CBS News reported that Egypt’s Parliament postponed a vote on military assistance for Saudi Arabia, with any deployment contingent on a request from Riyadh amid escalating Houthi attacks.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi asked lawmakers to authorize assistance after Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted Saudi airports and oil infrastructure, CBS News reported. He described a possible deployment as defensive and said Egypt would act only if Saudi Arabia asked for help.
For a combat mission abroad, Egypt’s Constitution requires consultation with the National Defense Council and approval by two-thirds of the House of Representatives.
The council met Sunday, Oct. 18, under al-Sisi and pledged “all necessary and possible forms of support” for Saudi Arabia, the Egyptian presidency said. It also called for greater diplomatic efforts to ease regional tensions. The statement did not announce a deployment or give a timetable for assistance.
Parliament had convened an emergency session Sunday and was expected to approve the resolution Tuesday. CBS News reported that the vote was postponed until Monday, Oct. 26. An earlier EconoTimes report, citing Youm7, said lawmakers were due to resume debate Monday, Oct. 26.
The Egyptian Social Democratic Party directed its lawmakers to abstain from the resolution. The party said lawmakers had too little detail on the mission’s reach, expense and dangers, or on safeguards for Egyptian troops.
Retired army brigadier Samir Ragheb, a political and strategic analyst, told CBS News that Egypt could lose regional influence if it failed to honor pledges to protect Gulf states. He cited billions of dollars invested in Egypt by Gulf states and argued that Cairo should reciprocate. Ragheb said Washington’s refusal to strike the Houthis on Saudi Arabia’s behalf had left a role for regional powers.
CBS News said Egypt had stayed out of recent regional military conflicts while pursuing de-escalation and political solutions, an approach some view as a major achievement for al-Sisi. The vote is scheduled for Oct. 26, according to CBS News.
