Robert Satloff is the Segal Executive Director of The Washington Institute, a post he assumed in January 1993.
In-Depth Reports
Among the most important facets of Egypt under Mubarak has been the creating of a new dynamic between army and politics. Though the military has been the backbone of Egypt’s government since the revolution, it rarely receives the analytical attention due such a powerful player in Egypt.
In this Policy Paper, Robert Satloff analyzes the changing relationship between the military and politics in post-Sadat Egypt. He examines Mubarak’s policy of expanding the scope and role of the military and the army’s responsibilities in terms of both national defense and economic development. The military, he argues, is the most dynamic institution in Egypt today, but it is already finding itself at odds with the push for democracy on one hand and the danger of Islamic radicalism, on the other. Moreover, Staloff assesses dangers involved for Egypt—and the U.S.—if Cairo were to gain a more active role in the Gulf conflict or the Arab-Israeli arena.
