The head of the Suez Canal Authority said Egypt’s military stopped a possible US intervention during the 2011 uprising that ousted former president Hosni Mubarak when they blocked two US warships on their way to the country’s territorial waters.
Mohab Mamish, who was in command of navy forces during the 2011 turmoil, told Al-Masry Al-Youm that his forces detected two US frigates approaching terrotorial waters, along with US military helicopters.
“They were besieged by the navy and were forced to withdraw from the territorial waters,” he said, adding in the interview that “it was important to show Americans that the Egyptian military was highly diligent and prepared to deter any intervention,” as he put it.
Asked why the US warships approached the Egyptian coast, he replied that “based on their logic, once turmoil occurs in any place in the world, their ships approach that place to immediately carry their nationals and protect their interests, including corporations, embassies, etc.”
He, however, said that he could not yet verify the “real intentions” behind the warships’ penetration of Egypt’s territorial waters, which prompted the reaction by his forces.
According to Mamish, that was not the only naval standoff with the US navy.
“One Iranian ship was carrying Russian weapons to Syria. The Americans blocked and searched it. They, and the Israelis, asked us to not to allow any ship to pass through the Suez Canal, which we rejected categorically,” he added.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
