There are no foreign bases in Egypt, nor will there ever be. Egyptian Armed Forces spokesman Colonel Ahmed Ali said at a press conference on Thursday that the presence of an American security company was not a representation of the American military, but rather a contractor who is advising and coordinating much needed security for Egyptian troops as part of the over $1 billion in funding that the United States provides to Egypt every year.
Masrawy newspaper also reported that the spokesman allayed fears about a reduction in the size of Egypt’s military. Not only was the military not currently reducing its size, but they do not have the power to make that decision so they would need to receive orders, which they have not.
Finally Ali addressed the Multinational Observer Force, which is stationed throughout the Sinai. He reaffirmed that they are not an occupying force, but rather monitors with specific mandates that have been consistently been signed off on by Israel. The MFO is part of the Egyptian-Israeli peace accord and has been in the Sinai for decades ensuring that both sides uphold their ends of the bargain. Lately they have come under fire as a representation of the US and the west and were attacked in what appeared to be reprisal for an anti-Muslim movie made in the US. However, the MFO consists of twelve contingents, one of which is from the US, with others from diverse nations including Fiji, Uruguay and the Czech Republic.
