Is America's three-decade deployment to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula coming to an end?

2015-08-19T04:47:08-04:00

The Obama administration is quietly reviewing the future of America's three-decade deployment to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, fearful the lightly equipped peacekeepers could be targets of escalating Islamic State-inspired violence. Options range from beefing up their protection or even pulling them out altogether, officials told The Associated Press.

The American forces have helped marshal peace in the peninsula since Egypt's 1979 historic peace treaty with Israel. Some 700 members of an Army battalion and logistics support unit are currently there. They mainly monitor and verify compliance, and have little offensive capability. Several other countries also provide personnel.

Egypt has battled militants in northern Sinai for years, but attacks against its military and police have expanded since the July 2013 coup of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, with the Islamic State affiliate based in Sinai claiming responsibility for several large-scale assaults. Egypt's army under current President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi is trying to snuff out the insurgency.

For the United States, the fighting is troublesome, centered in the heart of the volatile Middle East near key maritime trading routes and alongside the most durable peace yet established between Israel and an Arab state. And it risks putting the so-called Multinational Force and Observers in the cross-hairs.

Armed primarily with light weapons, armored personnel carriers and similarly limited materiel, the forces lack the capacity to take on Islamic State or other militants across the sparsely populated, desert territory. As a result, officials said, the Obama administration has been conducting an "interagency review" of the U.S. posture in the Sinai.

Read more at ...

http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2015/08/18/us-weighs-more-security-withdrawal-option--sinai-forces/31942785/

U.S. weighs more security, withdrawal option for Sinai forces

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Aug 19 at 2015 6:02 AM

2015-08-19T06:02:42-04:00

I would hope not. Isn't Egypt strategically important this area?

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 19 at 2015 11:11 AM

2015-08-19T11:11:56-04:00

This is a touchy subject. I never like us leaving somewhere because we "could be targets of... violence." It seems contradictory. To a certain extent if we are in an area where we could be targeted it almost proves our need there. That said of course I don't want our men and women in undue danger with no foreseeable gain in sight. If we are there for a valid reason we shouldn't be scared off. If our purpose there has become irrelevant, we should leave, but without any reason associated with fear of the Islamic State. If we are still needed there AND in danger then we need to protect our forces there but remain.

It's a tough road and I can understand the complexity, but I always get a rotten feeling when I hear we are leaving somewhere that I know the conflict hasn't been resolved in.

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Aug 19 at 2015 4:34 PM

2015-08-19T16:34:07-04:00

Lightly armed but have CAS on speed dial. I would not pull them out. It benefits the entire world to ensure that terrain remains clear.

Response by SGT Bryon Sergent made Aug 19 at 2015 5:27 PM

2015-08-19T17:27:48-04:00

Well even the bible says that that will be the place of Armageddon.

Response by SFC Timothy Dutcher made Aug 19 at 2015 6:53 PM

2015-08-19T18:53:11-04:00

Having served on the Sinai mission, it was always understood if Egypt and Israel decided to go back at it, the MFO would only serve as a speed bump anyways. Observe, report, verify. There were never any instructions to engage proactively. We were armed and our ROE allowed us to defend our observation posts, but the MFO mission is simply a buffer zone of international forces. There have always been terrorist groups of concern in the peninsula. Expand the buffer zone, continue to fortify north and south camps (they should be fortresses by now), and utilize technology to actively take over some of the observing mission. The mission has worked so it shouldn't be abandoned, but it is time for an overhaul. I am not going to go into specifics about where some changes would be most beneficial, but there are plenty of people being paid a lot of money who should be seeing this better than some guy sitting in North Dakota.

By the way, when I was on the mission, it was still active army infantry battalions rotating through there. Even though it was the height of terrorism groups in the Sinai in the 90s, it was a great deployment. Spent a lot of time in Herb's Gym and at Herb's beach. Drank a lot of beer and played a lot of sports with the Fijians. Had a lot of time to work on some very focused squad level training. When there was a chance to travel, got to see places people only read about in the bible.

Response by MAJ Keith FitzPatrick, CPIM, CSCP made Aug 19 at 2015 9:37 PM

2015-08-19T21:37:08-04:00

The whole point of the mission was to assure each side that the other would not attack. I think an attack by either side is unlikely these days. Mission complete; time to come home.

Response by GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad made Sep 4 at 2015 2:02 AM

2015-09-04T02:02:17-04:00

Four American and two international peacekeepers were wounded Thursday in two bomb blasts on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, and required medical evacuation, U.S. defense officials said.

All six troops were with the Multinational Force of Observers (MFO), an international coalition set up to keep the peace between Egypt and Israel after a treaty was reached between the two nations at Camp David, Md., in 1978. The two international troops hit an improvised explosive device with their vehicle, and then the four Americans were hit with a second explosion on another vehicle while attempting to respond and provide help, said Maj. Roger M. Cabiness II, a military spokesman at the Pentagon.

Read more at ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/09/04/four-u-s-troops-two-international-peacekeepers-wounded-in-sinai-blasts/

Four U.S. troops, two international peacekeepers wounded in Sinai blasts

All six troops were with the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO), an international coalition set up to keep the peace between Egypt and Israel.

Response by SGT Destiny Klaric made Sep 30 at 2015 8:14 PM

2015-09-30T20:14:06-04:00

Our mission there is peacekeeping. Observing and reporting. Once ISIS sent out a blast to purposely harm Americans that worked in Egypt, in the MFO, we should have pulled out. Other nations have ended their mission. If we're not going to be armed and no money or plans will go into securing the north camp region then pull us out. That base is armed huge target. We were safer being bombed in Iraq every day than in the Sinai.

Response by LTC John Shaw made Oct 16 at 2015 7:20 AM

2015-10-16T07:20:45-04:00

GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad Last time I was there was July, 2006 when the Israeli's decided to take out rocket launchers in the Gaza strip. I was rushed there with a three man team to improve the communications situation. It is against the Dayton agreement to have permanently established secure communications equipment in the MFO facility, so we have limited options.
I think it is an important mission and if we pull out, we will find that Gaza creep will make the whole Sinai a terrorist zone, the Egyptians will decide they don't want to overwatch Hamas/Hezbollah and drive any Red Sea beach tourism out of the area. We will create another ungoverned area for IS inspired folks.

Response by COL Jon Thompson made Dec 5 at 2015 9:37 AM

2015-12-05T09:37:12-05:00

I was in the Sinai in 1987 and the biggest threat was mines left over from the previous wars. It was a relatively quiet and boring mission. The highlights were the trips I went on to Israel and Cairo. The purpose of the mission was to report and verify the terms of the peace agreement and almost was more symbolic in that we had the backing of the Nation if we were threatened. As it stands now, I think the likelihood of Egypt and Israel going to war is small (you never know the future) and clearly, the IS terrorists do not fear us. It may be time to pull them out as it is a much different environment from when I was there almost 30 years ago.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 4 at 2016 4:44 PM

2016-06-04T16:44:30-04:00

I did a 9 month rotation in sinia a couple years ago. It was a great experience. Thier was a couple incidents. A tours bus was blown up not for from the Isreal border and and few more attacks here and there. But the the rotation is a multi national rotation meaning there js military presents there from around the world. The general consensus is don't mess with the Multinational force and observers(MFO). The reason is because we are there as a piece keeping mission between Isreal and Egypt and do not get involved in Egypt business besides what we have been invited to be there for. Also the Egyptian army and police have a very heavy presents in egypt, such as check points every couple of miles.

Response by SGT Joel Bourbeau made Apr 17 at 2017 8:20 AM

2017-04-17T08:20:41-04:00

I also served at South Camp in the mid-eighties. We always had a sense of being a target. Only defensive weapons on hand and no place to go...