WASHINGTON: Much is happening in Egypt. The media is focused on Hillary Clinton's visit and the ongoing power struggle between the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and the Muslim Brotherhood. But, few people have been talking about the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) in Sinai, who are facing a big threat with the deteriorating security situation on the peninsula. The MFO has peacekeeping responsibilities in the Sinai and was established after the signing of the 1979 Peace Treaty between Egypt and Israel. The current security situation in Sinai threatens the national security interests of Egypt and Israel, as the peninsula is becoming lawless and there are Al-Qaeda elements operating on the ground. David Schenker, Aufzien fellow and director of the Program on Arab Politics at The Washington Institute, last month published a short piece titled “The MFO Under Fire in Sinai.” He argues that the circumstances on the ground have made it difficult for the MFO to operate and explains: “to preserve both the MFO and the treaty, the Obama administration should engage Egypt and Israel on mechanisms for improving security efforts in Zone C, to include additional deployments of Egyptian border guard and military forces in the area.” Senator Mark Udall, who serves on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Armed Services Committee, authored an interesting Op-Ed piece, two days ago, titled: “Sinai chaos threatens Israel-Egypt stability.” He sheds light on the critical situation in Sinai and is worried about its potential impact on Egyptian-Israeli relations. The security situation in Sinai is critical and it has affected MFO operations. There needs to be immediate actions taken on the ground as the current state of affairs in the peninsula is not sustainable and can have complicated consequences on regional stability. SCAF has been busy dealing with domestic politics and trying to manage a democratic transition filled with political, security and economic challenges. There are twelve countries that are apart of the MFO contingent, maybe it is time to increase the contingent and the MFO budget. The 2011 MFO budget was $78 million, I think the MFO needs more resources to be able to operate in the increasing deteriorating security environment of the peninsula. The Egyptian military also needs to play a greater role in Sinai and provide greater support to the MFO. Maybe, some of the US military aid funds, $1.3 billion to Egypt and the $3.1 billion to Israel, could be devoted to the MFO budget. This would enhance the MFO operational capabilities and help it carry out its peacekeeping responsibilities in the Sinai. After all, the lawlessness in Sinai has negative consequences on both Egyptian and Israeli national security interests.I am optimistic that the Egyptian military in cooperation with its allies can soon resolve the security crisis in Sinai and protect the MFO. ** Adel El-Adawy is editor and creator of the Egyptian Student Abroad blog. El-Adawy is currently an intern at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC.
