Aerospace Industries Association, ARLINGTON: Congress must continue U.S. support for Egypt's military to ensure the strength of a key ally on the war on terror and stability in the Middle East, AIA President and CEO John Douglass said in a letter to legislators.
Douglass wrote the letter in an effort to head off a potential amendment to the foreign operations bill on the floor this week that would transfer a significant percentage of Egypt's Foreign Military Financing funds to a variety of economic assistance programs. President Bush requested $1.3 billion in FMF funds for Egypt in this year's budget.
The letter, addressed to House Appropriations Foreign Operations Subcommittee Chairman Jim Kolbe, (R-Ariz.) and Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D- N.Y.), pointed out that Egypt joins Israel as a vital U.S. partner in a region of long-term importance.
“The U.S.-Egyptian alliance offers both nations a unique spectrum of political, diplomatic, economic, and military benefits,” Douglass wrote. “As we continue to wage the war on terrorism, cultivate the Middle East peace process, and build our relationships in the Arab world, AIA respectfully urges Congress to continue its historic support for Egypt's FMF programs.”
The AIA letter noted that Egyptian over-flight permission and Suez Canal transit rights proved critical to the deployment of military forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 as well as the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
More than 90 percent of Egypt's military financing returns to the United States in the form of defense procurements. The country now has more than 80 M1AI tanks, 220 F-16 fighter jets, and Apache helicopters; programs that directly support tens of thousands of high-wage aerospace jobs across the United States, Douglass said.
Founded in 1919, the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) represents the nation's leading manufacturers and suppliers of civil, military, and business aircraft, helicopters, UAVs, space systems, aircraft engines, materiel, and related components, equipment services, and information technology.
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