Egypt's parliament approved on Monday the country's National Defence Council's Sunday decision to extend the deployment of the Egyptian Armed Forces in the Arab Gulf area, the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait. Egypt's National Defence Council decided that the participation of Egyptian Armed Forces Units in fighting missions aiming to defend Egyptian and Arab national security in the Arab Gulf area, the Red Sea and the Bab Al-Mandab strait, be extended for another six months. The parliament's speaker, Ali Abdel-Aal, told MPs in a plenary session on Monday that the National Defence Council's decision goes in line with article 152 of the constitution. "This article states that the president of the republic is the supreme leader of the armed forces and that he can declare war and send the armed forces on fighting missions in foreign land only after seeking a prior approval from the National Defence Council and two thirds of the members of the House of Representatives," Abdel-Aal explained. Abdel-Aal said the continued participation of Egyptian Armed Forces in the Arab Gulf area and the Red Sea are necessary to stand up to the rising threats coming from this area and which are vital to Egypt's national security. In its report on the decision, parliament's national security committee said the renewal of the troop mission in the Red Sea should send a signal to all Arab Gulf countries that Egypt is committed to its obligations on Arab national security and defending these countries against any foreign threats. In a meeting held on Sunday, the National Defence Council, headed by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Sunday, and attended by the ministers of defence, military production, foreign affairs, interior, as well as commanders of Egypt's Armed Force along with the chiefs of intelligence agencies, approved the renewal decision. Egypt's has been participating in the Saudi-led military operation in Yemen against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels since March 2015. Egypt has sent air force units to participate in fighting the Houthis and naval units to safeguard navigation in Bab Al-Mandab strait. The house also approved on Monday extending the state of emergency in North Sinai for an additional period of three months, beginning on 31 October 2016 and ending on 30 January 2017. Abdel-Aal said that in line with article 154 of the constitution, two thirds of MPs have approved extending the state of emergency in some parts of North Sinai governorate. "There was a kind of consensus among MPs that the state of emergency should be declared in North Sinai for another three months," said Abdel-Aal. The house's general committee said in a report that terrorist and militant groups in North Sinai are still constituting a big danger to the country's national security. Alaa Abed, head of parliament's human rights committee, said the Egyptian army is waging a war against terrorists in North Sinai and that troops there are determined to eradicate all terrorist elements from the northern part of the peninsula. "These terrorist elements receive support from foreign intelligence agencies to remain a thorn in the side of Egypt, but the army will finally achieve victory in its battle against terrorists," said Abed, adding "voices which call for army withdrawal from Sinai and the repeal of the state of the emergency there are reflecting a kind of treason to the nation." An MP representing the governorate of North Sinai said the people of the peninsula are keen to show every kind of support to the army's mission there. "I also have no doubts that while fighting terrorists, the army will be keen that the constitutional and legal rights of the people of North Sinai are observed in accordance with the constitution and the law," said MP Salama Al-Roqaie. MP Ibrahim Abu Shiira from North Sinai also said "the armed forces was able to obliterate 90 percent of terrorists in all of Sinai and that the two border cities of Rafah and Sheikh Zuwayed have become completely safe." "Terrorism in North Sinai now is just limited to one percent of Egypt's overall size," said Abu Shiira. Speaker Abdel-Aal said "the army's mission in both the Arab Gulf and North Sinai seek one objective – that is defending the national security of Egypt and maintaining the integrity of its land against all threats." "But there is a high price for this mission – I mean those army and police forces who lose their lives to defend their country by day and night," said Abdel-Aal. MPs observed one minute of silence to mourn five army soldiers who were killed in North Sinai yesterday.
