nsnbc : The decision by the Italian Senate, to halt the export of F-16 parts to Egypt over the death of Italian student Giulio Regeni earlier this year prompted the Egyptian Foreign Ministry to express that the decision would have consequences for bilateral relations, including cooperation on illegal immigration.
The Italian Senate, on Wednesday, decided to halt supplies of spare parts for F-16 jets to Egypt over disputes over the death of Italian national Giulio Regeni in Egypt.
Italy has repeatedly stressed that it was dissatisfied with the Egyptian investigation into the murder of Regeni. Egypt, for its part, insists that it has done all it can do to investigate the murder thoroughly and to cooperate with Italian investigators.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry, on Wednesday, reiterated its regret, saying that the Italian Senate’s decision is not consistent with the size and level of cooperation between investigative efforts by both countries. The Ministry also noted that Italy’s decision was inconsistent with common counter-terrorism plans.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry noted that Egypt has provided Italy with hundreds of documents related to the murder of Giulio Regeni while Italian authorities have not responded to the killing of two Egyptian nationals in Italy.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry further stressed that the Italian decision to halt supplies to Egypt would have a negative impact on bilateral cooperation and will require measures that would affect both countries’ cooperation in combating illegal immigration and on the situation in Libya.
Not All Turkeys Are Equal
Egypt is, arguably, flying a “Turkey” into the face of the Italian Senate and administration. That is, Egypt, arguably, emulates Turkey’s use of the refugee crisis to achieve political goals. However, there are some major differences between Turkey and the Turkey Egypt is flying into the face of the Italian government.
Turkey as well as Italy have played major roles in destabilizing Libya and Syria and have directly caused the refugee and migrant crisis as well as the wave of terrorism that has swept across the region. Egypt, on the other hand, was on Turkey’s and Italy’s “Arab Spring” target list, and attempts to destabilize Egypt, especially Egypt’s Sinai peninsula, continue to this day.
When the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, diplomatically, notes that Italy’s decision may impact cooperation on illegal immigration and counter-terrorism a less diplomatic “clear text” reading could be “You may have to clean up your own mess without help from Cairo”.
There have also been raised questions about the late Giulio Regeni. His body was found on in February after an intensive search for the missing graduate student at Britain’s Cambridge University.
Giulio Regeni had been reported as missing on January 25. The Italian Foreign Ministry’s call for the joint investigation came because the body of the deceased showed signs of torture.
Regeni was a Cambridge PhD student at Girton College in the department of Political and International Department.
Giulio Regeni also was a visiting scholar for the American University in Cairo. Regeni went reportedly missing as he was heading from Giza’s Behoos metro station to Bab-el-Louk in downtown.
It is at this point in time still uncertain whether Giulio Regeni has had ties to a foreign intelligence service or to any of the outlawed organizations in Egypt.
It is, however, noteworthy that American Universities are known for being hotbeds for western intelligence services’ formal and informal “assets”; The American University in Cairo included.
The list of Alumni from The American University in Cairo includes, among others, CIA Director John Brennan and New York Times “columnist” Thomas Friedman.
CH/L – nsnbc 07.07.2016
Source Article from http://nsnbc.me/2016/07/07/egypt-flies-a-turkey-after-italys-f-16-parts-boycott/