David Schenker is the Taube Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics. He is the former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.
Articles & Testimony
As post-revolutionary Egypt slowly shapes a new political landscape, it faces a resurgent security challenge from extremist groups. David Schenker examines recent incidents, security force capabilities, and the extent to which Islamist political blocs might influence the country's domestic and regional security posture. The following is a summary of the full PDF.
KEY POINTS
Internal security in Egypt has deteriorated in the past year, with elements of the state security apparatus degraded or distracted by the country's recent political turmoil.
Of particular concern is the situation in the Sinai Peninsula, where at least one al-Qaeda-inspired organization has coalesced.
Egypt's ascendant Islamist political forces will focus initially on stabilizing the country's economy rather than seeking to influence domestic or regional security matters. Responsibility for these functions will remain with the Egyptian armed forces and security establishment.
