Parliament extends emergency debate on Saudi military mandate
The House of Representatives extended its Sunday emergency session into Monday to continue debating President El-Sisi’s request for a mandate to defend Saudi Arabia militarily if requested.
El-Sisi called on the House of Representatives on Saturday to hold an emergency session to authorize him to take military action to defend Saudi Arabia’s security and borders if the kingdom requests it, coinciding with escalating clashes between Saudi Arabia and Ansar Allah (the Houthis) in Yemen.
During the graduation ceremony of the first cohort of the Egyptian Military Academy, El-Sisi said, “We stand strongly and with full support to protect the lands of our brothers in the Gulf and defend them,” before directing a message to the Saudi leadership saying that “in Egypt, according to the directives of King Salman and the directives of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, we will implement any measure to protect you and defend you.”
Article 152 of the Egyptian Constitution prohibits the President of the Republic from declaring war or sending the armed forces on a combat mission outside state borders except after seeking the opinion of the National Defense Council and obtaining the approval of the House of Representatives by a two-thirds majority of its members.
The session was held in secret, according to Article 130 of the parliament’s internal regulations, and lasted from about 1 pm to 4 pm. Two MPs who spoke to Al Manassa declined to disclose the details of the discussions, noting that the parliament speaker had instructed members not to disclose them, warning that anyone who violates this would be subject to parliamentary accountability.
A third MP, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Al Manassa that MP Mahmoud Samy, parliamentary leader of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, independent MP Diaa El-Din Dawood, and Wafd parliamentary leader Mohamed Abdel Alim Dawood announced during the session that they would abstain from the vote.
On Sunday morning, the National Defense Council approved providing all necessary and possible forms of support to Saudi Arabia “to defend its security and stability, and to safeguard its resources, territorial integrity, and Islamic holy sites,” during a meeting chaired by El-Sisi at the Ittihadia Palace.
The presidency said in a statement that the council reviewed current regional developments and the grave escalations unfolding in the region, especially in light of the “escalating and unacceptable attacks” against Saudi Arabia.
The statement added that the council expressed “full support and complete solidarity with the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” stemming from the historical relations between the two countries, and in the belief that Saudi national security is “inextricably intertwined” with Egyptian and Arab national security.
The council also approved continuing and intensifying political and diplomatic efforts, in coordination with relevant regional and international parties, to contribute to de-escalating tensions across the entire region and achieving peaceful resolutions to ongoing regional crises.
The meeting was attended by the parliament speaker, the Prime Minister, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Minister of Defense and Military Production, the Armed Forces Chief of Staff, the Ministers of Interior, Finance, and Foreign Affairs, the head of the General Intelligence Service, the commanders of the main branches of the Armed Forces, the heads of the Armed Forces Operations Authority and Military Intelligence, and the Secretary-General of the National Defense Council.
Ansar Allah launched attacks in recent days on Riyadh International Airport and Aramco oil facilities, and also fought battles with forces of the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed Yemeni government after the collapse of a truce in Yemen.
In September, the Associated Press revealed that Saudi Arabia had requested defensive support from Egypt, France, Britain, and Pakistan to confront missiles and drones launched by Ansar Allah, amid a shortage of interceptor missiles and a decline in Washington’s readiness for direct military intervention.
The revelation of the request came one day after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Cairo on Sept. 15 and met with El-Sisi to discuss regional developments and Red Sea security, without either side announcing details of any new military arrangements at the time.
During his speech on Saturday, El-Sisi linked his stance on defending Saudi Arabia to the support Gulf states provided to Egypt following the events of 2013, saying that oil, gas and wheat shipments reached the country with backing from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait, adding that he would not hesitate to express his appreciation for that assistance.
Ansar Allah warns Cairo
In response, the speaker of the Ansar Allah-controlled House of Representatives in Sanaa sent a letter to the Egyptian parliament speaker on Saturday, warning against Egyptian involvement in military action to support Saudi Arabia in Yemen.
The letter stated, “We are deeply concerned about any moves that could draw Egypt into military actions serving Saudi policies in Yemen. We wish to highlight the following facts: The Saudi regime launched its war and blockade against Yemen more than 12 years ago.”
He continued, “We categorically reject dragging Egypt, with its Arab heritage and history, into a war that contradicts its values, or placing it alongside extremist forces and the Israeli occupation entity in their war against the Yemeni people.”
The parliament speaker also noted that “such a course would pose a grave threat to Egypt’s national security and internal stability. Egypt knows well who its real enemies are and who seeks to divide the Arab nation.”