Special to WorldTribune.com

CAIRO — A U.S. Army study advises that officers remain cautious in
dealing with their Egyptian counterparts.

The Strategic Studies Institute called on the U.S. military to lobby
for cooperation with Egypt and continue defense aid to Cairo. But the
institute, part of the U.S. War College, urged American officers to stay
away from discussions on Egypt’s domestic situation.

“Its [U.S. Army] leaders should continue to advocate for military-to
military contacts, encourage their Egyptian counterparts to continue to
attend U.S. professional military educational institutions, engage with
Egyptian counterparts on regional threat assessments, and advocate for a
reactivation of the Bright Star exercises,” the report, titled “Egypt’s New
Regime and the Future of the U.S.-Egyptian Strategic Relationship,” said.

Author Gregory Aftandilian, a former foreign policy adviser in Congress,
argued that the annual U.S. military aid of $1.3 billion to Egypt should not
be cut. But Aftandilian asserted that the administration of President Barack Obama should not oppose conditions by Congress to link aid to democratic reforms by Cairo.

Still, U.S. military officers must be careful in discussions with their
Egyptian counterparts, hundreds of whom train in the United States. The
report said U.S. officers should stay away from such topics as religion and
the domestic situation in Egypt.

“U.S. Army officials and officers should avoid discussions with Egyptian
military officers about Egyptian domestic politics, and they should drop any
interest they may have in convincing Egypt to opt for a ‘more nimble’ force
because Egyptian defense officials would see it as an effort to weaken the
Egyptian military,” the report, completed in August 2012 but released on
April 13, said.

The report said U.S. military aid should include training and equipment
to Egypt to restore order in the turbulent Sinai Peninsula. Aftandilian
cited Washington’s plans to supply Egypt with truck-mounted sensors to
identify vehicles at a great distance as well as offer intelligence sharing,
satellite imagery and unmanned aerial vehicles.

“Helping the Egyptian military deal with the extremist threat in the
Sinai, which the United States has already offered, should also be
continued,” the report said.

The report also recommended high-level discussions with Egyptian
officials on regional threats. Aftandilian also urged Washington to
reactivate the biannual Bright Star exercises.

“Although given the new political dynamics in Egypt, approval of such
exercises would have to go through President Morsi’s office,” the report
said. “However, he may not be averse to reactivating Bright Star, perhaps
seeing it as a way of mollifying the Egyptian military and assuring the
United States that there would be no dramatic turn in Egypt’s foreign
affairs and security posture.”

  be linked to domestic reforms, Bright Star exercises, Mohammed Morsi, Sinai Peninsula, U.S. Army tells officers not to talk politics with Egyptians, U.S. War College