Egypt’s parliament authorizes possible support for Saudi Arabia

Egypt’s parliament authorized President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on October 26 to take measures supporting Saudi Arabia’s defense, approving a mandate that does not itself confirm a military deployment or specify what assistance would be provided. The House of Representatives said the authorization followed closed-door sessions on October 18, 19 and 26 and allows measures coordinated with Riyadh to defend Saudi territory, sovereignty and holy sites against external aggression. The chamber approved it by a two-thirds majority, according to the parliamentary statement; the vote tally was not published. Al-Sisi has said Egypt’s role would be defensive, focused on Saudi territory and borders and not on attacks inside Yemen. The parliamentary statement did not set out operational details, including what assets or personnel might be involved. A regional official briefed on the matter said Egypt would provide air-defense systems and aircraft and would not send ground troops to Yemen. That account has not been confirmed in a public operational plan. Taher al-Khouly, deputy head of parliament’s legislative committee, separately told Reuters that Egypt would send forces to Saudi Arabia if...