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Egypt's Sisi readies for chillier reception in Washington

Experts say mixed signals on the part of President Sisi suggest nervousness about the incoming Biden administration.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 09:  Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi listens during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House April 9, 2019 in Washington, DC. President El-Sisi is visiting Washington for bilateral talks with President Trump.  (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

As a candidate, Joe Biden pledged “no more blank checks for ‘Trump’s favorite dictator,’” a pointed reference to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whose country is the recipient of roughly $1.3 billion in US military assistance per year. But whether Biden can make good on that promise as president remains to be seen, and in the meantime, a leery Egypt is testing the waters. 

Sisi “understands that it’s going to be a different ballgame than it was under Trump,” said William D. Hartung, the director of the Arms and Security Project at the Center for International Policy.

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