Egypt air force chief downplays importance of US F-35 sales to Israel

Almasryalyoum ^ | 10/14/2010 | Cameron Stewart

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Photographed by Reuters .....Prev Next Pause Play .1 ....Commander of the Egyptian Air Force Reda Mahmoud Hafez on Wednesday downplayed the military importance of a recent decision by Washington to provide Israel with a number of US F-35 fighter jets and dismissed fears that the move might alter the regional balance of power.

Last week, Israel signed a contract with the US for the purchase of 20 F-35 fighter jets as part of what US officials described as an incentive package for the self-proclaimed Jewish state to move ahead with sputtering peace talks with the Palestinian Authority.

“We're not alarmed by certain countries of the region that are eager to possess modern fighter planes,” Hafez told the official Middle East News Agency in reference to the deal. “The Egyptian Air Force and the country's air-defense systems are working hand-in-hand to protect Egypt’s skies.”

[denydenydeny]

Well of course. He knows that they will never be used against his country unless it gets taken over by fanatics, in which case he will have fled the country and Israel’s F-35s won’t be his problem anymore.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Ping

[Netz]

The Egyptians are sitting pretty since 1979 with TRILLIONS of military aid from the USA. America supplies Egypt with M-1A Abrams tanks (manufactured in Egypt), naval frigates, FACs, F-16s by the hundreds and tons of advanced, Western armaments. Why should they complain over a few advanced fighters? So what if Egypt is inherently unstable, undemocratic, autocratic, dictatorial-one man rule, suppresses a free press and persecutes Muslims and Christians (Copts)? Who cares? The real trick will come when Pres. Mubarak dies and his son Gamal takes over or will be overthrown in a military coup, then, we will see where and how all those weapons systems will be put to use, (hint), against Israel?