The Future of Egypt: A Somalia on the Nile or a Stable, Robust U.S. Ally in the Region?

Ever since President Sisi took control of Egypt two years ago, one of his biggest challenges has been to prevent the spiraling violence in Libya from spilling over the border and to counter the Islamist insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula. The conflict in the Sinai has grown increasingly bloody in recent weeks, and last month the country’s state prosecutor was assassinated in Cairo. Compounding the security threat is a stagnant economy with high unemployment and a political environment plagued by deep divisions.

What does this latest round of violence and other domestic difficulties mean for the future of Egypt, a critical American ally and peace partner with Israel? Is the Obama administration’s policy toward Cairo largely right, or is it based on an Egypt that no longer exists? What else should the U.S. be doing to promote the growth and development of Egypt in a period of regional turmoil and Islamist fervor?

To examine these issues, Hudson will host a lunchtime panel on Friday, July 17, with distinguished experts Samuel Tadros, Mokhtar Awad, Jantzen Garnett, and moderator, Lee Smith.