Saudi Arabia is tired of subsidizing and feeding Egypt. The Saudis now pay for 25% of France’s grain harvest to send to Egypt as well as subsidizing the cost of fuel and salaries for the military. Libya is the big prize. It has huge oil reserves and a small population. Egypt does not have much oil and a huge population. Soon the old “United Arab Republic”, at least the combination of Libya and Egypt, will be reconstituted.
The old U.A.R. of Syria and Egypt was led by the megalomaniac Nasser, whose intent was to create a unified Arab crescent across the Middle East. Of course, Israel stood in the way.
Libya was once ruled by King Idris, a western ally who gave us Wheelus AFB. He was overthrown by Gadaffi in 1969, who then expelled U.S. forces and was Egypt’s sworn enemy until his death in 2011.
Saudi subsidizes Egypt’s food? Wow. Guess the Nile delta isn’t productive enough. I thought the Aswan High Dam was supposed to fix all that. We have a pro-U.S. ruler in Cairo but he’s sitting on a population volcano.
The Middle East will never be at peace. Too many greedy men with modern weapons, and too many failed states.