battle." In his address to the soldiers and men of the Second and Third Field Armies, Tantawi said that the Egyptian army's "strong ties with the outside world make many friendly and brotherly countries want to cooperate in joint military exercises." He added, "This is a testament to the high performance standards of our armed forces." Tantawi also said that the joint exercises were "an opportunity to exchange experience, knowledge and technologies in the fields of armaments and training." However, the critical report fingers the readiness of Egyptian soldiers: "Inadequate training and logistics will slow any deployment. And a quick deployment is the most critical factor if Egypt is to have a chance against the better-trained and better-equipped Israeli forces. This is a critical point because timing would be a key element in any battle for the Sinai." For the last few months the Egyptian army, possibly motivated by the deterioration of stability in the region, has embarked on an arms procurement program. $3.2 billion is being spent to acquire 24 new F-16 fighter jets with advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles. To bolster its ground forces, 200 Abrams tanks will be co-produced in Egypt. And in a move to strengthen its defenses, new Patriot surface-to-air missiles are being bought. The report also suggests that Cairo is in the market for U.S.-made rocket systems and submarines, and representatives recently met with Russian defense officials to discuss acquisition of rocket and missile technology from Moscow." In the final analysis, the report quotes "officials" who took part in the biannual "Bright Star" joint military games in which Britain, America and Egypt participated as saying, "the gap between Egyptian and Israeli combat capabilities remains significant... for example the combat qualities of Egyptian officers and soldiers are comparatively low." However, surprisingly, the report says that, "On the other hand, these sources indicate Syrian officers and soldiers – often considered less trained and ready - actually pose a more imminent threat to Israel than Egyptian forces." Egyptian authorities have often said that there is no possibility that Egypt and Israel would go to war. Both are key American allies and receive substantial aid from Washington. When protestors in Cairo seeking Egyptian military intervention on the side of the Palestinians in support of their intifada asked, "Where is the Egyptian Army?" President Hosni Mubarak pointed out that wars against Israel had cost Egypt dearly. He also pointed out that it was only now that the Egyptian economy was picking up again after more than 20 years of peace. And hard-line Prime Minister of Israel Ariel Sharon has recognized and guardedly praised Egyptian moves to broker peace in the region. metimes.com