The Egyptian Military: Fighting Enemies Domestic, Not Foreign

Rumors abound regarding Egyptian military forays abroad. Earlier in 2014, media reports claimed that Cairo's armies were preparing to move across the border into eastern Libya, and more recent reports said Egypt may cooperate with its Gulf allies to try to stabilize Yemen. But Egypt cannot really pursue much beyond limited foreign adventurism. The army's current makeup and deployment shows that, to a great extent, the state's military priorities remain unchanged: Constrained by additional economic and political concerns, the country's security priorities force it to on defense and domestic affairs. Cairo may continue — and may increase — its limited and targeted military actions in the region in coordination with its Gulf Cooperation Council allies, but it will firmly resist any efforts to parlay these actions into larger campaigns.