Possible Withdrawal of U.S. Peacekeepers from the Sinai Peninsula
Abstract
U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper reportedly is considering withdrawing the roughly 450 person U.S. military contingent from the Multinational Force and Observers (MFO), an international peacekeeping mission formed in 1981 to monitor the demilitarization of the Sinai Peninsula and supervise the implementation of the historic 1979 peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. Explanations for the withdrawal proposal have centered on repositioning U.S. forces globally to better prepare for contingencies related to China and Russia, improved Israeli-Egyptian ties, and concern for the safety of U.S. peacekeepers. In recent years, U.S. forces in the Sinai have faced a heightened risk of terrorist attacks by groups such as the Islamic States Sinai Province (SP).Israeli officials and the leaders of American Jewish organizations have voiced concern over a possible U.S. withdrawal, asserting that the mission remains important and that U.S. participation and leadership in the MFO is vital for its ongoing success. On May 13, a bipartisan group of congressional committee leaders wrote a letter to the Secretaries of Defense and State arguing against a U.S. withdrawal, stating that a U.S. force contribution to the MFO is critical to encouraging other countries to participate.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 25, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1171911
Entities
People
- Jeremy M. Sharp
Organizations
- Library of Congress