Adm. Mullen Visits Egypt

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen reaffirmed to Lt. General Sami Annan, Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces that the commitment of the United States military “to a strong bilateral relationship with the Egyptian Armed Forces” and “a democratic Egypt.” Mullen also expressed his admiration for “how professional the Egyptian military forces have comported themselves,” and noted that the ruling military council “clearly understands that security is absolutely critical to the continuing of this smooth transition to a democracy.” He added that concerns about military trials for civilians and allegations of torture would be private discussions.

Egyptian blogger Sarah Carr stressed the reform of the Egyptian Ministry of Interior. The need is underscored by the military’s adoption of the old State Security Investigations methods, including intimidation through friendly coffee chats. In a new study, Tewfick Aclimandos argues that security sector reform in Egypt will depend require a long view toward officer education.