Armed forces Chief of Staff Mahmoud Hegazi joined 21 other military commanders at last week's conference, organised by the US Defence Department, to coordinate international efforts to fight ISIS. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey met with top defence officials from Egypt, Bahrain, Iraq, KSA, UAE, UK, France, Belgium, Denmark, Canada, Germany, Spain, Lebanon, Kuwait, Jordan, New Zealand, Qatar, Turkey, Australia and Netherlands. The meeting offered a chance to evaluate progress achieved by the coalition and continue coordination between members of the coalition, said Pentagon spokesperson Steve Warren. President Barack Obama joined one of conference sessions, telling participants the campaign against ISIS was still in its early stages. Hegazi used the meeting to underline Cairo's position that the battle against terror cannot be reduced to the conflict with ISIS. He also called on the countries present to support Egypt in its own battle against extremists. In the absence of a UN or Arab League mandate Egypt has refused to send troops to fight ISIS. But, says armed forces' spokesman Mohamed Samir, Egypt is committed to combatting terrorism by cutting off its resources “and eliminating terrorism's roots”. President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has argued on a number of occasions that a necessary part of the battle is to promote the teachings of moderate Islam. He has also pointed out that the militant groups now active in Sinai are an offshoot of groups once encouraged by the West and represent the same level of threat to stability and security as ISIS. While attending last month's UN General Assembly meeting in New York Al-Sisi questioned the credibility of efforts to combat terror when the US administration was holding up the delivery of Apache helicopters needed by the Egyptian army to face down terrorists on its territory. “We said it before and we reiterate the fact that Egypt is in a real and serious confrontation with terrorism,” Al-Sisi said during an interview on CBS, the American TV network. Washington suspended the delivery of military equipment to Egypt in the wake of the removal of Mohamed Morsi. The arrival of 10 Apache helicopters, 12 F16 fighters, M1A1 tanks and technical equipment were delayed. Three Apache helicopters returned to the US for maintenance were impounded at a US air base. During his visit to Cairo to participate in the Gaza Reconstruction Conference US Secretary of State John Kerry told his hosts that the Apache helicopters would be delivered soon. Kerry praised Egypt's role in brokering the recent ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian factions, and its efforts to achieve stability to the region. Egyptian and American officials have announced that the 10 helicopters had finally been dispatched and would soon arrive. US State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters last Thursday that the helicopters were on their way to Egypt. “Egypt is an important country within the context of international efforts to fight the Islamic State Daesh,” she said. She added that the delivery of the helicopters was intended to assist Egypt's operations against militants. Psaki also noted that General John Allen, Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS, and Deputy Special Presidential Envoy Brett McGurk, had met with Egyptian officials to discuss the international coalition's efforts against ISIS and praised Egyptian officials for speaking so effectively against the brutality of the organisation. “The Apaches are on their way. They are being shipped at present. We expect them to arrive by the end of this month,” says Air Force Commander Lt Gen Younis Al-Masry. He added that the three Apaches sent for maintenance had already been returned.
