ABSTRACT
Egypt sits at the strategic intersection of the Mediterranean, African and Arab worlds, and controls the Suez Canal, a vital waterway for oil trade between the Gulf and the US and a strategic conduit for US warships deploying in the Middle East and into the Indian Ocean. It is also a signatory to the peace treaty with Israel and a key US partner in the war on terrorism and extremism in the region. These geostrategic considerations have, since the late 1970s, driven the US to partner with Egypt, and the Egyptian Military in particular, to promote an environment that safeguards US political and economic interests in the region.
