Sisi Says Egypt Support for Saudi Arabia Would Be Defensive

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Wednesday that any Egyptian military support for Saudi Arabia would be limited to defending Saudi territory and borders, and would not involve an attack on Yemen. The proposal remains subject to parliamentary authorization, and the statements do not confirm that troops will be deployed. The presidency said Egypt would also defend another Arab state if asked. Sisi’s comments set out the stated limits of possible support as Saudi Arabia faces attacks attributed in the reports to Yemen’s Houthi movement. Whether Riyadh will request Egyptian assistance, and what any authorized mission would involve, remains unsettled. Egypt’s parliament postponed a vote on authorizing military support until October 26, according to lawmakers and reports of the parliamentary decision. The vote would address authorization for support if requested; it is not evidence that a deployment has been approved or begun. The Egyptian Social Democratic Party instructed its parliamentary members to abstain, citing a lack of information about the mission’s scope, costs and risks, as well as protections for Egyptian forces. The party’s position came amid the delay in...