Biden Admin Approves $200 Million Arms Deal to Egypt Despite Human Rights Concerns

The Biden administration has signed off on a near $200 million arms deal with Egypt, despite previously expressing concerns that the country has potentially engaged in human rights abuses.

U.S. State Department approved of the $197 million deal at the request of the Egyptian Navy as they seek to obtain Raytheon-made Rolling Airframe Missiles to support its capabilities around the Red Sea.

The sale also includes a package of shipping and storage containers, manuals, technical documentation and US government and contractor technical support.

When approving the deal on Tuesday, the Biden admin. labeled Egypt “an important strategic partner in the Middle East.”

“[Egypt] will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a Major Non-NATO Ally country that continues to be an important strategic partner in the Middle East.”

Congress will now be tasked with reviewing the deal and its State Department approval before it can be formally confirmed.

As RT reports:

The Biden administration has proceeded despite recently raising concerns about human rights abuses in the nation, including a US citizen who has alleged that they were tortured by authorities while detained in Egypt, as well as harassment against members of their family.

Mohamed Soltan, an Egyptian-American human rights activist, spent two years in prison in Cairo due to what he claims was a campaign to silence him and his work. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s supporters have refuted Soltan’s claim, accusing him of being a terrorist.

When pressed on the human rights issue surrounding Soltan, State Department spokesman Ned Price responded during a Tuesday presser with a rather typical spokesperson response, saying that the United States was aware of the allegations and declared that America is looking into the matter.

“We are aware of and we’re actually looking into reports of the detention of family members of human rights activist & American citizen Mohamed Soltan,” Price said, while appearing to read from a script.

The deal’s State Department approval comes as the administration temporarily freezes future arm sales to Saudi Arabia as pressure mounts for the U.S. to disengage with the humanitarian disaster caused by the Saudi coalition led offensive in the war torn nation of Yemen. A major jet sale to the United Arab Emirates has also come under review by the U.S.

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