US and Egypt resume 'strategic dialogue'

The United States and Egypt on Sunday resumed formal security talks that were suspended six years ago amid the political unrest that swept the country in the wake of the Arab Spring. 

Two days after the US delivered eight F-16 warplanes to Egypt as part of a military support package, Secretary of State John Kerry relaunched the dialogue with Egyptian officials in Cairo. 

Despite a dire human rights situation, the Obama administration is increasing military assistance to Egypt as it confronts growing threats from extremists, particularly on the Sinai peninsula.  

Sinai-based militants have been launching increasingly sophisticated attacks in recent months that have killed dozens of Egyptian soldiers and police. The latest wave of violence began after the military overthrew President Mohammed Morsi two years ago. 

US military assistance to Egypt had been on hold until earlier this year due to human rights and democracy concerns in the wake of the coup, but was resumed by the administration.

Some US lawmakers and numerous groups are urging Kerry to raise human rights issues with Egyptian authorities, including the arrests of dissidents and journalists, mass trials, and sentencings of Morsi supporters. 

From Cairo, Kerry will travel on Sunday to Doha, Qatar, for talks with Gulf Arab foreign ministers.

US officials said those concerns would be raised at all of Kerry's meetings in Cairo.    

Ahead of his trip, Kerry met on Thursday in Washington with Egyptian-American Mohammed Soltan, who had been sentenced to life in prison in Egypt for financing an anti-government sit-in and spreading 'false news'.

One of thousands imprisoned after the 2013 military overthrow of Morsi, Soltan had been on a hunger strike for more than a year before being freed in May after repeated US requests. He is the son of a prominent member of the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.     

Broadening US-Egyptian trade and economic ties will also be on the table during Kerry's visit, which comes just days before Egypt inaugurates a second, parallel waterway to allow two-way traffic on the Suez Canal. Egyptian officials are hoping the opening will boost a flagging economy.  

Doha talks

From Cairo, Kerry will travel on Sunday to Doha, Qatar, for talks with Gulf Arab foreign ministers whose countries are wary of the nuclear deal with Iran. 

Officials say the Doha discussions are primarily designed to follow-up on a May meeting that President Barack Obama hosted for Arab leaders at Camp David, at which the US promised enhanced security cooperation and expedited defense sales to guard against a potential Iranian threat.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the talks in Qatar would take stock of progress made on those goals, particularly since the Iran deal was signed.  

One US official said Kerry would use the meeting with the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council to "try to respond to any remaining questions they might have, hopefully satisfy them and ensure that they are supporting our effort going forward."  

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq in a similar tour earlier this week to talk to his counterparts about the Iran deal.  

Saudi Arabia is the largest and most influential member of the council and has been publicly supportive of the Iran deal, albeit with reservations. Just this week, the State Department authorised the sale to Saudi Arabia of $5.4 billion in Patriot missiles and related equipment along with $500 million in ammunition.  

In addition to Iran, Kerry and the Arab ministers are expected to look closely at the situation in Syria and Iraq, which continue to be ravaged by conflict and the spread of the Islamic State extremist group, the officials said.

Kerry will also meet separately in Doha with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss Syria, Iran and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.  

Despite the focus on Iran, Kerry's itinerary does not include Israel, America's foremost Mideast ally and the primary foreign opponent of the Iran agreement. 

US officials rejected suggestions that bypassing Israel signaled that the Obama administration had given up trying to convince Israeli leaders of the merits of the Iran deal.

The last time Kerry spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on July 16, two days after the Iran deal was sealed.