Analysts warn against Egyptian participation in strike on Syria

Military experts have warned against Egyptian involvement in a possible military strike on Syria in collaboration with other countries, saying it would only add to the internal tensions in Egypt. Military expert General Talaat Abu Muslim said to Arab Today that “a military strike led by the US, Turkey, Germany and Britain is approaching. Egypt’s participation in a potential operation will preoccupy the army and make it unable to deal with the internal issues Egypt is facing since June 30.”? He said the Russian presence in the region might reassure Egyptian authorities that there will, at least for the time being, ?be a delay in ?a military strike against Syria. Professor of Strategic Sciences Nabil Fouad said “the participation of the Egyptian army in any ?military operation at the moment will diminish its efforts in clearing the Sinai Peninsula of Jihadists. It would also ?prevent the army from monitoring internal situations and controlling any disorder in ?the country created by the Muslim Brotherhood who demand the return of the ousted President Mohammed ?Morsi.”? Fouad added that Egypt’s participation in a military strike against Syria will squander any opportunity of allying with Russia, after the US abandoned its support to Egypt following the ousting of Morsi.? He said he expected it to be a prolonged military operation in Syria rather than a short-term one, to prevent alienating Arab countries. Military expert Refaat Abdel Hamid said “the Egyptian army currently is not capable of ?participating in any military strike against Syria.”? According to him the Egyptian military is preoccupied with purging Sinai of Islamic militants and putting an end to the upheaval in the country. Abdel Hamid called on the army to avoid any involvement in the potential military ?strike, which could “complicate things in Egypt to an unimaginable extent.?” The Arab League will meet on Tuesday to discuss the use of chemical weapons in Syria that reportedly killed hundreds of people, the bloc's deputy chief Ahmed Ben Helli said. Permanent delegates would gather at the League's Cairo headquarters for "urgent talks" to "study the horrible crime of the use of chemical weapons that killed hundreds of innocent people" in Syria, Ben Helli told reporters on Sunday. Syria's main opposition group, the National Coalition, accuses regime forces of killing more than 1,300 people Wednesday in chemical weapons attacks on the outskirts of Damascus. The Syrian government denies the accusations and counters that the rebels used chemicals, including on Saturday on soldiers who tried to storm an insurgent neighbourhood in Damascus.