This direction of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's foreign policy is rooted in the military's 2013 ouster of his predecessor Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. Perhaps no single incident showcased this direction as much as Egypt's support this month for a Russian resolution on Syria at the U.N. Security Council. But siding with Russia - and by implication Assad - reflected the stance of el-Sissi's government that defeating Islamic militants in Syria is the priority. Cairo is willing to run the risks of its foreign policy in part because it believes "others similarly fear a takeover by political Islam," el-Sayad said. But he has backed Libyan general Khalifa Hifter in a fight against militants in Egypt's oil-rich western neighbor.

Source: Egypt Independent October 21, 2016 06:45 UTC